Teodorovici doubles down on statements about work rights in the EU: We need to standardize labor at the European level

Aurel Dragan 28/11/2018 | 08:59

Following his statements on work permits only being valid for a limited period for those working in other EU countries, Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici posted further explanations on Facebook, where he continued to support the points he made earlier on Tuesday, despite the public outcry that followed. He said that his previous statement had been an emphasis on the need to standardize labor market access and legislation across European countries.

During an event at the Parliament Palace on Tuesday, Teodorovici said that he wants those working abroad to have a single work permit, valid for a limited period of time, then look for work in another country, which he claimed would encourage them to return to their home countries.

“These statements were made in the context of Romania’s acute labor force crisis, and my intention was to propose solutions that could provide support for all, both from an economic and social point of view. I have not, nor will I ever, call into question the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union: the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. But if a problem is not discussed at European level, all the other Member States believe that things are perfect,” said Teodorovici.

Thus, he says, hundreds of thousands of young people left Romania for other states, which has diminished our country’s economic development opportunities.

“What I did was put an emphasis on the need to standardize labor market access legislation and procedures across European countries so that we have equal access conditions for all EU citizens. It is by no means a question of hindrance or a limitation of Romanians’ access to the European space, but rather my desire, as always, to defend and promote the interests of Romanians and Romanian companies,” said the Finance minister.

”As I have already said on other occasions at meetings with my European counterparts in the context of discussing options for promoting European unemployment schemes, such a measure should not only take into account the problems faced by some Member States, especially those that are economically developed, to the detriment of the others.

In Central and Eastern Europe, for example, unemployment did not even reach alarming rates during the crisis, and the main problem has been labor migration, especially skilled labor moving towards more prosperous states in the Western Europe. This phenomenon leads to major labor market imbalances, which affect the growth potential and slow convergence in the European Union.

Therefore, a potential macroeconomic stabilization function should take into account the interests of the countries affected by the labor market shortage and should have as their main objective financial support for actions to encourage the return of the labor force to the countries of origin.”

 

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Aurel Dragan | 27/03/2024 | 17:32
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