The European Parliament today approved, with a clear majority, a Resolution requesting the lifting of restrictions that prevent citizens from Romania and Bulgaria from working in several Member States of the European Union. The Resolution was initiated by Elena Basescu MEP, Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP and Traian Ungureanu MEP and was supported by most political groups in Parliament.

The Resolution notes that the official statistics published by the European Commission show without doubt that the presence of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens in the labour market in many EU countries has had a positive effect. The Resolution notes that there is no economic justification for maintaining restrictions against Romanian and Bulgarian workers and calls on governments with labour market barriers to eliminate them without delay. The Resolution deplores the practice of EU Member States that have imposed restrictions on labour markets against Romanian and Bulgarian citizens using unjustified economic formulas.

Elena Basescu MEP commented on the abnormal situation: "By using an extremely vague expression of European law, 'serious disturbance in the labour market', the labour market has been fragmented by breaking one of the four fundamental freedoms."

Elena Basescu categorically rejected the argument used by those Member States who claim that the presence of Romanian and Bulgarian workers would create economic imbalances: "I think the actual refusal of governments to allow the meeting of supply and demand causes imbalances in the labour market."

"There can be no Single Market without total freedom of the labour force. We cannot continue to support a policy of legal migration of third country nationals as long as there are restrictions for European citizens in the EU labour market. The Resolution adopted by the European Parliament is a step forward that will produce beneficial results for both host countries' economies, as well as Romanian and Bulgarian nationals", said Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP.

The Resolution reaffirms the equal rights of EU citizens and supports the immediate abolition of measures which restrict these rights for Romanians and Bulgarians. "A very fashionable formula says that we need, now, in times of crisis more Europe. Unfortunately, too many EU countries prefer the words more Europe for less Europeans", Traian Ungureanu MEP said. Additionally, Ungureanu said that the opening of labour markets should be done in a responsible manner, opening them to highly-qualified workers as well as those less-qualified.

For further information:

Elena BĂSESCU MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845908

Marian-Jean MARINESCU MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845416

Traian UNGUREANU MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845785

Eugen Sandu, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, Tel: +32-472-547584

Notes to Editors:
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 271 Members.