Way opens for third-country experts
PARLIAMENT has finally started discussions on the EU harmonising bill for blue cards, which will allow employment of highly qualified non-European nationals into the country.
Speaking after the meeting, Committee Chairman, AKEL’s Yiannos Lamaris said the EU directive should in fact have been ratified at the start of 2011.
“The Blue Card is valid indefinitely; however, if the beneficiary remains unemployed for over a period of three months, the card will be revoked,” Lamaris explained.
“The directive offers EU member states the ability to acquire people with high expertise in specific sectors,” said Lamaris, adding that strict conditions would be included in the law to ensure local scientists weren’t aversely affected.
More specifically, the blue cards will be issued to third country experts, provided there are no Cypriots to fill the position.
Lamaris said the directive gave member states the right to determine the amount of cards that can be issued, as well as the sectors for which they can be given.
“The Committee’s effort is to secure the Cypriots’ best interests first and foremost,” he added. “We are going through a period where the unemployment figures are very high and still rising; we already have over 110,000 EU workers and anything that opens the way for non-Cypriot workers to work in Cyprus should put us on alert, so that employment is allowed in a way that isn’t at the expense of Cypriot workers.”
The new law will prove relevant now that Cyprus is launching procedures for natural gas explorations, said Lamaris.
“In the energy sector, seeing that no one ever imagined that Cyprus would become an energy centre, there aren’t many Cypriots with expertise in the mining, production and trading of reserves,” he pointed out.
Currently, Cyprus legislation includes no provisions on highly qualified third country nationals and the issuing of the relevant EU Blue Card.
The card is expected to help third-country nationals to enter and stay freely within the EU, seek work in the sector concerned and enjoy equal treatment with regard to working conditions, social security, pensions, recognition of diplomas and education.