EU:The European Commission yesterday proposed setting up the equivalent of the US green card to attract much-needed highly skilled workers to the EU.
Dubbed the "blue card", after the colour of the European flag, the aim of the proposal is to get the best brains from non-EU countries to come to Europe rather than automatically opting for the US.
"Highly skilled workers from all over the world are welcome in the European Union," said commission president José Manuel Barroso, announcing the proposals. He said Europe was not doing enough to attract such migrants, although it is "not young enough or numerous enough" to keep economically apace without them.
Labour shortages will peak by 2050, when 25 million Europeans are expected to retire from work and one-third of the population will be over 65 years of age, according to commission figures.
The Brussels proposal envisages a fast-track scheme for foreign workers so long as they have a minimum one-year work contract guaranteeing earnings of at least three times the national minimum wage, professional experience and health insurance.
Holders of the blue card will be entitled to the same socio-economic rights as nationals - such as work conditions and social security. Family members will also be entitled to come to Europe.
Initially the work permit will allow access to the destination member state for two years, but after this period the workers will be allowed to move to another member state so long as they have a work contract.
The blue card holders will also be able to add up their work periods in different member states so that they can eventually be granted long-term residency in the EU.
To stem criticism that the EU is adding to the plight of poor - particularly African - countries by encouraging a "brain drain" there, blue card workers will be allowed to go back to their own countries but may then return to the EU without going through the application procedure again.
For its part, Ireland, like Britain, will not automatically participate in the scheme but has to indicate within three months whether it would like to take part.
Although billed as essential for boosting Europe's skilled migrants - only 5 per cent of those who come to Europe are skilled, compared to 55 per cent in the US - the proposal is likely to run into criticism by some member states wary of letting Brussels move towards harmonising legal migration.
To counter this, the commission stressed it will not dictate to member states how many migrants they must take.