Temporary provisions concerning Romanian workers in Belgium prolonged

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
The new Minister for Labour, Ms Monica De Coninck took the initiative for the new prolongation, which limits the access for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens to the Belgian labour market to entrepreneurs and holders of work cards B for specific bottleneck jobs. The limitations will end on 31 December 2013. However, it is not possible to renew the measure beyond that date.

Like the Integration Centre ‘Foyer’ in reference to a recent UNIZO-study reports, increased the number of not-Belgian entrepreneurs in Belgium during the last 10 years by about 70%. The number of entrepreneurs of Polish, Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship rose in the same time even by 240%. The number of Bulgarian entrepreneurs increased from 827 in 2006 to 4.279 in 2010, whereas the number of Romanian entrepreneurs rose in the same period from 2.363 to 9.321. However, these data does not stand automatically for an economic empowerment of this particular group of EU-citizens in Belgium: 42% of the Bulgarian and Romanian entrepreneurs has no income whatsoever originated from their official activities while registered as entrepreneurs for 3 years. Therefore, it can be assumed that a high percentage of this group uses the status of entrepreneurs as cover for irregular work and/or for an application for a residence permit.

The only legal option is A1 procedure and limosa enregistration.