European Commission to Romanian finance minister: The free movement of workers is a fundamental right in the EU  

The European Commission had a strong reaction to the Romanian finance minister’s proposal to limit Europeans’ right to work in other EU member states, reminding him that the free movement of workers is a fundamental right of the European Union and one of the main pillars of the Union’s treaties.

A Commission spokesperson said: “Let me remind you that the free movement of workers is a fundamental right of the European Union, one of the central pillars of the internal market, and, according to studies, one of the rights that Europeans appreciate the most. The EC’s position has been clear since the beginning of its term: creating a more profound and fair internal market is an essential component to building a more social Europe. In order to function properly, workforce mobility must be based on clear, fair and applicable rules, for example by imposing the equal pay for equal work in the same place principle for detached workers. At the same time, through the European pillar of social rights, the EU has committed to work towards ensuring better working and living conditions across the Union, in light of challenges like aging population, globalization and digitalization.”

Romania’s Finance minister, Eugen Teodorovici, said on Tuesday that European workers should only be able to obtain a limited work permit when they go to work in other European countries, suggesting that the permits should only be valid for five years, so that they would be encouraged to return to their home countries in order for those countries not to lose out economically.