(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission unveiled Tuesday its new "blue card" labour scheme aimed at attracting highly qualified immigrants to the European Union to fill millions of jobs.

The system, loosely based on the US "green card," is aimed at attracting the kind of sought-after immigrants who tend to find more attractive pastures in places like the United States, Canada and Australia.

"With the EU Blue Card we send a clear signal: Highly skilled people from all over the world are welcome in the European Union," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told reporters in Strasbourg, France.

But "I am not announcing today that we are opening the doors to 20 million high-skilled workers. The Blue Card is not a 'blank cheque'," he stressed.

"It is not a right to admission but a demand-driven approach and a common European procedure."

The "blue card," which takes its name from the main colour of the EU flag, would entitle highly qualified third country nationals to a series of rights in any of the 27 EU nations.

A fast-track system would be set up to allow such workers to enter the bloc -- they could stay for an initial period of two years which would be renewable -- and obtain longer-term residence status more quickly.

Later, they would be able to work in a second member state under certain conditions.

A second Commission proposal would boost the rights of legal immigrants to be more comparable with those of EU citizens, notably in terms of social security and work conditions.

However, some restrictions would remain. The new immigrants would need to have a recognised diploma, at least three years professional experience and the offer of a job which could not be filled by an EU citizen.

To ease trade union concerns about an influx of cheap workers in EU markets, the Commission is also proposing that the newcomers' salaries should be at least three times the minimum wage in the host country.

The Commission, the EU's executive body, is aware that it is entering a sensitive area of national policy, with many member states experiencing a surge in immigration from both within and outside the Union.

The proposals have to be approved by all member nations.

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