Croatian nationals should be equal to other EU/EFTA citizens in employment matters, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday in a comment on Switzerland's decision to restrict access to its labour market for Croatian nationals as of 1 January 2023, and called for reconsidering the decision.
The ministry said that it “regrets to learn that the Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation has decided to reintroduce transitional measures for access to the Swiss labour market by Croatian nationals, for a period of one year, from 1 January to 31 December 2023, after which the decision will be reconsidered.”
During the year-long period, a system of quotas for the issuance of work permits to Croatian nationals will be in force, and the Croatian ministry considers the decision to restore the restriction unnecessary.
“Recognising the fact that the decision is based on provisions of Protocol III to the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation and that in the period since the temporary lifting of the transitional measures on 1 January 2022 the number of Croatians seeking work permits in Switzerland has increased, the Ministry believes that the increase has not been of such a scale to require the reintroduction of the restriction,” the Croatian ministry said.
Even though Croatia joined the EU in 2013, Protocol III whereby the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between the EU and Switzerland was expanded to include Croatian nationals took effect in Switzerland only in 2017 and Croatian nationals were denied a timely beginning of the application of the agreement, including the beginning of the transitional period, the Croatian ministry said.
“After the Swiss Federal Council activated the safeguard clause that will again restrict employment for Croatian nationals, until no later than the end of 2026, the Ministry expects the Swiss side to reexamine its decision in a timely manner so that Croatian nationals are given the same treatment in employment matters as other EU/EFTA citizens,” the Croatian ministry said.
