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EU Post-enlargement Migration and the Great Recession: Lessons and Policy Implications

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Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession

Abstract

Following a century scarred by the frontlines and atrocities of two World Wars and a split by the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, the demise of Communist rule in Central Eastern Europe followed by integration and enlargement of the European Union (EU) have been among the greatest achievements of Europeans in modern history. The EU single labor market and free mobility of workers are important outcomes but also vehicles, and fundamental cornerstones, of this endeavor. Their role is essential in nurturing the mutual understanding, cooperation and trust between European peoples and their benefits stretch across social, political, cultural and economic domains.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    EU8 denotes new EU member states that entered the EU in 2004, excepting Cyprus and Malta. These include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia; Romania and Bulgaria, which entered in 2007, are denoted as EU2 and the combination of new member states from Central Eastern Europe is the EU8 +2. EU12 comprises of EU8 +2 and Cyprus and Malta. EU15 denotes old member states including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

  2. 2.

    The Data Appendix details the reported trends, which generally correspond to those appearing throughout country chapters, although the exact figures may depend on the data source.

  3. 3.

    The EU Professional Card will, as of January 2016, enable general care nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, real estate agents and mountain guides to apply for their qualification recognition in other EU member states through an EU-wide information sharing system (Internal Market Information System). The European EngineerING Card serves as a proof of educational attainment, professional experience and continuous professional development in engineering.

  4. 4.

    The EU Blue Card, approved by Council Directive 2009/50/EC in May 2009, enables applicants with a work contract or binding job offer guaranteeing a salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary in the country to work and reside in the EU member state.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central European University (CEU), Budapest, Hungary

    Martin Kahanec

  2. Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn, Germany

    Martin Kahanec

  3. CELSI and NHF EU, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Martin Kahanec

  4. Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Klaus F. Zimmermann

Authors
  1. Martin Kahanec
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  2. Klaus F. Zimmermann
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Correspondence to Martin Kahanec .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Policy, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

    Martin Kahanec

  2. IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn, Germany

    Klaus F. Zimmermann

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Kahanec, M., Zimmermann, K.F. (2016). EU Post-enlargement Migration and the Great Recession: Lessons and Policy Implications. In: Kahanec, M., Zimmermann, K.F. (eds) Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45320-9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45320-9_17

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