Brussels, 10/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent to the Dutch parliament on Friday 6 April, the former minister for justice and social affairs in the new government under Balkenende, Piet Hein Donner, announces that the Dutch labour market will be opened to the workers of the ten states that joined the European Union in 2004 as of 1 May 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania are not concerned by this decision as they did not become EU member states until 1 January 2007).
In his letter, Mr Donner sets out the reasons for his decision. The labour market in the Netherlands is developing “particularly well”, he said, with the number of job offers at an all-time high and unemployment falling. Any delay in opening up the Dutch job market to these workers will be detrimental to Dutch industry and business and hence to the Dutch labour market. The former justice minister sought to reassure workers from the new member states saying that they will receive the same pay as native Dutch workers for the same work done. “Unfair competition towards the Dutch will thus be avoided”, added Piet Hein Donner while recalling that there are already employment vacancies in 16 sectors such as metallurgy, healthcare and the public service, and that these vacancies are open to workers from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.
Commissioner Vladimir Spidla welcomed this decision from the Netherlands, saying it is “along the right lines and is vital and necessary for the economy of the country”. 21 EU member states have lifted their restrictions to the free movement of workers from the ten new EU member states. Only France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Hungary and Denmark still impose restrictions. For more information on the current situation in all member states, see: http: //ec.europa.eu/employment_social/free_movement/enlargementen.htm (gb)