The Accession Treaty
Freedom of movement for workers
7.The Accession Treaty sets out the transitional provisions in relation to the free movement of workers that will apply to Croatian nationals. These provisions are as follows:
for the first two years after accession, Member States are required to apply national measures or bilateral agreements regulating the rights of nationals from Croatia to work in their territories;
from the third year, Member States must either grant nationals from Croatia the right to move and work freely in accordance with EU law, or continue to apply national measures or bilateral agreements for a further three years; and
from the sixth year, Member States must either grant nationals from Croatia the right to move and work freely in accordance with EU law, or, in cases of serious disturbances in its labour market or threat thereof, continue to apply national measures or bilateral agreements for a further two years.
8.Section 4 of the Act provides a power to make regulations implementing these transitional arrangements concerning the free movement of Croatian workers. Regulations made under section 4 of the Act would, in effect, constitute the “national measures” anticipated in the Accession Treaty.
9.Section 5 requires the first set of Regulations made under section 4 to follow the affirmative parliamentary procedure. Any further Regulations will be subject to either the negative or affirmative procedure.
