Swiss ‘Yes’ To EU Free Labor Comes With A 7-Yr Catch For Romanians

Switzerland’s positive vote in a referendum to prolong an EU free labor agreement and extend free movement for bloc newcomers Romania and Bulgaria does not automatically give Romanians a free pass on the labor market, Swiss ambassador to Bucharest, Livio Hurzeler said Monday.

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“Firstly, they (Romanian workers – e.n.) will need a work contract. This means they have to be in contact with a Swiss employer,” Hurzeler told Mediafax reporters.

The diplomat said Romanians will face a transitory period for the next seven years, with annually quotas to be permanently eliminated at the end of the transition.

“There is a transitory period, including yearly quotas. At first, the quotas are very low. They will gradually increase and will disappear entirely after seven years,” Hurzeler said.

He said this year’s quota is of 400 jobs.

On Sunday, the Swiss agreed to prolong the free movement agreement with EU states and simultaneously extended it to include Romanian and Bulgarian workers.

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