Permits Foundation welcomes long-awaited EU directive on intra-corporate transfers
16 May 2014A long-awaited directive on intra-corporate transfers was adopted this week by the Council of the European Union, following a positive vote in the European Parliament in April.
The directive will make it easier for international companies to transfer managers, specialists and trainees temporarily to a branch in the EU, as well as allowing them to work in other member states during the assignment.
Gill Gordon, chair of the Permits Foundation and an HR director with Schlumberger, congratulates the EU on reaching agreement: “The changes will position Europe as the number one region globally to attract highly qualified talent and facilitate their career moves,” she said.
A key feature is that family members will be able to accompany the employee from the start of the assignment. They will also be entitled to take a job or be self-employed throughout the transfer. Permits Foundation campaigned for this family-friendly provision and was successful in gaining support across the Council, the Parliament and the Commission.
“Allowing family members to work makes it easier for a highly qualified employee to accept a transfer if their partner doesn’t have to give up their own career aspirations,” said Kathleen van der Wilk, executive director of Permits Foundation. “That’s good for the family, good for business and good for the European economy.”
The Directive also aims to have speedy application procedures with easily available information about the new ICT permit. The changes can’t come soon enough for employers, who currently face 28 different sets of work permit regulations and may have to wait up to 30 months for the Directive to be implemented.
Ellen Shipley, head of global mobility and immigration at BT, is hopeful. “Ideally, member states should move swiftly to implement the directive and adopt fast-track application processes, with only complex cases taking the maximum allowable 90 days to review.”
Full text of Directive 2014/66/EU
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