The new Directive harmonises the conditions of entry and residence, and the rights of seasonal workers. It concerns seasonal workers who retain their principal place of residence in a third country, but stay legally and temporarily in the EU to carry out seasonal work, for example in agriculture or tourism. Each Member State will determine a maximum period of stay between five and nine months in a 12-month period.  

The directive

• sets out fair and transparent rules for entry and stay,
• it lays down a common set of rights to which seasonal workers are entitled to during their stay in the EU in order to avoid their economic and social exploitation
• it provides for incentives and safeguards to prevent temporary stays from becoming permanent.

Member states will keep the right to determine the volumes of admission and will have the possibility to reject applications if EU workers are available.

This seasonal workers directive lays down the first set of EU rules mainly addressed to low skilled migrants.
 

Background?

The Seasonal Workers Directive is a new legislative instrument of the EU common policy on legal migration. Two other Commission proposals on legal migration under negotiation between the Council and the European Parliament concern respectively intra-corporate transferees and researchers, students, pupils, remunerated and unremunerated trainees, volunteers and au pairs.

More information?

More information on the new Directive in the press releases from the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission.