Non-EU migrants working legally in the EU will enjoy similar rights as those enjoyed by EU citizens as regards working conditions, social security and access to public services.
All these are included in new legislation, "single permit", the European Parliament voted Tuesday meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, said in a statement. The new legislation will allow foreign workers to obtain work and residence permits through a single procedure.



Member States will have two years to adapt their national legislation to the new regulations. Directive "single permit" complements other measures on legal migration, such as 'blue book', and is designed to facilitate the migration required to satisfy EU labor market.



In the debate on Monday, the rapporteur on this dossier, French MEP Véronique Mathieu (EPP) said that "the single permit directive allows a partial answer to the labor crisis looming that '.



"It also allows control of labor. It is better to have a legal migration, to thwart any attempt of fraud and illegal migration. Besides the fact that we will simplify procedures for residence and work permit, the permit will only allows a common core of rights for third countries and EU workers. Equal treatment of workers is essential to this directive, "said Véronique Mathieu.



These rules do not affect the power of decision of the EU countries regarding non-EU workers admission or the number of those admitted, but they will have to decide within four months whether to grant approval for a single permit.



The proposed directive would also reduce the administrative procedures of third country nationals, allowing them to obtain work permits and residence in a Member State by a single procedure. However, the law will allow completion of the application by migrants from third countries or by their EU employers.



Rules would apply to non-EU citizens who want to live and work in a Member State or who already live and work legally in an EU country. The new law would not include long-term residents, refugees and posted workers (already included in other EU rules), seasonal workers or those transferring within a company (also included in other EU directives).



Those who have a single permit would receive a set of rights similar to those of workers in the EU, decent basic labor standards, recognition of qualifications, the right to join unions, pension rights, insurance, services offered by employment offices and public housing. EU countries may apply restrictions to these rights.



As a general rule, non-EU workers will enjoy the same access to social protection for EU citizens. However, Member States may apply restrictions for holders of contracts of employment for a period longer than six months. For non-EU citizens to study in an EU country, social assistance may also be limited. Member States will also have the possibility to restrict access to foreign workers who have jobs in public services such as housing.



At the request of MEPs, the directive ensures that non-EU workers will receive pensions when they return to their countries of origin, under the same conditions and at the same rates as nationals of Member States.



Also at the request of MEPs, non-EU citizens and those who are registered as unemployed will benefit from training and education. During the talks, MEPs rejected a proposal to limit member countries these services only to foreign workers employed. Regarding access to higher education or vocational training which does not relate directly to employment, the member countries may impose specific conditions such as language skills.



Since the law passed by Parliament Tuesday has already been approved by the Member States, the vote will conclude the legislative procedure. Once the Directive is published in the Official Journal of the EU, Member States will have two years to transpose it into national law.