New research carried out in the context of the Equality Law Clinic at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) focuses on the EU Single Permit Directive and shares concerns regarding the complexity and efficiency of the application (and renewal) procedure, the exclusion of certain categories of migrants from the scope of the Directive and the lack of protection of migrant workers from exploitation.

This Directive introduces a single application procedure for third-country nationals to reside and work in the EU. Background information and state of play can be found here.

On Friday 12 April 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted the revised Single Permit Directive which defines the procedure for obtaining a single permit to work and reside in the EU with a common set of rights for third-country workers. The revision provides for a shortened application procedure and aims to strengthen the rights of third-country workers by allowing a change of employer and a limited period of unemployment. 

Following the adoption of the Cooperation Agreement on the Single Permit Procedure on 2 February 2018, different legislative texts have been adopted at the federal and regional levels in March 2018 to approve this Cooperation Agreement.

Today, the European Commission decided to refer Belgium to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to fully implement the Single Permit Directive (Directive 2011/98/EU). Designed to facilitate legal migration, the Directive introduces simplified procedures and a common set of rights for non-EU workers.

The Commission is referring Belgium for failing to transpose the Single Permit Directive. The Commission proposes a daily penalty of 52,828.16 euros.

The European Commission asks Belgium to implement rules on a Single Permit and a clear set of rights for legal migrant workers.

This annual conference aims to tackle the current challenges for the EU in developing a coherent legal framework in the field of labour migration and to provide practitioners with an update on the legal rules applicable to labour migrants.