The New EU Blue Card Directive

Briefing 29-09-2016

The Impact Assessment makes a convincing case for the need for action to overhaul the current Blue Card Directive. The IA is substantiated by sound and comprehensive research (in the form of 16 annexes) and external expertise, as well as wide consultation taking international immigration systems aiming to attract highly skilled workers into account. Although not all of the options presented appear viable, the European Commission makes a genuine attempt to identify solutions to the problem. The limited data, about which the Commission is transparent, suggests that the quantitative evidence used in the IA, in particular regarding the economic impacts, might merit further exploration. Finally, it would have been useful if the IA had provided a link to the external IA study that underpins the Commission’s IA.