European

Labour Law

Lecture 04B

Remarkable factual development

1959 2004

Intra Communitary migrants ¾ ¼

The Third country migrants ¼ ¾

of all migrants in EU

4.3 Third country migration 1

First standards under the Council of Europe

- Arts. 18/19 (Revised) European Social Charter

Art. 18 – The right to engage in a gainful occupation in the territory of other parties

Art. 19 – The right of migrant workers and their families to protection and assistance.

Main contents: Right to equal treatment for legally residing migrants.

Main reservation: no absolute right to access to jobs.

4.3. Third country immigration 2

1977 European Convention on the legal status of migrant workers

- is concerned with the principal aspects of the legal situation of migrant workers, e.g. recruitment, work and residence permits, working conditions, dismissals and social security.

- obtained only 11 ratifications up to now (under which Italy, Netherlands, Albania and Turkey)

- grants rights to other signatory states on a reciprocity basis, so of no avail for nationals of MS which did not ratify nor to nationals of non-MS.

4.3. Third country immigration 3

In the EU until mid 1970s all policies and law in this field were left to the Member States.

In de mid 1970s a specific action programme favouring migrant workers and their families 1976, applicable to both intra-EU and third country migrants.

This and several succeeding “soft law” documents notably contained condemnation of xenophobia and racism, financial support by the European Social Fund for national programmes to improve the living and working conditions of these persons.

No “hard law” in this field.

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After 1992 intensification, notably because since 1992 (Maastricht) the EU had a much more extensive ambition than to be only an economic union.

The issues of asylum policies and immigration policies, notably illegal immigration, residence and labour were termed as matters of common interest on which the EU may issue Directives by unanimity vote in the Council of Ministers.

In the Treaty of Amsterdam 1997 this was turned into qualified majority vote. Moreover this Treaty of Amsterdam provided for more vigorous action against racial and ethnic discrimination.

(I shall deal with that in the 7the lecture)

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Since then only a few “hard law” measures were taken:

- 2003 Directive 2003/16 on the right to family unification of third country nationals.

- 2003 Regulation amending Social Security Regulation 1408/71 to cover subjects of third countries who are covered in the social security schemes of the MS.

Usually MS are reluctant to adopt EU rules on the admission of third country nationals to residence and to engage in jobs.

A comprehensive Commission proposal on the conditions of entry and residence was rejected in 2001.

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In 2005 the Commission did new attempts to move on in this field in its Policy Plan on legal immigration containing a package of 5 proposals for Directives:

a. A framework Directive on a single residence permit for third country nationals

b. A Directive for highly skilled workers

c. A Directive for intra-corporate transfers

d. A Directive for seasonal workers

e. A Directive on illegal immigration.

b. and e have been adopted now, on the others the negotiations are going on.

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The item of illegal immigration.

Already in 1976 Commission proposed a Directive to combat illegal immigration, but this proposal could not be adopted.

In 1994 the Council issued a Recommendation on this issue.

In 2005 the Commission came forward with a new proposal for a Directive, which has been substantially watered down until it could be adopted in 2009.

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Directive 2009/52 on illegal immigration aims to fix minimum standards for obligations on employers to renounce of engaging illegal third country nationals and for sanctions against violations.

MS must oblige employers to show non-EU-nationals their residence permits, to keep copies ready for inspection and to report the engagement of such nationals to the competent authorities

MS must ensure effective, proportional and deterrent pecuniary sanctions and demand the employer to pay the costs of return and outstanding wage claims of the worker for at least 3 months

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However MS may fix lower financial sanctions for illegally working domestic workers in private households.

MS must also fix other sanctions such as the exclusion of governmental orders and subsidies.

The sanction of liability of contractors for their subcontracts was not prescribed but left to the discretion of the MS.

MS must offer the illegal workers suitable instruments for complaints and occasionally reward them with a temporary residence permit.

MS must organise sufficient controls and inspections.

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Directive 2009/50 on the access of high qualified nationals of third countries.

In order to make the EU a more interesting place to work for high qualified third country nationals this Directive launched the concept of a European “blue card” (equivalent of the US “green card”) allowing third country nationals the access to high qualified jobs.

If such a person has been offered a job of at least 1,5 times the average salary in a MS he can obtain the blue card for a 1 to 4 years period via a glib procedure. The card, which also covers family members, gives the person more rights than other third country nationals enjoy in the EU.

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The Proposal for a Directive on seasonal workers has met with much resistance of the MS and could not been adopted until now.

The proposal of the Commission is to give seasonal workers from third countries in agriculture and tourism the guarantee that they can return during 5 years at least yearly 6 months to work in these sectors.

The Commission expected that with such a guarantee the seasonal workers may be more inclined to return each time to their countries. Actually they tend to stay illegally.

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Third countries with a special status

- EAA-countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

-Switzerland

-Other Eastern European countries like Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, etc.

-Further Eastern European countries like Russia, Moldavia

-Turkey

-Magreb countries (Morocco, Algeria and Tunesia)

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- In the EAA-Agreement it is stated that the EU Free Movement Regime is in all aspects applicable to nationals of these countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and to EU nationals in these countries.

- Switzerland since 2000 has a Free Movement Agreement with the EU, virtually containing the same standards as the EAA-Agreement. Interesting: an emergency clause until 2014.

Transition period running for Rumenians and Bulgarians until 2016.

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- With a number of Eastern European countries, such as Croatia) Association Agreements have been concluded.

- With other Eastern European States, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia Treaties of Partnership and Cooperation have been signed.

Both kind of treaties do not contain a right to free and equal access to the labour market of the EU MS and vice versa.

They only pledge equal treatment for workers, legally residing and working in the other states.

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The case of Turkey is somewhat confusing.

There is an Association Agreement of 1963 and there are subsequent Protocols and Decisions of the Association Council with texts on Free Movement, even announcing that Free movement of workers would have been established on December 1, 1986.

What is their contents and value?

The CoJEU has in its case law taken a middle of the road position.

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It refused direct applicability of some of these texts, so that there is still no right to access to work for Turkish nationals.

On the other hand it recognised direct applicability of other texts with the effect,

- that MS cannot introduce new restrictions of the access of Turkish nationals to the labour market

- that after one year of work Turkish nationals have step by step the right to stay on the labour market of MS

- that, being legally on the labour market of MS they and their family members have about the same rights on equal treatment as intra EU-migrants.

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Already in 1976 an Agreement of Cooperation was concluded between the CEE and Morocco, Algeria and Tunesia. However, it only contains the pledge to equal treatment of persons legally working in the EU and vise versa. No promises on free and equal access.

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In all these documents on employment relations with third countries one must not only pay attention to the access to work of employees but also to the question whether those relationships are allowing third country nationals to freely work as independent persons.

Because this then would enable third country nationals to work in quasi-independent relationships.

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The ECJ in 2001 in the Jany case accepted that if these documents allow the right to free establishment and free provision of services even prostitutes must be allowed! The court rules that the question whether those women really work as independent workers was to check through the national authorities.

The ECJ in 2011 in the Vicoplus case accepted that Member States – in order to better control the labour market – may require work permits for those independent working persons from third countries.

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