French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Poland

[Jaga]

France will open its labour market to the 10 EU newcomers on July 1st – announced president Nicolas Sarkozy who is visiting Poland today.

During his stay in Warsaw the French head of state has already met with his Polish opposite number, Lech Kaczynski and participated in the 2nd Polish-French summit.

The main goal of the visit is the new agreement on a Polish-French strategic partnership signed by both presidents. It envisages closer political, economic, social and cultural cooperation. Later today Nicolas Sarkozy will meet with Poland’s PM, Donald Tusk.

The French president also visited the Polish Parliament where he met with Speakers of both houses Bronislaw Komorowski and Bogdan Borusewicz, and addressed Poland’s National Assembly.

[Jaga]

France to lift work restrictions on E. Europeans

WARSAW, Poland - France will lift restrictions starting in July on workers from eight formerly communist countries that joined the European Union in 2004, President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday.

"It is time for France to lift the last restrictions on the freedom of movement of Polish workers and workers from the other countries that joined the EU in 2004," Sarkozy said in a half-hour address to both houses of Poland's parliament.

"So I tell you that France will lift all the restrictions by July 1," when France takes over the EU's rotating presidency, he said.

Amid fears of a flood of cheap labor, citizens of the new European Union members were not initially allowed to seek jobs without restriction in France and many other long-standing Western member countries when they first joined.

Sarkozy had announced the decision earlier, at a news conference with Polish President Lech Kaczynski. Sarkozy stressed then that he believed in the free movement of people and goods inside Europe.

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

www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/05/28/ap5056073.html