EU Urges 8 Member States to Ensure Equal Rights & Conditions for Seasonal Workers

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Czechia, France, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland have been called to comply with the Seasonal Workers Directive.
• The Commission said that the eight Member States must guarantee equal rights to third-country workers.
• The eight Member States have two months to respond to the issues raised by the Commission.

The Commission of the European Union has called on Czechia, France, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland to fully comply with the Seasonal Workers Directive and ensure fair rights for non-EU workers.

The infringement proceedings against the eight EU Member States have already been initiated, with the Commission issuing letters of formal notice to them, citing concern about incomplete transposition of the directive’s provision into their national laws.

The Seasonal Workers Directive is designed to establish fair and transparent regulations for admitting third-country seasonal workers to the EU.

The directive also aims to guarantee decent working and living conditions, equal rights, and protection from exploitation across the EU.

However, the eight countries mentioned above have failed to meet all the rules when hiring third-country workers, and for this reason, the Commission is now urging them to fully comply with the rules set out in the directive.

The Directive aims to ensure fair and transparent rules for the admission of third-country seasonal workers to the EU. It also aims at guaranteeing workers coming from the third country decent working and living conditions, equal rights and sufficient protection from exploitation across the EU.

EU Commission

As the Commission stresses, it is important that the Member States follow the rules of the Seasonal Workers Directive, as the latter plays a crucial role in attracting seasonal workers to the bloc and addressing irregular migration.

By ensuring compliance with the directive, the EU wants to create an environment where third-country seasonal workers are treated fairly as well as provided with adequate safeguards.

Now that the letters of formal notice have been sent to  Czechia, France, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland, the Commission will monitor how these countries transpose the regulation into their national law.

The eight Member States now have two months to respond to the issues raised by the Commission. Failure to address these issues adequately within the given timeframe may prompt the EU Commission to issue a reasoned opinion.

In line with the Seasonal Worker Directive, in addition to setting fair and transparent rules, EU Member States must also define the rights of seasonal workers and provide incentives to prevent overstaying.

Nationals of third countries can apply for seasonal work in any EU country as long as they legally reside outside the territory of the EU. Those admitted are granted a visa, and they are permitted to work under the rules of the EU in the country they will be residing temporarily.