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Spidla, Vladimir
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3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
What future for Europe?
The 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome prompts the Czech EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Vladimir Spidla, to reflect on the historical development of European integration. "The fact that Jean Monnet and the other initiators of the Treaty of Rome adopted a more pragmatic approach than earlier pro-Europeans has contributed to the success of the European integration process. They did not present a European federation as a theoretically perfect final product - such an approach would have been doomed to failure after the Second World War. Instead, they promoted the concept of integration as a gradual process consisting of many practical steps."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria in 2007?
The Czech government has not yet reached a final decision, but it seems highly likely that the Czech Republic will open its labour market to Bulgarians and Romanians on January 1, 2007. Vladimir Spidla, the Czech European Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs and Equal Opportunities, welcomes the move in an interview printed by the paper. "Restricting free movement of workers is always a serious measure and should only be employed when absolutely necessary. Moreover, the fact is that the sooner we lift restrictions the better it will be for all European countries and the European economy as a whole." Asked whether the much-quoted "weariness of enlargement" could also be felt in Brussels he replied, "I wouldn't go as far as to say that a fear of expansion is spreading all over Europe. Nonetheless, Romania and Bulgaria's accession will clearly mark the end of a chapter in the history of EU enlargement because the Treaty of Nice excludes further expansion."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Romania, » Bulgaria
Nothing justifies closing borders to East Europeans
In an interview with Gorik Van Holen and Janine Meijer the European employment commissioner Vladimir Spidla describes as groundless the Belgian government's arguments for maintaining a transition period for workers from the new EU member countries. "There is talk of surplus labour, phoney freelance workers, and moonlighting. But these are things that bear no relation to the free movement of labour. It is something that has always existed that Polish workers may come to work here legally or not. ... Open borders are good for economic growth and lower unemployment. Take Great Britain for example. The workers who went there have created jobs for others. Work creates work."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Western Europe
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