Free movement of workers: action plan

In adopting the report by Mrs Barbara WEILER (PSE, D) on the action plan for free movement of workers Parliament called for an end to discrimination in respect of the free movement of persons, the right of establishment and the right to family reunification as between citizens of the Union and citizens of third countries permanently established in the territory of the Union. It called on the Commission to produce consolidated texts of the existing legislation in this field and to incorporate these texts into a general code of movement and residence. It also called for the Commission to submit a supplementary action programme for achieving and completing the free movement of persons for which Article 7a of the Treaty provides. Parliament also proposed the following measures: - establishing equal treatment, with regard to application of the EC Treaty, between stateless persons and refugees resident in the territory of a Member State and citizens of that Member State; - incorporating the Schengen agreement into Community law as soon as possible after the ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty; - abolishing the visa requirements applicable to third country nationals moving within the Union provided that they are members of the families of migrant workers; - extending the right of residence to all family members regardless of their nationality and to family members not living in the migrant worker's household and unmarried partners in Member States which recognise this form of cohabitation for their own citizens; - improving the right of residence of job-seekers, workers on temporary and flexible contracts, self- employed persons and pensioners who regularly reside in another Member State; - simplifying the administrative procedures relating to the issue of residence permits; - developing a social insurance card that is machine-readable and valid throughout Europe; - examination of the cross-border effects of national social security and tax legislation; - introduction of a European training passport and encouragement of cross-border mobility in the framework of education and training programmes; - strengthening of coordination and cooperation between national authorities. Parliament also called on the Commission to investigate the shortcomings of the Member States with regard to the transposition and application of Community law and to name and shame those which do not fulfil their obligations. It suggested in particular the publication of a 'free movement scoreboard' and called for recalcitrant Member States to be taken systematically to the Court of Justice. Lastly, noting that a considerable number of obstacles to free movement were due to the absence of transparency and to poor coordination, it advocated the promotion of a climate of trust among the Member States' national authorities through training and exchange of civil servants, the establishment of national coordination centres and the encouragement of cooperation among Commissioners responsible for aspects of free movement of workers. �