The Directive 2014/36/EU, whose aim is regulating the conditions of entry and stay of third-country nationals for the purpose of employment as seasonal workers, has been presented today by the Commissioner Francesco Carboni as “one of the pillars of the Commission regarding the legal migration”. Thousands of migrants come every year to Europe and stay from three to nine months to work seasonally, in the sectors of agriculture, tourism and horticulture. The Commissioner has, firstly, underlined that the directive’s aim is to incentivize economic improvement of member states and the prevention of exploitation of seasonal workers. The main aspects that have been object of discussion concern the setting of all the rules of entry and stay of seasonal workers, defined by articles 5 and 6, and the control of workers’ condition. He has ensured that, for granting the right treatment, elements like the accommodation have been taken into account. As a matter of fact, in case the employer provides accommodation for the workers, the rent must be proportioned to the salary.
As for the debate upon the common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection, member states like Germany, Belgium and Denmark have shown openness, while Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia have highlighted their own economic difficulties and, consequently, their impossibility to accept a high number of seasonal workers. Germany and Belgium have said they will provide working permission to high skilled seasonal workers, ensuring for them the same rights of citizens.
On the other side, United Kingdom has reiterated its own independence. British laws are intended to regulate the non-EU temporary workers through a specific visa, granted only if the needs of the British labour market must be fulfilled. A similar message is sent by smaller countries. Bulgaria has stated that the attempt to deal with the national unemployment does not make of this legislation an important issue in their political agenda. On this wake, Czech Republic has pointed out that different strengths, different industries and different economies characterize all member states; therefore, big states could benefit from common procedures regarding seasonal workers, while smallest could not take advantage from it. Coherently with this statement, Greece, committed in dealing with a high rate of unemployment, has declared not to be able to guarantee the entry permission to a high number of seasonal workers, but has presented its effort in guaranteeing social integration to seasonal workers through a series of bilateral agreements.
The two tendencies find a mediation in The Netherlands’ position whose aim is promoting the temporary job to become permanent and requests for member states the possibility to limit the numbers of seasonal workers coming into the country.
At the end of the first day of debate on the directive that constitutes an important step within the legal migration framework, the main point seems to concern the clash between the national labour market’s interests and the possibility to promote economic growth through non-EU Manpower.
Beatrice Pecchiari
Written for EUROPEAN CHRONICLES
Sapienza moves to debate 