02 November
Iceland's government proposes opening labour market for Bulgarians from 2012
The Icelandic government will submit in parliament a proposal to lift restrictions on the free movement of Bulgarian workers in the country, the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy said on November 1 2011.
If the Icelandic parliament supports the proposal, Bulgarian citizens will have unlimited access to the Icelandic labour market from January 1 2012. They will have all the rights and privileges granted under local laws and the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).
Although the island country is not yet a member of the European Union, it is part of the EEA and the Schengen zone.
Bulgarian workers do not have unlimited access to all EU labour markets although the country has been a member of the block for almost four years. EU member states have the right to a transition period of seven years before opening their labour markets to Bulgarian citizens. In the week beginning October 24 2011, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging EU countries to lift their barriers for Bulgarian and Romanian workers from 2012.
There are 10 EU member states that still have restrictions in place for Bulgarian workers: Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, France and the Netherlands.
