When east meets west

摘要

The evidence argues in favour of lifting all restrictions on labour migration from the new members of the European Union The headlines around Europe in the run-up to May 1st 2004 were depress-ingly similar. That was the day when ten new countries, mostly from central Europe, joined the European Union. Yet rather than celebrate, newspapers were filled with dire warnings of a flood of migrants who would steal jobs or sign up for welfare benefits. Under pressure, 12 of the 15 existing EU members imposed "transitional arrangements"-Brussels-speak for restrictions on labour from the east. Britain and Ireland stood alone in opening their markets to all, though even they adopted rules to stop benefit-seekers, and Britain created a registration scheme. Sweden also kept its labour market open, after its parliament rejected restrictions.