European Commission says free movement of workers since the 2004 enlargement had a positive impact

The European Commission published, February 8, 2006, its report on the effects of the flow of workers from Central and Eastern Europe to the labour markets of the fifteen old Member States. The arrival of this labour had "mostly positive effects" and was in most countries "quantitatively less important than foressen", the Commission underlines. (Ref. 06113)
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

In its report on “the conducting of the transitional provisions” contained in the Accession Treaty of 2003, the Commission analyzes the effects of free movement of workers from new Member States (EU-10) and those of the restrictions on this freedom of movement set up by all the old Member States (EU-15), except for Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden. These restrictions, said “transitional arrangements”, were introduced into the Accession Treaty for a maximum period of seven years, divided into t

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
Argentina: labour law reform debate kicks off
Argentina’s Congress has begun debating President Javier Milei’s highly contentious labour reform package, which includes proposals to scrap overtime pay, curb the right to strike and give...
3 February 2026
France: Uber ordered to pay €1.7 billion for undeclared work
According to the publication Revue21, the employer contributions collection agency (URSSAF) has sent a 142-page document to the ride-hailing platform Uber demanding the sum of €1.7 billion...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
2
France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
3
EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
4
Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...