Ierland opent als enige de arberidsmarkt voor werknemers nieuwe lidstaten (en)

Following an apparent rethink by the UK government yesterday (4 February), Ireland could find itself alone among EU states in providing equal work and welfare rights to citizens from the new member states.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair indicated he was reconsidering promises to allow unrestricted access to citizens from central and eastern Europe on 1 May.

"It is important that we recognise there is a potential risk from these accession countries of people coming in", he said.

"It's precisely for that reason now that we are looking at the concessions we gave. If it is right that closing off those concessions is going to mean we deal with this problem, then we will do so".

Mr Blair's change of heart follows similar moves by Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands all of which, when the topic was first broached, had promised to keep markets open.

By contrast, Germany, where unemployment is high and the welfare system generous, insisted when entry terms were agreed in 2002 on availing of a get-out clause which could mean restrictions to its market for new EU citizens from central and eastern Europe until 2011.

For the moment, however, Ireland is sticking to its open door policy. The Irish Times quotes a government spokesperson as saying:

"Our position is still the same. We are confident that the free movement of workers from May 1st will not cause disruption to the Irish labour market. However, we have of course retained the power on a contingency basis to impose necessary controls should there be a major disruption in the labour market".

On 1 May, the EU will embark upon its biggest enlargement ever with ten countries - mainly from central and eastern Europe - expanding membership from 15 to 25.