Decision on EU workers ‘vindicated’

IRELAND’S decision to allow the free movement of workers from the 10 newest EU member states has been fully vindicated, according to business body IBEC.

Two years after the states were admitted during the Irish presidency of the EU, the group said the contribution of migrant workers to the economy has been enormous.

“The decision by Ireland to allow free movement of workers from day one has been fully vindicated,” said IBEC’s director of European affairs, Maria Cronin.

“It is interesting to note that the countries that applied free movement from 2004 — Ireland, the UK and Sweden — are also the economies that have subsequently outperformed the rest of the old EU-15.

“Irish business has fully exploited the opportunities of the internal market and this has greatly contributed to our economic success.”

However, from today Ireland faces competition for eastern and central European workers, as four more EU states open their doors and Poland plans a campaign to win them back.

Finland, Greece, Spain and Portugal will allow free movement for workers from the central and eastern European countries.

Elsewhere, France joins Italy and the Netherlands in introducing quotas for workers in areas where there are labour shortages.

That leaves only Belgium, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Luxembourg of the old EU-15 keeping their doors shut for another three years.

Ireland is more dependent than any other EU country on migrant workers as they now make up over 2% of the labour force, the highest in the EU. The figure for Britain is 0.4% and Sweden 0.1%.

Recent reports say the country will continue to need more than 50,000 foreign workers each year to fill new jobs. Currently about 10,000 arrive each month to join the estimated 200,000 in the workforce.

The largest number — about 140,000 — are Polish but the growing strength of that country’s economy and fears of a brain drain mean a number of cities are planning to woo back some of the best qualified.

One of these is Wroclaw, which is experiencing strong economic growth. Its tourism industry recently got a boost from Ryanair launching flights into the city. Now its authorities has announced a campaign to encourage citizens to return from Britain and Ireland.

They are planning billboard advertising and a festival in London in September. According to Radio Poland, even though unemployment in Wroclaw is 10%, economic growth has meant a shortage of skilled workers.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Michael McDowell yesterday confirmed the EU Free Movement Directive had been signed into Irish law, giving effect to the rights of the union’s citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the member states.

The regulations facilitate the admission of partners of EU citizens who are in a confirmed long-term relationship. It also allows for the creation of a new status of permanent residence for EU citizens and their family members after five years residence in the state.

Mr McDowell said: “They will simplify and clarify the law applying to the residence of EU citizens and their family members in Ireland.”