Sarkozy opens French job market to mythical Polish plumber

(WARSAW) - President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday France's job market would soon be opened to workers from Poland and seven other EU states, quashing fears of "Polish plumbers" stealing French jobs.

"I confirm that all the barriers will be lifted from July 1, so one year in advance," Sarkozy told reporters at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski.

"I believe in Europe, I'm trying to show that here in Poland," Sarkozy said.

France's move to open wide its doors to eastern workers will come on the first day of its six-month presidency of the European Union and covers workers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as Poland.

"It's a very important decision," Kacyznski said. "We want to be a fully-fledged member of the EU," underscoring the desire of new EU states not to be treated as second-class members.

"There are a few countries that have still not opened their labour markets," he said, referring to Germany and Austria among others.

The European Commission hailed Sarkozy's decision. "It augurs well for the French presidency, I'm pleased," the EU's Commissioner for Labour Vladimir Spidla said.

"The decision is based on the reality of the job market: Polish plumbers never went to France."

Having opted for a five-year transition period, France originally planned to open its labour market to the eight 2004 EU entrants in May 2009, unlike Britain, Ireland and Sweden which opted for complete access upon expansion in May 2004.

Workers from 2007 EU newcomers Bulgaria and Romania will still remain under a transition period regime limiting their access to the French job market.

French fears over a veritable invasion of cheap labour from eastern post-communist states peaked ahead of the 2005 national referendum which rejected the now defunct draft European constitution.

Both extreme right and left-wing groups in France rallied for a 'No' vote against the constitution arguing it would unleash the menace of cheap eastern labourers -- embodied by mythical Polish plumbers -- on the French labour market, thus risking the jobs of French citizens.

Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians among others moved en masse to the West in search of better paying jobs after the EU's 2004 big bang enlargement. Most chose Britain and Ireland.

Despite a relatively high 7.5 percent rate of unemployment, France suffers from a shortage of skilled labour, particularly in the building and restaurant sectors and has been gradually opening its job market to workers from the east since May 2006.

Sarkozy's separate talks with Poland's conservative President Kaczynski and liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk were aimed at reinforcing ties with Poland, by far the largest 2004 EU newcomer, which France sees as a valuable ally within the 27-member bloc.

The two presidents inked a "strategic partnership" on closer cooperation in the areas of agriculture, energy and higher education.

France also sees Poland as an essential partner in its bid to boost European defence capabilities, one of the four priorities for its six-month term as EU rotating president.

"I'm convinced that the engagement of our countries will contribute to the progress of European defence," Sarkozy said in an interview with the Dziennik Polish daily published Wednesday.

Though short on details, Sarkozy also announced the French presidency is planning will an EU-Ukraine summit in Paris in September where it will propose what he called an "ambitious partnership" for Ukraine.

Ex-communist Poland has long been a strong advocate of Ukraine's bid to join both the EU and NATO.