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The European Parliament has announced two visa waiver agreements with Brazil, one concerning ordinary passport holders and the other for diplomatic, official and service passport holders. Under the agreements, all EU citizens, including nationals of Estonia, Latvia, Malta and Cyprus (who previously had needed visas to enter Brazil), can travel visa-free to Brazil for tourism and business stays of up to three months.

The new agreements do not apply to:

• students, researchers, artists, and members of religious orders, whose travel is governed by existing treaties between individual EU Member States and Brazil; or
• individuals seeking paid work. The agreements do not prevent EU Member States and Brazil from imposing visa requirements in accordance with (1) applicable EU or national law or (2) bilateral agreements that cover individuals seeking paid work.

Photo credit: Tobia Wolter

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In a July 2010 proposal, the European Commission proposed a directive that would create a uniform standard for all 27 member states concerning international intra-corporate transfers (ICTs) of highly skilled employees. The proposal permits managers and specialists to remain in a member state for up to three years (trainees for up to one year), and to bring their family along. Many businesses, currently confronted with different applicable standards among member states, support the proposal, which many believe would increase competitiveness by allowing companies to bring their best and brightest overseas—albeit temporarily—to develop, strengthen and expand EU operations. Moreover, because ICT costs, including relocation, transportation and insurance, can be burdensome, uniform rules permitting longer stays would potentially offset front-end expenditures.

Support, however, is lacking among union representatives, according to EurActiv.com. One trade union official expressed concern that ICTs will permit companies to “flood labor markets with cheap labor that undermine local conditions.”

European Parliament and member states are expected to discuss the proposed ICT directive during the first half of 2011.

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The European Parliament has voted in favor of legal sanctions against employers of illegal workers.  If formally agreed by EU member state ministers, the rules allowing for sanctions could become effective  in 2011.  The rules provide for administrative and financial penalties and, in the most egregious cases, criminal sanctions. Currently, only 19 of the 27 EU member states have criminal penalties available for such cases and the penalties differ widely from country to country. As many as eight million illegal workers are believed to be employed in Europe's hotels, farms, homes and other sectors.

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