CITIZENS of the ten new EU nations face 'substantial barriers' to freedom of movement, a London Euro-MP has warned.
Jean Lambert, Green MEP for the capital and a member of the European Parliament's Employment and Human Rights Committees, said a jungle of transitional measures and media disinformation has meant job-seekers are being prohibited from traveling freely around the union in search of work.
"Every EU citizen should enjoy equal rights to move freely around the union - and enlargement will remain unfinished until such freedom becomes the reality for all," said Mrs Lambert.
Her comments were made as a Hotline was launched to advise new EU citizens of their rights to travel within the EU and collect data on barriers to movement to persuade the European Parliament and Commission to take action.
The Hotline has been set up by the Brussels-based European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and will remain open until September 10th. ECAS will present its findings to MEPs at a special meeting on migration and enlargement to be hosted by Jean Lambert in Strasbourg on September 14th.
Anyone with experience of crossing borders between 'old' and 'new' member states since May 1st is invited to contact the ECAS Hotline to seek advice or share their experiences of border controls and views on whether citizens of accession countries are being treated equally.
Individuals and advice services can contact the hotline on ecas@ecas.org or by calling (0032) 2512 5968.
Mrs Lambert added: "Xenophobic scaremongering by right-wing Governments and some sections of the media led a number of states to introduce barriers to citizens from the new EU member states, fearing an influx of job-seekers from Eastern Europe.
"This 'influx' hasn't materialised and now Governments must finish enlargement by bringing down the clumsy, hastily erected barriers so all EU citizens can enjoy the benefits of membership."
ENDS
Editors' Note: For further information about ECAS, or to read its
report 'The Unfinished Enlargement', see www.ecas.org
For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or at press@greenmeps.org.uk