IRELAND STILL UNCERTAIN WHETHER TO OPEN LABOUR MARKET FOR BULGARIA

Ireland is still uncertain whether to open its labour market for workers from Bulgaria and Romania if they join the European Union (EU) in 2007, Sunday Business Post reported.

The EU will decide in May if the accession of Bulgaria and Romania will go ahead as planned next January. If the two countries receive the go-ahead, the government will decide in the autumn if Ireland's borders are to be opened in the way they were to nationals from the 2004 accession countries, Novinite.com reported.

The Irish government is likely to signal in the coming weeks that there will be no change in the status of workers from the ten new EU countries who have come to Ireland to work since 2004, as borders across Europe begin to open.

All EU states must decide by June 1 if their transitional arrangements are to continue until 2009.

A number of states, including Finland, Spain and Portugal are likely to begin opening their borders to the new members, while others, including Austria and Germany, will retain existing restrictions.

Countries have agreed, however, that all restrictions must be lifted by 2011.