Following the vote in the European Parliament on 5 February 2014, today the Council formally adopted a new Directive on third-country national seasonal workers. Member states will need to transpose the directive within two and a half years after publication in the Official Journal.

Today Deloitte announces the results of its 2013-2014 comparative immigration study. It shows that Belgium is one of the most attractive countries for highly skilled foreigners thanks to speed, cost and conditions.

On 5 and 6 November, the Lithuanian EU Presidency hosted the EMN Annual conference. This edition focussed on the achievements and challenges of EU labour migration and the role of migration in the EU Agenda for Growth.

The European Parliament and Council provisionally agreed on a draft directive that will manage temporary legal migration and ensure protection of workers from exploitation.

On 30 September 2013, the Belgian EMN NCP organized a lunch debate to present and discuss on the outcomes of the recently published study "Attracting highly qualified and qualified third-country nationals". The national television showed up and covered the event in the one o'clock news.

On 30 September, the Belgian Contact Point of the EMN holds a lunchmeeting on attracting highly skilled and skilled third country nationals. A reflection is also launched ​​towards the future regionalization of labor migration policy.

This recently published information sheet "EU Blue card: Highly qualified workers" provides information on beneficiaries, procedures, statuses, legal basis and appeals in this matter.

On 10 September 2012 the Belgian legislation transposing the Blue Card Directive(2009/50/EC) entered into force. The Blue Card Directive itself was adopted on 25 May 2009 to create a “European Blue Card” for highly qualified third-country nationals.

This publication provides an analysis of recent developments in migration movements and policies in OECD countries and two analytical chapters, covering the role of migration in renewing the skills of ageing workforces and the role of Asia in international migration.

A draft bill modifying the Immigration Law and transposing the European Blue Card Directive is approved in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives on March 29, 2012.

On 16 December 2011, the Council of Ministers prolonged the temporary provisions concerning restrictions of free access to the labour market for Bulgarian and Romanian workers till 31 December 2013

Directive 2011/98/EC is a directive on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State

The EMN-informs are providing a brief summary of the main policy-relevant findings from an EMN activity.

According to the two-yearly study, Belgium scores best on speed, cost and conditions for obtaining a work permit for higher educated people, compared with the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and France.

EMN presents its synthesis report of the EMN study ‘Satisfying Labour Demand through Migration ’. Source of this publication are the different national studies, carried out in 2010 by the National Contact Points (NCP's) of the EMN.

On 9 and 10 June 2011, the Justice and Home Affairs of the Council of the European Union took place in Luxembourg. On the agenda of the home affairs ministers stood, amongst others, amendments on FRONTEX-rules and the Schengen evaluation of Bulgaria and Romania.

VALENTINA POP - EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - France on Sunday blocked the passage of Italian trains in order to prevent Tunisian migrants from entering its territory, a move promptly slammed by Rome. EU council chief Herman Van Rompuy meanwhile appealed for Paris not to "exaggerate" the migration issue