Written by Martina Prpic (2nd edition),

Businesswoman With Team
© mangostar_studio / Fotolia

Attracting highly qualified immigrants to Europe has been one of the EU’s key priorities for several years. However, up until now the EU has not been as successful as other OECD countries. This demand for workers is expected to increase due to the increasing shortage of certain skills and the aging of the EU’s population.

The proposed directive, which would replace the 2009 Blue Card Directive, increases the attractiveness of the EU highly skilled migration scheme by expanding its scope, lowering criteria for admission, expanding the rights of beneficiaries, and abolishing parallel national schemes.

Stakeholders and experts agree with some proposed changes, while others have received more criticism (for example, the abolition of national schemes). The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs has adopted its report, and voted to open interinstitutional negotiations. The Council has also agreed its mandate and trilogue meetings started in September 2017.

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Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment
Committee responsible: Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) COM(2016) 378 of 7.6.2016

2016/0176(COD)

Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Rapporteur: Claude Moraes (S&D, UK)
Shadow rapporteurs:

 

Frank Engel (EPP, Luxembourg)

Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski (ECR, Poland)

Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE, France)

Barbara Spinelli (GUE/NGL, Italy)

Bodil Valero (Greens/EFA, Sweden)

Laura Ferrara (EFDD, Italy)

Gilles Lebreton (ENF, France)
Next steps expected: Continuing trilogue discussions

Comparison of EU Blue Cards (BC) and first permits
Comparison of EU Blue Cards (BC) and first permits