Forty years of free movement of workers in Europe is an outstanding accomplishment. This collective publication will undoubtedly contribute to the analytical thinking of its path and development over these past four decades, and will help identify visible and hidden obstacles to free movement of workers which still need to be overcome.
Experience has proved over the years that the existence of free movement of workers contributes effectively to meet labour and skills shortages in the Member States. Therefore, helping to increase worker mobility, and improving the functioning of European labour markets and of the internal market, could eventually contribute to economic growth.
The concept of European citizenship, though still an open one, clearly denotes entitlements and responsibilities thus shaping a fundamental link towards a common ‘political community ’. In Community terms, the main underlining policy concern is how to bring Europe closer to its citizens, and it is probably the legitimacy itself of the European approach that is at stake when dealing directly with the concrete problems of the citizen. This becomes especially clear in the case, amongst others, of mobility for employment purposes to another Member State.
