Brussels, 22/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Union will soon give notice on adoption of its “blue card” project to attract elite foreign workers to Europe. Permanent representatives from member states to the EU made a formal note on Wednesday 22 October on the lifting of the last remaining technical barriers for moving to adoption of the draft directive. Bulgaria has removed its reservations, just a few days after the Czech Republic lifted its own. Because of these two countries, the draft directive could not be adopted at the end of September (EUROPE 9749). To avoid feeling discriminated against, the Czechs wanted the blue card project to explicitly mention the date of the directive's entry into force and the coinciding of the lifting of restrictions to labour market access imposed by certain member states - 2011. The Bulgarians considered that mentioning this date was even more discriminatory because restrictions on the labour market for nationals from these two countries that joined the EU in 2007 will apply to 1 January 2014 at the latest. To resolve the problem, the French Presidency added a declaration to the text that, without mentioning the date (simple reference to provisions in the 2003 and 2005 accession treaties), confirms, nevertheless, the fact that the “blue card” will not enter into force before the lifting of restrictions imposed on workers. One diplomat explained that this “political cinema” ought to allow the Council to adopt the blue card during the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 27-28 November. (B.C./transl.rh)