Martin Sirák (CED/SGI)

Migration and Labour Mobility in the Slovak Republic:

the EU Integration Context

February 21, 2003Bratislava

OSI PPCI Project

Impact of Implementation of Schengen Treaty in the CEE Region9 think-tanks (coord. by IPA, Warsaw)incl. Estonia, Bulgaria/MacedoniaFebruary 2002 – February 2003Country reportsPresentation in Brussels (Spring 2003)

Country Reports

3 separate studies:National migration situation and policySchengen: Local socio-Economic impact Schengen: Political and administrative aspects

Field study component, eg. interviews on the Poland-Ukraine borderKaliningrad: case study

Analytical Focus

Impact of Schengen on:Current EU/Schengen countries vs. Current CCsCCs vs. Non-candidates/non-EU statesCCs/new member states vs. CCs/new member states

EU as “an Area of Freedom, Justice and Security“ (very broad focus!)

National Migration Policy: Criteria

Comparative assessment based on:

Legal FrameworkTechnical CapacityAdministrative ProcedureSocial Integration CapacityHuman Rights

Findings and Recommendations (?)

Labour Market and Mobility in Slovakia

OECD Economic Survey (2002) – barriers to labour mobility:

Practice of highly-centralized wage bargainingHousing market inefficienciesGenerous social assistance which does not adjust for regional differences in costs of living

Labour Migration and Mobility

“Four freedoms“ acquis (Chpts 1 – 4)JHA acquis (Chpt 24) – Visa and asylum policies, Schengen Information SystemEU integration: increased mobility of labour and capital, interdependencies btw trade, FDI and labour migration (?)What will be the value-added?