What are transitional arrangements on the free movement of workers?
They have been agreed in the two last Accession Treaties and allow Member States to temporarily restrict the right of workers from the countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 to freely move to another Member State to work (namely Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, which all joined in 2004, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, which joined in 2007). They aim at gradually introducing free movement step-by-step over a seven-year period. There are three phases (2+3+2 years) during which different, increasingly strict conditions apply as to the conditions under which Member States can restrict labour market access. Member States may open their labour markets at any stage. At the latest, Member States must open fully at the end of the seven year period (2011 for the EU-8 and 2013 for Bulgaria and Romania). The restrictions only apply to workers: they do not apply to the self-employed. Nor do they restrict the rights to travel and live in ano
