HL Deb 05 January 2004 vol 657 c2WA
Lord Bowness

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps remain to be taken, and when, to implement the assurances previously given, that citizens of states due to accede to the European Union on I May 2003 are able from that date, if they so wish, to enter the United Kingdom and take up employment. [HL260]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Under the EU Accession Treaty, citizens of all 10 new member states will enjoy the same right to travel freely across the EU as is enjoyed by citizens of the current member states. for all but one of the purposes envisaged by the EC Treaty. The Accession Treaty allows the 15 current member states to impose temporary restrictions on the right of citizens of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia to travel freely across the EU for the purpose of work. These restrictions may last, at the most, until 30 April 2011. Cypriot and Maltese citizens will enjoy free movement for work across the EU automatically on accession.

In line with their announcement of December 2002, the Government intend to grant citizens of the eight states affected by temporary restrictions the right to work freely in the UK labour market from 1 May 2004. Section 2 of the European Union (Accessions) Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on 17 November, gives Ministers the power to make regulations to that effect. Draft regulations will be laid before Parliament in March to come into force on 1 May.