Workers Mobility in UE - ECAS and UCAB joint project
During the year 2006, the European Year of Workers Mobility, European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), Citizens Advice International (CAI) and their national partners Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux in the Czech Republic, Citizens Advice (England & Wales), European Studies Centres of the University of Szeged (Hungary), National Association of Citizens Information Centres (Ireland), and Union of Citizens Advice Bureaux (Poland), will be carrying out a series of events to raise the awareness of the right to free movement and to draw attention to the barriers of mobility.The aim of this project is to showcase the evidence that European labour migration remains relatively low with the ultimate objective of supporting the rapid dismantling of transitional measures, which limit free movement rights. The project aspires to ensure that citizens from the enlarged Union are treated as first class citizens and can enjoy the rights that were conferred to them by accession.
We wish to invite you to participate in following activities to help us achieve the stated objectives:
* A series of national and regional seminars
The Year of Free Movement of Workers provides us with a unique opportunity to further discussions into the problems concerned with migration in an enlarged European Union. Each national seminar shall target a different problem area allowing for a deeper analysis of the situation.
The fourth national seminar will take place on the 23rd November in Warsaw. This event is hosted by our Polish partners in the project: Union of Citizens Advice Bureaux. It is going to focus on the phenomenon of remarkably large mobility of Polish workers within the European Union. Apart from volume, another interesting feature of Polish migration is the distance covered as most often Poles tend to choose Ireland and the UK as their countries of destination. While the migration of Polish workers to the UK is the biggest in terms of sheer numbers, Ireland has by far the most considerable proportion of Polish workers in its own labour force. This is why the phenomenon of Polish migration will be considered on an example of migrant workers going to the green island.
The background to the event is an extensive sociological study currently carried out by the Polish Union of CABs, the results of which will be published on 23rd November in Warsaw. A group of researches is currently interviewing Polish workers who have worked in Ireland and returned to Poland, those who envisage doing so and finally those who are at present in Ireland.
* Hotline on the Free movement of Workers
For the third year running, ECAS is launching its summer time enlargement hotline. This has helped numerous citizens during its lifespan and once again citizens can expect to have their problems resolved by the dedicated staff waiting to help.
* European Citizens Panel
Finally the opportunity has come for regular citizens to be able to speak with policy makers about the issues that concern them. 12 citizens shall be taken to Brussels to meet with MEPs, Commission officials and members of the press to speak of the problems that they have encountered whilst trying to exercise their fundamental right of free movement.
* Seminar in the European Parliament
Following ECAS’ tradition, a seminar in the EP has been scheduled for September this year. This event is an ideal opportunity to draw the attention of MEPs to problems encountered by the constituents and further the discussions on possible solutions to current obstacles to mobility.
ECAS and partners are grateful to the European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs which is a sponsor of this project.
Created by: inga, modyfied: Wed Sep 20 15:34:12 2006
