BETA


2016/0176(COD) EU Blue Card Directive

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead LIBE MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier (icon: S&D S&D) ZDECHOVSKÝ Tomáš (icon: EPP EPP), STRUGARIU Ramona (icon: Renew Renew), BOESELAGER Damian (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), KOFOD Peter (icon: ID ID), KANKO Assita (icon: ECR ECR), BARRENA ARZA Pernando (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Former Responsible Committee LIBE
Committee Opinion EMPL ŽDANOKA Tatjana (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE)
Committee Opinion JURI
Former Committee Opinion EMPL
Former Committee Opinion JURI
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 079-p2

Events

2021/11/03
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2021/10/28
   Final act published in Official Journal
2021/10/20
   CSL - Draft final act
Documents
2021/10/20
   CSL - Final act signed
2021/10/20
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2021/10/07
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
2021/09/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 556 votes to 105, with 31 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.

The revised Blue Card Directive defines the conditions of entry and residence that third-country nationals (and their family members) must fulfil in order to take up highly qualified employment in the EU Member States.

The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows:

Admission criteria

The applicant for an EU Blue Card should present a valid work contract or a binding offer for highly qualified employment of at least 6 months in the Member State concerned. For non-regulated professions, he/she should present documents proving that he/she has the high professional qualifications related to the work to be performed.

In order to qualify for an EU Blue Card, the salary threshold , set by the Member State concerned after consultation of the social partners, should be at least 1.0 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned , but not more than 1.6 times this salary.

Member States should be able to provide for a lower salary threshold which will benefit third-country nationals for a certain period of time after they have graduated.

Where EU Blue Card holders intend to apply for an EU Blue Card in a second Member State in order to exercise a regulated profession, their professional qualifications should be recognised in the same way as those of EU citizens exercising the right of free movement.

Furthermore, highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection should be able to apply for an EU Blue Card. They should have the right to apply for an EU Blue Card in Member States other than the one which granted them international protection.

This Directive should not affect the right of Member States to determine volumes of admission of third-country nationals coming from third countries to their territory.

Rejection of an application, withdrawal and non-renewal

A Member State shall reject an application for an EU Blue Card where:

- the third-country national concerned is considered to pose a threat to public policy, public security or public health; or where the employer’s business was established or operates for the main purpose of facilitating the entry of third-country nationals;

- the competent authorities of the Member State, after checking the labour market situation, for example where there is a high level of unemployment, conclude that the vacancy concerned may be filled from the national or Union workforce, or by third-country nationals who are lawfully resident in that Member State.

Member States should be able to withdraw or refuse to renew an EU Blue Card where the EU Blue Card holder has failed to comply with the conditions for mobility under this Directive, including in cases of the abusive use of mobility rights, or where the EU Blue Card holder does not have sufficient resources to maintain himself or herself and, where applicable, the members of his or her family without having recourse to the social assistance system of that Member State.

Period of validity and procedure

The period of validity of the EU Blue Card should be at least 24 months . However, where the duration of the work contract is shorter, the EU Blue Card should be issued for at least the duration of the work contract plus three months, subject to a maximum of 24 months. That decision should be adopted and notified as soon as possible but not later than 90 days after the date of submission of the complete application.

Labour market access, change of employer

During the first 12 months of legal employment of the person concerned as an EU Blue Card holder, a Member State may: (i) require that a change of employer or a change which may affect the fulfilment of the criteria for admission be communicated to the competent authorities in that Member State; (ii) subject any change of employer to a check of the labour market situation. After that 12-month period, Member States should only be allowed to require the EU Blue Card holder to inform competent authorities of a change of employer or a change that affects the fulfilment of the criteria for admission set out in this Directive.

Family reunification

To attract and retain highly skilled workers from outside the EU, family members of EU Blue Card holders will be able to accompany them and access the EU labour market.

Intra-EU mobility

EU Blue Card holders, and their family members, will be able to move to a second Member State based on simplified mobility rules after 12 months of employment in the first Member State. Periods of time spent working in different Member States will also be taken into account, facilitating easier access to the EU long-term resident status.

Applicants will have to demonstrate that they have resided for two years legally and continuously as EU Blue Card holders immediately before the submission of the relevant application in the territory of the Member State where the application for EU long-term resident status in a Member State is submitted.

Documents
2021/09/14
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2021/06/02
   EP - Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
2021/05/21
   CSL - Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
2021/05/21
   EP - Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2020/04/27
   EP - ŽDANOKA Tatjana (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in EMPL
2020/02/19
   EP - MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2019/10/21
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2017/07/05
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 71)
2017/07/03
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations announced in plenary (Rule 71)
2017/06/28
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
Details

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Claude MORAES (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, exercising its prerogative as an associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report.

The proposal seeks to improve the attractiveness of the European Blue Card by trying to increase its use across the Union and ensuring that it works for high skilled third-country nationals, for potential employers within the EU and for the administrations.

The committee recommended that the position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Scope : Members propose to extend the scope to include third-country nationals who already hold a residence permit in a Member State under Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing.

Where they fall within the scope of the Directive, persons applying for international protection should be subject to the same rules as any other third-country national falling within the scope of the Directive.

Admission criteria : a third-country national applying for a European Blue Card should have a valid work contract or a binding job offer of at least nine months . For unregulated professions, present written evidence should be provided attesting higher education qualifications or higher professional skills.

The third-country national should also be able to present evidence that an application for international protection or protection under national law is pending.

Member States should facilitate the rapid validation and recognition of documents attesting to the possession of a diploma in higher education and high professional skills. In addition, a simplified procedure for approved employers should be provided for.

Salary threshold : when transposing it, Member States should establish a salary threshold in agreement with the social partners . That salary threshold should be at least 1.0 times but not higher than 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned.

Member States could, in agreement with the social partners, decide not to establish a salary threshold in certain occupational branches, for example when a collective agreement governs the wages applicable in that occupational branch.

Grounds for refusal : the application for a European Blue Card would be rejected if the third-country national is considered to constitute a threat to public policy, public security or public health.

In circumstances where the domestic labour market suffers a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector, which may be limited to particular regions or other parts of the territory, a Member State should, after consulting with social partners, be able to take into account the situation of its labour market before issuing an EU Blue Card.

In the event that a Member State decides to make use of this possibility for a given occupation or sector, possibly in a particular part of their territory, it should send a notification to the Commission hereof, explaining the economic, social and other reasons justifying the decision to introduce such labour market test for the next six months and do so again for every subsequent six month period.

Withdrawal and non-renewal : Member States shall withdraw an EU Blue Card where the third-country national no longer holds a valid work contract for highly skilled employment or the qualifications required. Member States shall refuse to renew it where the third-country national is considered to pose a threat to public policy , public security or public health.

Member States may refuse renewal, for example where the third-country national has been unemployed for more than six consecutive months or no longer holds a valid travel document.

Any decision to reject an application for a European Blue Card or to withdraw or refuse to renew the card shall take account of the specific circumstances of the case and shall be proportionate .

Standard validity period : Member States shall set a standard period of validity for the European Blue Card, which is at least 36 months (instead of 24 months).

When the applicant for international protection receives a European Blue Card, his application for international protection would be considered suspended for the period of validity of the card.

Mobility for blue card holders : Members introduced a series of amendments aimed at simplifying the intra-EU mobility procedure. The proposed amendments aim to replace additional applications with notifications and allow the Blue Card holder to work in a second Member State once he/she has notified the Member State concerned.

Documents
2017/06/15
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading
2017/06/15
   EP - Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
2017/05/31
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2017/01/26
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2017/01/19
   EP - Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
2016/12/08
   CofR - Committee of the Regions: opinion
Documents
2016/10/13
   AT_BUNDESRAT - Contribution
Documents
2016/10/11
   RO_CHAMBER - Contribution
Documents
2016/09/27
   PL_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2016/09/25
   RO_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2016/09/21
   PT_PARLIAMENT - Contribution
Documents
2016/09/18
   IT_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2016/07/04
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2016/06/08
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2016/06/08
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2016/06/07
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to establish the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the 2009 “EU Blue Card” Directive ( Council Directive 2009/50/EC ) intended to facilitate the admission and mobility of highly qualified third-country national workers, and their family members, by harmonising entry and residence conditions throughout the EU and by providing for a set of rights. The current EU Blue Card Directive has demonstrated intrinsic weaknesses such as restrictive admission conditions and very limited facilitation for intra-EU mobility.

The overall inflow of highly skilled third-country national workers to the participating Member States under both the EU Blue Card and national schemes for highly skilled workers was 23 419 in 2012, 34 904 in 2013 and 38 774 in 2014 . When compared to the projected needs for highly skilled workers in certain sectors, these numbers are by far insufficient to address the existing and projected future labour and skills shortages in the EU in highly skilled occupations.

The current fragmented situation with diverging and parallel national rules for the same category of third-country nationals across Member States is neither effective nor efficient for any party involved.

The conclusions of the European Council of 26 and 27 June 2014 state that in order to remain an attractive destination for talents and skills, Europe must compete in the global race for talent. Strategies to maximise the opportunities of legal migration should therefore be developed, including the streamlining of existing rules.

The European Agenda on Migration adopted on 13 May 2015 called for an attractive EU-wide scheme for highly qualified third-country nationals , and specifies that a review of Council Directive 2009/50/EC is needed to make it more effective in attracting talents to the Union and thereby address both the demographic challenges faced by the Union and labour and skills shortages in key sectors of the Union economy.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the preferred option includes therefore the following main elements:

modifying the admission conditions and making the EU Blue Card accessible to a wider group of highly skilled workers; improving the rights associated with the EU Blue Card, including intra-EU mobility; and not extending the scope beyond highly skilled workers; national schemes for third-country nationals falling within the scope of application of this Directive would no longer be allowed; the legislative measures would be complemented by non-legislative actions and potentially by making the EU Blue Card accessible to highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection.

The estimated additional permits for this option are in the range of minimum 32 484 to maximum 137 690 highly skilled workers (per year, aggregate across participating Member States, variation depending on the salary threshold set by individual Member States). This would result in an estimated positive annual economic impact of between EUR 1.4 billion to EUR 6.2 billion.

CONTENT: this proposal, which replaces the existing EU Blue Card Directive (2009/50/EC), aims to improve the EU’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled third-country nationals. It seeks to establish a special admission procedure and the adoption of conditions of entry and residence, and the rights, applicable to third-country nationals for the purpose of highly skilled employment and their family members.

Definitions : the proposal sets out the definition given to "highly skilled employment", which replaces the concept of "highly qualified employment" in the current Directive. It refers to paid employment, in accordance with national law and practice , by a person having the necessary competence as proven by "higher professional qualifications". The latter can be attested by either "higher education qualifications" or by "higher professional skills" (i.e. skills attested by at least three years of professional experience of a level comparable to higher education qualifications and relevant to the work or profession to be carried out).

The definition of " business activity " is provided in order to define which professional activities can be carried out by the EU Blue Card holder in the context of the specific rules for short-term mobility to other Member States.

Scope : the proposal:

does not cover EU citizens, third-country nationals who are EU long-term residents and want to move to another Member State, seasonal workers nor posted workers; shall not apply to third-country nationals who apply to reside in a Member State as researchers , within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/801 , in order to carry out a research project; provides that all third-country national family members of EU citizens are given access to the EU Blue Card in order to enable them to engage in highly skilled employment and perform business trips in different Member States regardless of whether or not the EU citizen accompanies them; continues to not apply to persons seeking international protection and awaiting decision on their status or to those who are beneficiaries of temporary protection or residing in a Member State on a strictly temporary basis. As a novelty it does cover, however, beneficiaries of international protection under Directive 2011/95/EU (“Qualification Directive”). obliges Member States to grant an EU Blue Card instead of a national permit for highly skilled work to persons falling under its scope.

More favourable provisions : this proposal harmonises admission conditions and procedures for third-country nationals falling under its scope, and for their family members, as well as for their subsequent mobility to other Member States. Member States are nevertheless still allowed to grant more favourable conditions as regards rights.

Criteria for admission : besides the general conditions similar to those included in Directive 2009/50/EC and other existing acquis on legal migration (i.e., having a valid travel document, sickness insurance and not posing a threat to public policy, public security or public health), specific conditions include:

a work contract or a binding job offer with a duration of at least six months in the Member State concerned, as admission is demand-driven. The required length of contract is shortened from 12 to 6 months compared to the current Directive; proof of higher professional qualifications, i.e. either higher education qualifications or higher professional skills; the salary specified in the work contract must be at least equal to a certain threshold determined by Member States within a range of minimum 1.0 and maximum 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned; a mandatory lower salary threshold (at 80 percent of the general threshold) for shortage occupations determined by the Member States, as well as for young graduates;

As regards the possibility of carrying out a labour market test , the proposal states that it is only allowed in circumstances where a Member State's labour market undergoes serious disturbances, for example a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector in a particular region in their territory.

Procedure : applicants for whom a positive decision has been taken by the Member State concerned shall receive a residence permit called "EU Blue Card" stating the conditions under which they are allowed to work. The standard period of validity for the EU Blue Card is at least 24 months . Only if the work contract covers a shorter period, the EU Blue Card validity should be at least the duration of the work contract plus three months. However, when an EU Blue Card is renewed, the period of validity should in any case be at least 24 months .

Member States shall notify the applicant of a decision on an application at the latest within 60 days after the submission of the application. This is shortened from the 90 days in Directive 2009/50/EC. Member States may decide to impose fees for handling applications. However, they should not be disproportionate or excessive.

Rights : the proposal simplifies access to the labour market: EU Blue Card holders are granted full access to highly skilled employment. Member States can only require that they communicate changes of employer or changes that can affect the fulfilment of the EU Blue Card admission conditions. Temporary unemployment is allowed.

The proposal provides EU Blue Card holders facilitated access to EU long-term resident status . To reinforce the link to the country issuing the EU long-term resident status, it is required that the EU Blue Card holder has resided at least two years immediately prior to applying for the status in the Member State concerned.

The provisions on equal treatment of EU Blue Card holders with Member State nationals largely correspond to the rights provided under Directive 2009/50/EC.

Mobility between Member States : the proposal allows Blue Card holders to enter and stay in other Member States for the purpose of carrying out a business activity. Second Member States are not allowed to require a work permit or any other authorisation than the EU Blue Card issued by the first Member State for carrying out such activity.

Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State applying the Schengen acquis in full, the EU Blue Card holder can move within the Schengen area and carry out a business activity for 90 days within a 180-day period. Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State not applying the Schengen acquis in full, Member States may require evidence of the purpose of the trip when an EU Blue Card holder crosses an external border for mobility purpose. Moreover, if an EU Blue Card is not eventually issued by the second Member State, the first Member State has to allow re-entry of the person concerned with possible family members.

Access to information : Member States are required to: (i) provide easily accessible information to applicants about entry and residence conditions, as well as rights; (ii) communicate to the Commission data on a number of aspects, such as the annual salary thresholds, the list of shortage occupations, the cases in which Member States make use of the clause on ethical recruitment, the allowed business activities in their territory.

It should be noted that the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark shall not participate in the adoption of the Directive and therefore shall not be bound by it.

Documents

Activities

Votes

Directive «carte bleue européenne» - EU Blue Card Directive - Richtlinie über die Blaue Karte - A8-0240/2017 - Javier Moreno Sánchez - Rejet - Am 189 #

2021/09/15 Outcome: -: 572, +: 104, 0: 14
HU EE DK MT CY LU LV SI FI SK HR LT IE BE EL AT SE IT CZ BG NL PT RO FR ES PL DE
Total
17
7
14
6
6
6
8
8
13
14
12
10
13
20
19
19
21
74
21
17
29
21
33
79
58
51
94
icon: ID ID
71

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

2
3

Czechia ID

2

Netherlands ID

1
icon: NI NI
34

Slovakia NI

2

Croatia NI

Against (1)

2

Lithuania NI

Against (1)

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Germany NI

2
icon: ECR ECR
63

Latvia ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

Against (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Greece ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

Against (1)

4

Romania ECR

Against (1)

1

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
37

Denmark The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2

Ireland The Left

4

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Sweden The Left

Against (1)

1

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1
4
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
98

Hungary Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Belgium Renew

For (1)

4

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Sweden Renew

3

Italy Renew

Against (2)

2

Bulgaria Renew

3
icon: S&D S&D
140

Hungary S&D

Against (1)

1

Estonia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

Against (2)

2

Finland S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

3

Lithuania S&D

2

Belgium S&D

3

Greece S&D

2

Czechia S&D

Against (1)

1
icon: PPE PPE
177

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4

A8-0240/2017 - Javier Moreno Sánchez - Accord provisoire - Am 190 #

2021/09/15 Outcome: +: 556, -: 105, 0: 31
DE PL ES FR RO NL PT IT BG SE BE AT IE EL SK CZ LT FI SI HR DK MT LU LV CY EE HU
Total
94
51
58
79
33
29
21
74
17
21
20
19
13
21
14
21
10
13
8
12
14
6
6
8
6
7
17
icon: PPE PPE
177

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

2
2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Hungary PPE

Against (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
140

Greece S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Hungary S&D

Abstain (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
98

Italy Renew

2
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

1

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1
icon: The Left The Left
37

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

Against (1)

1

Denmark The Left

Against (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

2
icon: ECR ECR
63

Germany ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

Abstain (1)

4

Bulgaria ECR

2
3

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: NI NI
36

Germany NI

2

Netherlands NI

1

Slovakia NI

2

Lithuania NI

1

Croatia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2
icon: ID ID
71

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Finland ID

2

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
632 2016/0176(COD)
2017/02/09 EMPL 109 amendments...
source: 599.545
2017/03/03 LIBE 509 amendments...
source: 599.783
2017/05/29 EMPL 14 amendments...
source: 603.028

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

committees/0/associated
Old
True
New
 
committees/1/associated
Old
True
New
 
docs/0
date
2016-06-07T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/3
date
2016-09-07T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/CZ_SENATE_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE589.135
type
Reasoned opinion
body
CZ_SENATE
docs/4
date
2016-09-28T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/CZ_CHAMBER_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE589.334
type
Reasoned opinion
body
CZ_CHAMBER
docs/5
date
2021-05-21T00:00:00
docs
title: GEDA/A/(2021)001972
type
Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
body
CSL
docs/5
date
2016-11-11T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/BG_PARLIAMENT_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE593.929
type
Reasoned opinion
body
BG_PARLIAMENT
docs/5/docs/0/url
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/libe/lcag/2021/05-21/LIBE_LA(2021)001972_EN.pdf
docs/6
date
2021-05-21T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/libe/inag/2021/06-01/LIBE_AG(2021)693667_EN.pdf title: PE693.667
type
Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations
body
EP
docs/9
date
2021-05-21T00:00:00
docs
title: GEDA/A/(2021)001972
type
Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
body
CSL
docs/9
date
2016-10-13T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
AT_BUNDESRAT
docs/10
date
2016-09-18T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
IT_SENATE
docs/11
date
2016-09-27T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
PL_SENATE
docs/12
date
2016-09-21T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
PT_PARLIAMENT
docs/12
date
2016-10-14T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
AT_BUNDESRAT
docs/13
date
2016-10-11T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
RO_CHAMBER
docs/13
date
2016-09-19T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
IT_SENATE
docs/14
date
2016-09-25T00:00:00
docs
url: https://connectfolx.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
RO_SENATE
docs/14
date
2016-09-28T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
PL_SENATE
docs/15
date
2016-09-22T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
PT_PARLIAMENT
docs/16
date
2016-10-12T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
RO_CHAMBER
docs/17
date
2016-09-26T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378
type
Contribution
body
RO_SENATE
events/0
date
2016-06-07T00:00:00
type
Legislative proposal published
body
EC
docs
summary
events/8
date
2021-06-03T00:00:00
type
Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/libe/inag/2021/06-01/LIBE_AG(2021)693667_EN.pdf title: PE693.667
events/9
date
2021-06-02T00:00:00
type
Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
body
EP
docs
links/Research document/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2017)603942
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2017)603942
committees/1/rapporteur
  • name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
committees/4/rapporteur
  • name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
events/14
date
2021-10-28T00:00:00
type
Final act published in Official Journal
docs
procedure/final
title
Directive 2021/1883
url
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32021L1883
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Procedure completed, awaiting publication in Official Journal
New
Procedure completed
docs/11
date
2021-11-03T00:00:00
docs
url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=30025&j=0&l=en title: SP(2021)637
type
Commission response to text adopted in plenary
body
EC
events/13
date
2021-10-20T00:00:00
type
End of procedure in Parliament
body
EP
docs/10
date
2021-10-20T00:00:00
docs
title: 00040/2021/LEX
type
Draft final act
body
CSL
events/12
date
2021-10-20T00:00:00
type
Final act signed
body
CSL
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting signature of act
New
Procedure completed, awaiting publication in Official Journal
events/11
date
2021-10-07T00:00:00
type
Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
body
EP/CSL
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting Council's 1st reading position
New
Awaiting signature of act
docs/10
date
2021-09-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0374_EN.html title: T9-0374/2021
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/10/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 556 votes to 105, with 31 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.
  • The revised Blue Card Directive defines the conditions of entry and residence that third-country nationals (and their family members) must fulfil in order to take up highly qualified employment in the EU Member States.
  • The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows:
  • Admission criteria
  • The applicant for an EU Blue Card should present a valid work contract or a binding offer for highly qualified employment of at least 6 months in the Member State concerned. For non-regulated professions, he/she should present documents proving that he/she has the high professional qualifications related to the work to be performed.
  • In order to qualify for an EU Blue Card, the salary threshold , set by the Member State concerned after consultation of the social partners, should be at least 1.0 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned , but not more than 1.6 times this salary.
  • Member States should be able to provide for a lower salary threshold which will benefit third-country nationals for a certain period of time after they have graduated.
  • Where EU Blue Card holders intend to apply for an EU Blue Card in a second Member State in order to exercise a regulated profession, their professional qualifications should be recognised in the same way as those of EU citizens exercising the right of free movement.
  • Furthermore, highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection should be able to apply for an EU Blue Card. They should have the right to apply for an EU Blue Card in Member States other than the one which granted them international protection.
  • This Directive should not affect the right of Member States to determine volumes of admission of third-country nationals coming from third countries to their territory.
  • Rejection of an application, withdrawal and non-renewal
  • A Member State shall reject an application for an EU Blue Card where:
  • - the third-country national concerned is considered to pose a threat to public policy, public security or public health; or where the employer’s business was established or operates for the main purpose of facilitating the entry of third-country nationals;
  • - the competent authorities of the Member State, after checking the labour market situation, for example where there is a high level of unemployment, conclude that the vacancy concerned may be filled from the national or Union workforce, or by third-country nationals who are lawfully resident in that Member State.
  • Member States should be able to withdraw or refuse to renew an EU Blue Card where the EU Blue Card holder has failed to comply with the conditions for mobility under this Directive, including in cases of the abusive use of mobility rights, or where the EU Blue Card holder does not have sufficient resources to maintain himself or herself and, where applicable, the members of his or her family without having recourse to the social assistance system of that Member State.
  • Period of validity and procedure
  • The period of validity of the EU Blue Card should be at least 24 months . However, where the duration of the work contract is shorter, the EU Blue Card should be issued for at least the duration of the work contract plus three months, subject to a maximum of 24 months. That decision should be adopted and notified as soon as possible but not later than 90 days after the date of submission of the complete application.
  • Labour market access, change of employer
  • During the first 12 months of legal employment of the person concerned as an EU Blue Card holder, a Member State may: (i) require that a change of employer or a change which may affect the fulfilment of the criteria for admission be communicated to the competent authorities in that Member State; (ii) subject any change of employer to a check of the labour market situation. After that 12-month period, Member States should only be allowed to require the EU Blue Card holder to inform competent authorities of a change of employer or a change that affects the fulfilment of the criteria for admission set out in this Directive.
  • Family reunification
  • To attract and retain highly skilled workers from outside the EU, family members of EU Blue Card holders will be able to accompany them and access the EU labour market.
  • Intra-EU mobility
  • EU Blue Card holders, and their family members, will be able to move to a second Member State based on simplified mobility rules after 12 months of employment in the first Member State. Periods of time spent working in different Member States will also be taken into account, facilitating easier access to the EU long-term resident status.
  • Applicants will have to demonstrate that they have resided for two years legally and continuously as EU Blue Card holders immediately before the submission of the relevant application in the territory of the Member State where the application for EU long-term resident status in a Member State is submitted.
docs/10
date
2021-09-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0374_EN.html title: T9-0374/2021
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/9
date
2021-09-14T00:00:00
type
Debate in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2021-09-14-TOC_EN.html title: Debate in Parliament
events/10
date
2021-09-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0374_EN.html title: T9-0374/2021
forecasts
  • date: 2021-09-14T00:00:00 title: Debate in plenary scheduled
  • date: 2021-09-15T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading
New
Awaiting Council's 1st reading position
forecasts/0
date
2021-09-14T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2021-09-13T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
forecasts/1
date
2021-09-15T00:00:00
title
Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/title
Old
Blue Card Directive
New
EU Blue Card Directive
docs/0
date
2016-06-07T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Legislative proposal
body
EC
events/0
date
2016-06-07T00:00:00
type
Legislative proposal published
body
EC
docs
summary
events/8
date
2021-06-03T00:00:00
type
Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/libe/inag/2021/06-01/LIBE_AG(2021)693667_EN.pdf title: PE693.667
docs/8
date
2021-05-21T00:00:00
docs
title: GEDA/A/(2021)001972
type
Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
body
CSL
forecasts
  • date: 2021-09-13T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
events/1/body
EP
events/3/body
EP
events/5/body
EP
events/8/body
EP
docs/6/docs/0/url
Old
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE595.499
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-PR-595499_EN.html
docs/7/docs/0/url
Old
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/EMPL-AD-597413_EN.html
events/1
date
2016-07-04T00:00:00
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
events/1
date
2016-07-04T00:00:00
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/3
date
2017-06-15T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee, 1st reading
events/3
date
2017-06-15T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/5
date
2017-06-28T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0240_EN.html title: A8-0240/2017
summary
events/5
date
2017-06-28T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0240_EN.html title: A8-0240/2017
summary
events/8
date
2019-10-21T00:00:00
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
events/8
date
2019-10-21T00:00:00
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
procedure/title
Old
Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment
New
Blue Card Directive
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
shadows
committees/1
type
Former Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
committees/1
type
Former Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/4
type
Former Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/4
type
Former Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: S&D - Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: Greens/EFA - Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: S&D - Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
shadows
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: Greens/EFA - Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/1
type
Former Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/1
type
Former Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/4
type
Former Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: ??? abbr: Unknown Group
committees/4
type
Former Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Employment and Social Affairs
committee
EMPL
rapporteur
name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
docs/5/docs/0/url
Old
https://dm.cor.europa.eu/CORDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:3699)(documentyear:2016)(documentlanguage:FR)
New
https://dmsearch.cor.europa.eu/search/public?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:3699)(documentyear:2016)(documentlanguage:FR)
procedure/Legislative priorities/0
title
Joint Declaration 2018
url
https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2063000&l=en
procedure/Legislative priorities/1
title
Joint Declaration 2021
url
https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2066000&l=en
procedure/Legislative priorities/2
title
Joint Declaration 2018
url
https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2063000&l=en
procedure/Legislative priorities/2/title
Old
Joint Declaration 2018
New
Joint Declaration 2018-19
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/1/rapporteur/0/mepref
4519
committees/2/rapporteur/0/mepref
28619
committees/2/rapporteur
  • name: ŽDANOKA Tatjana date: 2020-04-27T00:00:00 group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
docs/7/docs/0/url
Old
http://httsp://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02
docs/6/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE595.499
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE595.499
docs/7/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02
New
http://httsp://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02
events/5/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0240_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0240_EN.html
events/6/body
EP
events/7/body
EP
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORENO SÁNCHEZ Javier date: 2020-02-19T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2019-09-04T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
docs/0/docs/0
url
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2016:0193:FIN:EN:PDF
title
EUR-Lex
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
New
Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading
procedure/Notes
  • 05/07/2017 Decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 69c)
events/6
date
2017-07-03T00:00:00
type
Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations announced in plenary (Rule 71)
events/7
date
2017-07-05T00:00:00
type
Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 71)
events/5/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A8-2017-0240&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0240_EN.html
events/6
date
2019-10-21T00:00:00
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/5/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0240&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A8-2017-0240&language=EN
committees/2/opinion
False
committees/3/opinion
False
docs/6
date
2017-01-26T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE595.499 title: PE595.499
type
Committee draft report
body
EP
docs/7
date
2017-05-31T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE597.413&secondRef=02 title: PE597.413
committee
EMPL
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
events/3
date
2017-06-15T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/4
date
2017-06-15T00:00:00
type
Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
body
EP
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
committees/0/shadows/3
name
KOFOD Peter
group
Identity and Democracy
abbr
ID
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2019-09-04T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
True
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
name: MORAES Claude date: 2019-09-04T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
name: STRUGARIU Ramona group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
committees/0/shadows
  • name: STRUGARIU Ramona group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
committees/2/opinion
False
committees/0/rapporteur
  • name: MORAES Claude date: 2019-09-04T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
committees/0/date
    committees/1
    type
    Former Responsible Committee
    body
    EP
    associated
    True
    committee_full
    Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
    committee
    LIBE
    rapporteur
    name: MORAES Claude date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
    committees/1
    type
    Former Responsible Committee
    body
    EP
    associated
    True
    committee_full
    Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
    committee
    LIBE
    date
    2016-02-29T00:00:00
    rapporteur
    name: MORAES Claude group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
    committees/2/date
      committees/3/date
        committees/4
        type
        Former Committee Opinion
        body
        EP
        associated
        True
        committee_full
        Employment and Social Affairs
        committee
        EMPL
        rapporteur
        name: LAMBERT Jean date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
        committees/4
        type
        Former Committee Opinion
        body
        EP
        associated
        True
        committee_full
        Employment and Social Affairs
        committee
        EMPL
        date
        2016-10-04T00:00:00
        rapporteur
        name: LAMBERT Jean group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
        committees/5/date
          activities
          • date: 2016-06-07T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2016/0378/COM_COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: COM(2016)0378 type: Legislative proposal published celexid: CELEX:52016PC0378:EN body: EC commission: DG: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/migration-and-home-affairs_en title: Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris type: Legislative proposal published
          • date: 2016-07-04T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: EMPL date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 committee_full: Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Legal Affairs committee: JURI body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: ENGEL Frank group: ECR name: UJAZDOWSKI Kazimierz Michał group: ALDE name: GRIESBECK Nathalie group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil group: EFD name: FERRARA Laura group: ENF name: LEBRETON Gilles responsible: True committee: LIBE date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: S&D name: MORAES Claude
          • date: 2017-01-19T00:00:00 body: EP type: Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
          • date: 2017-06-15T00:00:00 body: unknown type: Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
          • date: 2017-06-15T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: EMPL date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 committee_full: Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Legal Affairs committee: JURI body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: ENGEL Frank group: ECR name: UJAZDOWSKI Kazimierz Michał group: ALDE name: GRIESBECK Nathalie group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil group: EFD name: FERRARA Laura group: ENF name: LEBRETON Gilles responsible: True committee: LIBE date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: S&D name: MORAES Claude
          • body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0240&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A8-0240/2017 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: EMPL date: 2016-10-04T00:00:00 committee_full: Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Legal Affairs committee: JURI body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: ENGEL Frank group: ECR name: UJAZDOWSKI Kazimierz Michał group: ALDE name: GRIESBECK Nathalie group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil group: EFD name: FERRARA Laura group: ENF name: LEBRETON Gilles responsible: True committee: LIBE date: 2016-02-29T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: S&D name: MORAES Claude date: 2017-06-28T00:00:00
          commission
          • body: EC dg: Migration and Home Affairs commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
          committees/0
          type
          Responsible Committee
          body
          EP
          associated
          True
          committee_full
          Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
          committee
          LIBE
          date
          committees/0
          body
          EP
          responsible
          False
          committee
          EMPL
          date
          2016-10-04T00:00:00
          committee_full
          Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee)
          rapporteur
          group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean
          committees/1
          type
          Former Responsible Committee
          body
          EP
          associated
          True
          committee_full
          Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
          committee
          LIBE
          date
          2016-02-29T00:00:00
          rapporteur
          name: MORAES Claude group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
          committees/1
          body
          EP
          responsible
          False
          committee_full
          Legal Affairs
          committee
          JURI
          committees/2
          type
          Committee Opinion
          body
          EP
          associated
          True
          committee_full
          Employment and Social Affairs
          committee
          EMPL
          date
          committees/2
          body
          EP
          shadows
          responsible
          True
          committee
          LIBE
          date
          2016-02-29T00:00:00
          committee_full
          Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee)
          rapporteur
          group: S&D name: MORAES Claude
          committees/3
          type
          Committee Opinion
          body
          EP
          associated
          False
          committee_full
          Legal Affairs
          committee
          JURI
          date
          committees/4
          type
          Former Committee Opinion
          body
          EP
          associated
          True
          committee_full
          Employment and Social Affairs
          committee
          EMPL
          date
          2016-10-04T00:00:00
          rapporteur
          name: LAMBERT Jean group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
          committees/5
          type
          Former Committee Opinion
          body
          EP
          associated
          False
          committee_full
          Legal Affairs
          committee
          JURI
          date
          docs
          • date: 2016-06-08T00:00:00 docs: title: SWD(2016)0193 type: Document attached to the procedure body: EC
          • date: 2016-06-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2016:0194:FIN:EN:PDF title: EUR-Lex title: SWD(2016)0194 type: Document attached to the procedure body: EC
          • date: 2016-09-07T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/CZ_SENATE_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE589.135 type: Reasoned opinion body: CZ_SENATE
          • date: 2016-09-28T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/CZ_CHAMBER_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE589.334 type: Reasoned opinion body: CZ_CHAMBER
          • date: 2016-11-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2016/0378/BG_PARLIAMENT_AVIS-COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: PE593.929 type: Reasoned opinion body: BG_PARLIAMENT
          • date: 2016-12-08T00:00:00 docs: url: https://dm.cor.europa.eu/CORDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:3699)(documentyear:2016)(documentlanguage:FR) title: CDR3699/2016 type: Committee of the Regions: opinion body: CofR
          • date: 2016-10-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: AT_BUNDESRAT
          • date: 2016-09-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: IT_SENATE
          • date: 2016-09-28T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: PL_SENATE
          • date: 2016-09-22T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: PT_PARLIAMENT
          • date: 2016-10-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: RO_CHAMBER
          • date: 2016-09-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2016)0378 title: COM(2016)0378 type: Contribution body: RO_SENATE
          events
          • date: 2016-06-07T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2016/0378/COM_COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf title: COM(2016)0378 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2016&nu_doc=0378 title: EUR-Lex summary: PURPOSE: to establish the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment. PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: the 2009 “EU Blue Card” Directive ( Council Directive 2009/50/EC ) intended to facilitate the admission and mobility of highly qualified third-country national workers, and their family members, by harmonising entry and residence conditions throughout the EU and by providing for a set of rights. The current EU Blue Card Directive has demonstrated intrinsic weaknesses such as restrictive admission conditions and very limited facilitation for intra-EU mobility. The overall inflow of highly skilled third-country national workers to the participating Member States under both the EU Blue Card and national schemes for highly skilled workers was 23 419 in 2012, 34 904 in 2013 and 38 774 in 2014 . When compared to the projected needs for highly skilled workers in certain sectors, these numbers are by far insufficient to address the existing and projected future labour and skills shortages in the EU in highly skilled occupations. The current fragmented situation with diverging and parallel national rules for the same category of third-country nationals across Member States is neither effective nor efficient for any party involved. The conclusions of the European Council of 26 and 27 June 2014 state that in order to remain an attractive destination for talents and skills, Europe must compete in the global race for talent. Strategies to maximise the opportunities of legal migration should therefore be developed, including the streamlining of existing rules. The European Agenda on Migration adopted on 13 May 2015 called for an attractive EU-wide scheme for highly qualified third-country nationals , and specifies that a review of Council Directive 2009/50/EC is needed to make it more effective in attracting talents to the Union and thereby address both the demographic challenges faced by the Union and labour and skills shortages in key sectors of the Union economy. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the preferred option includes therefore the following main elements: modifying the admission conditions and making the EU Blue Card accessible to a wider group of highly skilled workers; improving the rights associated with the EU Blue Card, including intra-EU mobility; and not extending the scope beyond highly skilled workers; national schemes for third-country nationals falling within the scope of application of this Directive would no longer be allowed; the legislative measures would be complemented by non-legislative actions and potentially by making the EU Blue Card accessible to highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection. The estimated additional permits for this option are in the range of minimum 32 484 to maximum 137 690 highly skilled workers (per year, aggregate across participating Member States, variation depending on the salary threshold set by individual Member States). This would result in an estimated positive annual economic impact of between EUR 1.4 billion to EUR 6.2 billion. CONTENT: this proposal, which replaces the existing EU Blue Card Directive (2009/50/EC), aims to improve the EU’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled third-country nationals. It seeks to establish a special admission procedure and the adoption of conditions of entry and residence, and the rights, applicable to third-country nationals for the purpose of highly skilled employment and their family members. Definitions : the proposal sets out the definition given to "highly skilled employment", which replaces the concept of "highly qualified employment" in the current Directive. It refers to paid employment, in accordance with national law and practice , by a person having the necessary competence as proven by "higher professional qualifications". The latter can be attested by either "higher education qualifications" or by "higher professional skills" (i.e. skills attested by at least three years of professional experience of a level comparable to higher education qualifications and relevant to the work or profession to be carried out). The definition of " business activity " is provided in order to define which professional activities can be carried out by the EU Blue Card holder in the context of the specific rules for short-term mobility to other Member States. Scope : the proposal: does not cover EU citizens, third-country nationals who are EU long-term residents and want to move to another Member State, seasonal workers nor posted workers; shall not apply to third-country nationals who apply to reside in a Member State as researchers , within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/801 , in order to carry out a research project; provides that all third-country national family members of EU citizens are given access to the EU Blue Card in order to enable them to engage in highly skilled employment and perform business trips in different Member States regardless of whether or not the EU citizen accompanies them; continues to not apply to persons seeking international protection and awaiting decision on their status or to those who are beneficiaries of temporary protection or residing in a Member State on a strictly temporary basis. As a novelty it does cover, however, beneficiaries of international protection under Directive 2011/95/EU (“Qualification Directive”). obliges Member States to grant an EU Blue Card instead of a national permit for highly skilled work to persons falling under its scope. More favourable provisions : this proposal harmonises admission conditions and procedures for third-country nationals falling under its scope, and for their family members, as well as for their subsequent mobility to other Member States. Member States are nevertheless still allowed to grant more favourable conditions as regards rights. Criteria for admission : besides the general conditions similar to those included in Directive 2009/50/EC and other existing acquis on legal migration (i.e., having a valid travel document, sickness insurance and not posing a threat to public policy, public security or public health), specific conditions include: a work contract or a binding job offer with a duration of at least six months in the Member State concerned, as admission is demand-driven. The required length of contract is shortened from 12 to 6 months compared to the current Directive; proof of higher professional qualifications, i.e. either higher education qualifications or higher professional skills; the salary specified in the work contract must be at least equal to a certain threshold determined by Member States within a range of minimum 1.0 and maximum 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned; a mandatory lower salary threshold (at 80 percent of the general threshold) for shortage occupations determined by the Member States, as well as for young graduates; As regards the possibility of carrying out a labour market test , the proposal states that it is only allowed in circumstances where a Member State's labour market undergoes serious disturbances, for example a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector in a particular region in their territory. Procedure : applicants for whom a positive decision has been taken by the Member State concerned shall receive a residence permit called "EU Blue Card" stating the conditions under which they are allowed to work. The standard period of validity for the EU Blue Card is at least 24 months . Only if the work contract covers a shorter period, the EU Blue Card validity should be at least the duration of the work contract plus three months. However, when an EU Blue Card is renewed, the period of validity should in any case be at least 24 months . Member States shall notify the applicant of a decision on an application at the latest within 60 days after the submission of the application. This is shortened from the 90 days in Directive 2009/50/EC. Member States may decide to impose fees for handling applications. However, they should not be disproportionate or excessive. Rights : the proposal simplifies access to the labour market: EU Blue Card holders are granted full access to highly skilled employment. Member States can only require that they communicate changes of employer or changes that can affect the fulfilment of the EU Blue Card admission conditions. Temporary unemployment is allowed. The proposal provides EU Blue Card holders facilitated access to EU long-term resident status . To reinforce the link to the country issuing the EU long-term resident status, it is required that the EU Blue Card holder has resided at least two years immediately prior to applying for the status in the Member State concerned. The provisions on equal treatment of EU Blue Card holders with Member State nationals largely correspond to the rights provided under Directive 2009/50/EC. Mobility between Member States : the proposal allows Blue Card holders to enter and stay in other Member States for the purpose of carrying out a business activity. Second Member States are not allowed to require a work permit or any other authorisation than the EU Blue Card issued by the first Member State for carrying out such activity. Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State applying the Schengen acquis in full, the EU Blue Card holder can move within the Schengen area and carry out a business activity for 90 days within a 180-day period. Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State not applying the Schengen acquis in full, Member States may require evidence of the purpose of the trip when an EU Blue Card holder crosses an external border for mobility purpose. Moreover, if an EU Blue Card is not eventually issued by the second Member State, the first Member State has to allow re-entry of the person concerned with possible family members. Access to information : Member States are required to: (i) provide easily accessible information to applicants about entry and residence conditions, as well as rights; (ii) communicate to the Commission data on a number of aspects, such as the annual salary thresholds, the list of shortage occupations, the cases in which Member States make use of the clause on ethical recruitment, the allowed business activities in their territory. It should be noted that the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark shall not participate in the adoption of the Directive and therefore shall not be bound by it.
          • date: 2016-07-04T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
          • date: 2017-01-19T00:00:00 type: Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament body: EP
          • date: 2017-06-28T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0240&language=EN title: A8-0240/2017 summary: The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Claude MORAES (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, exercising its prerogative as an associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report. The proposal seeks to improve the attractiveness of the European Blue Card by trying to increase its use across the Union and ensuring that it works for high skilled third-country nationals, for potential employers within the EU and for the administrations. The committee recommended that the position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows: Scope : Members propose to extend the scope to include third-country nationals who already hold a residence permit in a Member State under Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing. Where they fall within the scope of the Directive, persons applying for international protection should be subject to the same rules as any other third-country national falling within the scope of the Directive. Admission criteria : a third-country national applying for a European Blue Card should have a valid work contract or a binding job offer of at least nine months . For unregulated professions, present written evidence should be provided attesting higher education qualifications or higher professional skills. The third-country national should also be able to present evidence that an application for international protection or protection under national law is pending. Member States should facilitate the rapid validation and recognition of documents attesting to the possession of a diploma in higher education and high professional skills. In addition, a simplified procedure for approved employers should be provided for. Salary threshold : when transposing it, Member States should establish a salary threshold in agreement with the social partners . That salary threshold should be at least 1.0 times but not higher than 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned. Member States could, in agreement with the social partners, decide not to establish a salary threshold in certain occupational branches, for example when a collective agreement governs the wages applicable in that occupational branch. Grounds for refusal : the application for a European Blue Card would be rejected if the third-country national is considered to constitute a threat to public policy, public security or public health. In circumstances where the domestic labour market suffers a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector, which may be limited to particular regions or other parts of the territory, a Member State should, after consulting with social partners, be able to take into account the situation of its labour market before issuing an EU Blue Card. In the event that a Member State decides to make use of this possibility for a given occupation or sector, possibly in a particular part of their territory, it should send a notification to the Commission hereof, explaining the economic, social and other reasons justifying the decision to introduce such labour market test for the next six months and do so again for every subsequent six month period. Withdrawal and non-renewal : Member States shall withdraw an EU Blue Card where the third-country national no longer holds a valid work contract for highly skilled employment or the qualifications required. Member States shall refuse to renew it where the third-country national is considered to pose a threat to public policy , public security or public health. Member States may refuse renewal, for example where the third-country national has been unemployed for more than six consecutive months or no longer holds a valid travel document. Any decision to reject an application for a European Blue Card or to withdraw or refuse to renew the card shall take account of the specific circumstances of the case and shall be proportionate . Standard validity period : Member States shall set a standard period of validity for the European Blue Card, which is at least 36 months (instead of 24 months). When the applicant for international protection receives a European Blue Card, his application for international protection would be considered suspended for the period of validity of the card. Mobility for blue card holders : Members introduced a series of amendments aimed at simplifying the intra-EU mobility procedure. The proposed amendments aim to replace additional applications with notifications and allow the Blue Card holder to work in a second Member State once he/she has notified the Member State concerned.
          other
          • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/migration-and-home-affairs_en title: Migration and Home Affairs commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
          otherinst
          • name: European Economic and Social Committee
          • name: European Committee of the Regions
          procedure/Legislative priorities
          • title: Joint Declaration 2018 url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2063000&l=en
          • title: Joint Declaration 2017 url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2062000&l=en
          procedure/Mandatory consultation of other institutions
          European Economic and Social Committee European Committee of the Regions
          procedure/Notes
          • 05/07/2017 Decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 69c)
          procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
          Old
          LIBE/8/06819
          New
          • LIBE/9/00162
          procedure/instrument
          Old
          Directive
          New
          • Directive
          • Repealing Directive 2009/50/EC 2007/0228(CNS)
          procedure/legislative_priorities
            procedure/other_consulted_institutions
            European Economic and Social Committee European Committee of the Regions
            procedure/stage_reached
            Old
            Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
            New
            Awaiting committee decision
            procedure/subject
            Old
            • 4.15.04 Workforce, occupational mobility, job conversion, working conditions
            • 7.10 Free movement and integration of third-country nationals
            • 7.10.04 External borders crossing and controls, visas
            • 7.10.08 Migration policy
            New
            4.15.04
            Workforce, occupational mobility, job conversion, working conditions
            7.10
            Free movement and integration of third-country nationals
            7.10.04
            External borders crossing and controls, visas
            7.10.08
            Migration policy
            procedure/summary
            • Repealing Directive 2009/50/EC
            activities/5/docs/0/text
            • The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Claude MORAES (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.

              The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, exercising its prerogative as an associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report.

              The proposal seeks to improve the attractiveness of the European Blue Card by trying to increase its use across the Union and ensuring that it works for high skilled third-country nationals, for potential employers within the EU and for the administrations.

              The committee recommended that the position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

              Scope: Members propose to extend the scope to include third-country nationals who already hold a residence permit in a Member State under Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing.

              Where they fall within the scope of the Directive, persons applying for international protection should be subject to the same rules as any other third-country national falling within the scope of the Directive.

              Admission criteria: a third-country national applying for a European Blue Card should have a valid work contract or a binding job offer of at least nine months. For unregulated professions, present written evidence should be provided attesting higher education qualifications or higher professional skills.

              The third-country national should also be able to present evidence that an application for international protection or protection under national law is pending.

              Member States should facilitate the rapid validation and recognition of documents attesting to the possession of a diploma in higher education and high professional skills. In addition, a simplified procedure for approved employers should be provided for.

              Salary threshold: when transposing it, Member States should establish a salary threshold in agreement with the social partners. That salary threshold should be at least 1.0 times but not higher than 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned.

              Member States could, in agreement with the social partners, decide not to establish a salary threshold in certain occupational branches, for example when a collective agreement governs the wages applicable in that occupational branch.

              Grounds for refusal: the application for a European Blue Card would be rejected if the third-country national is considered to constitute a threat to public policy, public security or public health.

              In circumstances where the domestic labour market suffers a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector, which may be limited to particular regions or other parts of the territory, a Member State should, after consulting with social partners, be able to take into account the situation of its labour market before issuing an EU Blue Card.

              In the event that a Member State decides to make use of this possibility for a given occupation or sector, possibly in a particular part of their territory, it should send a notification to the Commission hereof, explaining the economic, social and other reasons justifying the decision to introduce such labour market test for the next six months and do so again for every subsequent six month period.

              Withdrawal and non-renewal: Member States shall withdraw an EU Blue Card where the third-country national no longer holds a valid work contract for highly skilled employment or the qualifications required. Member States shall refuse to renew it where the third-country national is considered to pose a threat to public policy, public security or public health.

              Member States may refuse renewal, for example where the third-country national has been unemployed for more than six consecutive months or no longer holds a valid travel document.

              Any decision to reject an application for a European Blue Card or to withdraw or refuse to renew the card shall take account of the specific circumstances of the case and shall be proportionate.

              Standard validity period: Member States shall set a standard period of validity for the European Blue Card, which is at least 36 months (instead of 24 months).

              When the applicant for international protection receives a European Blue Card, his application for international protection would be considered suspended for the period of validity of the card.

              Mobility for blue card holders: Members introduced a series of amendments aimed at simplifying the intra-EU mobility procedure. The proposed amendments aim to replace additional applications with notifications and allow the Blue Card holder to work in a second Member State once he/she has notified the Member State concerned.

            activities/1/committees/2/shadows/0/mepref
            Old
            4f1ad9e7b819f207b3000041
            New
            4f1ac7c4b819f25efd0000aa
            activities/1/committees/2/shadows/0/name
            Old
            GABRIEL Mariya
            New
            ENGEL Frank
            activities/4/committees/2/shadows/0/mepref
            Old
            4f1ad9e7b819f207b3000041
            New
            4f1ac7c4b819f25efd0000aa
            activities/4/committees/2/shadows/0/name
            Old
            GABRIEL Mariya
            New
            ENGEL Frank
            activities/5/committees/2/shadows/0/mepref
            Old
            4f1ad9e7b819f207b3000041
            New
            4f1ac7c4b819f25efd0000aa
            activities/5/committees/2/shadows/0/name
            Old
            GABRIEL Mariya
            New
            ENGEL Frank
            committees/2/shadows/0/mepref
            Old
            4f1ad9e7b819f207b3000041
            New
            4f1ac7c4b819f25efd0000aa
            committees/2/shadows/0/name
            Old
            GABRIEL Mariya
            New
            ENGEL Frank
            activities/3/type
            Old
            Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations after 1st reading in Parliament
            New
            Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
            activities/5/docs
            • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0240&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A8-0240/2017
            activities/5
            date
            2017-06-28T00:00:00
            body
            EP
            type
            Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
            committees
            procedure/stage_reached
            Old
            Awaiting committee decision
            New
            Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
            procedure/legislative_priorities
              activities/3
              date
              2017-06-15T00:00:00
              body
              unknown
              type
              Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations after 1st reading in Parliament
              activities/3
              date
              2017-06-15T00:00:00
              body
              EP
              type
              Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
              committees
              links/Research document
              url
              http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2017)603942
              title
              Briefing
              activities/0/commission/0/DG/url
              Old
              http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/
              New
              http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/migration-and-home-affairs_en
              other/0/dg/url
              Old
              http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/
              New
              http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/migration-and-home-affairs_en
              procedure/Mandatory consultation of other institutions
              Old
              Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions
              New
              European Economic and Social Committee European Committee of the Regions
              activities/0/docs/0/celexid
              CELEX:52016PC0378:EN
              activities/0/docs/0/celexid
              CELEX:52016PC0378:EN
              activities/2
              date
              2017-01-19T00:00:00
              body
              EP
              type
              Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/5
              group
              EFD
              name
              FERRARA Laura
              committees/2/shadows/5
              group
              EFD
              name
              FERRARA Laura
              activities/1/committees/0/committee_full
              Old
              Employment and Social Affairs
              New
              Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee)
              activities/1/committees/2/committee_full
              Old
              Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
              New
              Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee)
              committees/0/committee_full
              Old
              Employment and Social Affairs
              New
              Employment and Social Affairs (Associated committee)
              committees/2/committee_full
              Old
              Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
              New
              Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee)
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/1
              group
              ECR
              name
              UJAZDOWSKI Kazimierz Michał
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/2/group
              Old
              EFD
              New
              ALDE
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/2/mepref
              Old
              53b2d826b819f205b0000034
              New
              4f1ac8b0b819f25efd0000e9
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/2/name
              Old
              CASTALDO Fabio Massimo
              New
              GRIESBECK Nathalie
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/3
              group
              GUE/NGL
              name
              SPINELLI Barbara
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/4
              group
              Verts/ALE
              name
              VALERO Bodil
              activities/1/committees/2/shadows/5
              group
              ENF
              name
              LEBRETON Gilles
              committees/2/shadows/1
              group
              ECR
              name
              UJAZDOWSKI Kazimierz Michał
              committees/2/shadows/2/group
              Old
              EFD
              New
              ALDE
              committees/2/shadows/2/mepref
              Old
              53b2d826b819f205b0000034
              New
              4f1ac8b0b819f25efd0000e9
              committees/2/shadows/2/name
              Old
              CASTALDO Fabio Massimo
              New
              GRIESBECK Nathalie
              committees/2/shadows/3
              group
              GUE/NGL
              name
              SPINELLI Barbara
              committees/2/shadows/4
              group
              Verts/ALE
              name
              VALERO Bodil
              committees/2/shadows/5
              group
              ENF
              name
              LEBRETON Gilles
              activities/1/committees/0/date
              2016-10-04T00:00:00
              activities/1/committees/0/rapporteur
              • group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean
              committees/0/date
              2016-10-04T00:00:00
              committees/0/rapporteur
              • group: Verts/ALE name: LAMBERT Jean
              activities/0/docs/0/text
              • PURPOSE: to establish the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment.

                PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

                ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

                BACKGROUND: the 2009 “EU Blue Card” Directive (Council Directive 2009/50/EC) intended to facilitate the admission and mobility of highly qualified third-country national workers, and their family members, by harmonising entry and residence conditions throughout the EU and by providing for a set of rights. The current EU Blue Card Directive has demonstrated intrinsic weaknesses such as restrictive admission conditions and very limited facilitation for intra-EU mobility.

                The overall inflow of highly skilled third-country national workers to the participating Member States under both the EU Blue Card and national schemes for highly skilled workers was 23 419 in 2012, 34 904 in 2013 and 38 774 in 2014. When compared to the projected needs for highly skilled workers in certain sectors, these numbers are by far insufficient to address the existing and projected future labour and skills shortages in the EU in highly skilled occupations.

                The current fragmented situation with diverging and parallel national rules for the same category of third-country nationals across Member States is neither effective nor efficient for any party involved.

                The conclusions of the European Council of 26 and 27 June 2014 state that in order to remain an attractive destination for talents and skills, Europe must compete in the global race for talent. Strategies to maximise the opportunities of legal migration should therefore be developed, including the streamlining of existing rules.

                The European Agenda on Migration adopted on 13 May 2015 called for an attractive EU-wide scheme for highly qualified third-country nationals, and specifies that a review of Council Directive 2009/50/EC is needed to make it more effective in attracting talents to the Union and thereby address both the demographic challenges faced by the Union and labour and skills shortages in key sectors of the Union economy.

                IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the preferred option includes therefore the following main elements: 

                • modifying the admission conditions and making the EU Blue Card accessible to a wider group of highly skilled workers; improving the rights associated with the EU Blue Card, including intra-EU mobility; and not extending the scope beyond highly skilled workers;
                • national schemes for third-country nationals falling within the scope of application of this Directive would no longer be allowed;
                • the legislative measures would be complemented by non-legislative actions and potentially by making the EU Blue Card accessible to highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection.

                The estimated additional permits for this option are in the range of minimum 32 484 to maximum 137 690 highly skilled workers (per year, aggregate across participating Member States, variation depending on the salary threshold set by individual Member States). This would result in an estimated positive annual economic impact of between EUR 1.4 billion to EUR 6.2 billion.

                CONTENT: this proposal, which replaces the existing EU Blue Card Directive (2009/50/EC), aims to improve the EU’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled third-country nationals. It seeks to establish a special admission procedure and the adoption of conditions of entry and residence, and the rights, applicable to third-country nationals for the purpose of highly skilled employment and their family members.

                Definitions: the proposal sets out the definition given to "highly skilled employment", which replaces the concept of "highly qualified employment" in the current Directive. It refers to paid employment, in accordance with national law and practice, by a person having the necessary competence as proven by "higher professional qualifications". The latter can be attested by either "higher education qualifications" or by "higher professional skills" (i.e. skills attested by at least three years of professional experience of a level comparable to higher education qualifications and relevant to the work or profession to be carried out).

                The definition of "business activity" is provided in order to define which professional activities can be carried out by the EU Blue Card holder in the context of the specific rules for short-term mobility to other Member States.

                Scope: the proposal:

                • does not cover EU citizens, third-country nationals who are EU long-term residents and want to move to another Member State, seasonal workers nor posted workers;
                • shall not apply to third-country nationals who apply to reside in a Member State as researchers, within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/801, in order to carry out a research project;
                • provides that all third-country national family members of EU citizens are given access to the EU Blue Card in order to enable them to engage in highly skilled employment and perform business trips in different Member States regardless of whether or not the EU citizen accompanies them;
                • continues to not apply to persons seeking international protection and awaiting decision on their status or to those who are beneficiaries of temporary protection or residing in a Member State on a strictly temporary basis. As a novelty it does cover, however, beneficiaries of international protection under Directive 2011/95/EU (“Qualification Directive”).
                • obliges Member States to grant an EU Blue Card instead of a national permit for highly skilled work to persons falling under its scope.

                More favourable provisions: this proposal harmonises admission conditions and procedures for third-country nationals falling under its scope, and for their family members, as well as for their subsequent mobility to other Member States. Member States are nevertheless still allowed to grant more favourable conditions as regards rights.

                Criteria for admission: besides the general conditions similar to those included in Directive 2009/50/EC and other existing acquis on legal migration (i.e., having a valid travel document, sickness insurance and not posing a threat to public policy, public security or public health), specific conditions include:

                • a work contract or a binding job offer with a duration of at least six months in the Member State concerned, as admission is demand-driven. The required length of contract is shortened from 12 to 6 months compared to the current Directive;
                • proof of higher professional qualifications, i.e. either higher education qualifications or higher professional skills;
                • the salary specified in the work contract must be at least equal to a certain threshold determined by Member States within a range of minimum 1.0 and maximum 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in the Member State concerned;
                • a mandatory lower salary threshold (at 80 percent of the general threshold) for shortage occupations determined by the Member States, as well as for young graduates;

                As regards the possibility of carrying out a labour market test, the proposal states that it is only allowed in circumstances where a Member State's labour market undergoes serious disturbances, for example a high level of unemployment in a given occupation or sector in a particular region in their territory.

                Procedure: applicants for whom a positive decision has been taken by the Member State concerned shall receive a residence permit called "EU Blue Card" stating the conditions under which they are allowed to work. The standard period of validity for the EU Blue Card is at least 24 months. Only if the work contract covers a shorter period, the EU Blue Card validity should be at least the duration of the work contract plus three months. However, when an EU Blue Card is renewed, the period of validity should in any case be at least 24 months.

                Member States shall notify the applicant of a decision on an application at the latest within 60 days after the submission of the application. This is shortened from the 90 days in Directive 2009/50/EC. Member States may decide to impose fees for handling applications. However, they should not be disproportionate or excessive.

                Rights: the proposal simplifies access to the labour market: EU Blue Card holders are granted full access to highly skilled employment. Member States can only require that they communicate changes of employer or changes that can affect the fulfilment of the EU Blue Card admission conditions. Temporary unemployment is allowed.

                The proposal provides EU Blue Card holders facilitated access to EU long-term resident status. To reinforce the link to the country issuing the EU long-term resident status, it is required that the EU Blue Card holder has resided at least two years immediately prior to applying for the status in the Member State concerned.

                The provisions on equal treatment of EU Blue Card holders with Member State nationals largely correspond to the rights provided under Directive 2009/50/EC.

                Mobility between Member States: the proposal allows Blue Card holders to enter and stay in other Member States for the purpose of carrying out a business activity. Second Member States are not allowed to require a work permit or any other authorisation than the EU Blue Card issued by the first Member State for carrying out such activity.

                • Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State applying the Schengen acquis in full, the EU Blue Card holder can move within the Schengen area and carry out a business activity for 90 days within a 180-day period.
                • Where the EU Blue Card is issued by a Member State not applying the Schengen acquis in full, Member States may require evidence of the purpose of the trip when an EU Blue Card holder crosses an external border for mobility purpose.
                • Moreover, if an EU Blue Card is not eventually issued by the second Member State, the first Member State has to allow re-entry of the person concerned with possible family members.

                Access to information:  Member States are required to: (i) provide easily accessible information to applicants about entry and residence conditions, as well as rights; (ii) communicate to the Commission data on a number of aspects, such as the annual salary thresholds, the list of shortage occupations, the cases in which Member States make use of the clause on ethical recruitment, the allowed business activities in their territory.

                It should be noted that the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark shall not participate in the adoption of the Directive and therefore shall not be bound by it.

              activities/1
              date
              2016-07-04T00:00:00
              body
              EP
              type
              Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
              committees
              procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
              LIBE/8/06819
              procedure/stage_reached
              Old
              Preparatory phase in Parliament
              New
              Awaiting committee decision
              committees/2/date
              2016-02-29T00:00:00
              committees/2/rapporteur
              • group: S&D name: MORAES Claude
              committees/2/shadows
              • group: EPP name: GABRIEL Mariya
              • group: EFD name: CASTALDO Fabio Massimo
              procedure/Mandatory consultation of other institutions
              Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions
              procedure/Mandatory consultation of other institutions
              Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions
              activities
              • date: 2016-06-07T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2016/0378/COM_COM(2016)0378_EN.pdf celexid: CELEX:52016PC0378:EN type: Legislative proposal published title: COM(2016)0378 body: EC type: Legislative proposal published commission: DG: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/ title: Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
              committees
              • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Employment and Social Affairs committee: EMPL
              • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Legal Affairs committee: JURI
              • body: EP responsible: True committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE
              links
              other
              • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/ title: Migration and Home Affairs commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
              procedure
              Mandatory consultation of other institutions
              Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions
              reference
              2016/0176(COD)
              instrument
              Directive
              legal_basis
              Treaty on the Functioning of the EU TFEU 079-p2
              stage_reached
              Preparatory phase in Parliament
              summary
              Repealing Directive 2009/50/EC
              subtype
              Legislation
              title
              Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment
              type
              COD - Ordinary legislative procedure (ex-codecision procedure)
              subject