Romania, Spain discuss policy on Romanians seeking to work in Spain

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu met Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba and Spanish Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jesus Caldera Sanchez-Capitan on Saturday to discuss the policy Spain is to enforce for the Romanian laborers after Bucharest joins the European Union.

Rubalcaba said Spain had sought to consult the Romanian authorities before taking a decision in this respect, citing the special relation with Romania, and this stand was appreciated by Premier Tariceanu, the Government's press office said in a release.

Tariceanu also praised the manner in which Spain has addressed the issue of the Romanian workers and said it was possible to find a solution that should suit both countries.

The solution devised by Madrid is that the Romanians' access to the Spanish job market in the first two years after the accession be made on the basis of a work permit and a work visa. An evaluation will be made at the end of the first year, and it is possible for the restrictions to be lifted after such evaluation.

The Spanish labor and social affairs minister stressed that such an approach is better than the policy enacted with respect to the states which joined the EU in 2004 and also better than the policy the other EU states had toward Spain when it joined the bloc.

Source: Xinhua