Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-041"
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"en.20030211.2.2-041"2
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"Mr President, the proposal for a directive that we are examining today is aimed at harmonising, at European level, the rules according to which work permits are granted to third-country nationals. It presents an initial huge problem: what exactly is the point of it?
The explanatory memorandum gives three reasons for it. First of all, current rules relating to the admission of third-country workers apparently differ from one Member State to another. Where, however, is the difficulty? Rather, it is good and in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity that each state should be able to adapt the rules for accepting foreign workers on the basis of its social needs and its labour market.
The second reason cited by the explanatory memorandum is that job seekers and employers apparently come up against national administrative procedures that are sometimes, we are told, very complex. Here again, however, this is a problem for the Member States and one in which the EU authorities should not interfere.
The third reason cited is that the regulations governing the immigration of third-country workers is apparently a cornerstone of general immigration policy. That proves nothing, for the Treaty of Amsterdam has not turned immigration in general into an EU matter. What is more, Commissioner, it is, rather, the fight against illegal immigration and not the granting of work permits that, in my opinion, is the cornerstone.
All things considered, such Community harmonisation of work permits is not justified. It would serve only to open immigration policy up a little more at a time when we already have too many unemployed. For example, I would cite this surprising provision in Article 29, paragraph 4 of the proposal, specifying that a refusal by a Member State to grant a work permit to a third-country national should contain – and I quote – ‘a statement of reasons based upon objective and verifiable criteria’. I believe that the granting of work permits to third-country nationals is a regalian right and that the Member States should not be hampered in this area, especially in the current economic situation in which they need to safeguard their basic interests. Moreover, this proposal for a directive would lay the foundations for still greater centralisation in the future. Our Assembly’s Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs has understood this so well that it is falling over itself to propose removing other powers from the Member States, for example the right to break off issuing permits for reasons connected with there being insufficient capacity to receive immigrants. It can be seen where all that would lead us if this directive were to be adopted. So overtly, however, does it violate the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, with which we are deluded every day, that someone in the Council will, I hope, be able to stop it in its tracks."@en1
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