Twenty years ago, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the most significant political, economic and cultural partnership. In doing so, they gained access to benefits such as free movement of goods, services, capital and people, as well as enjoying higher standards of living and working, and greater opportunities.
Since the 2004 enlargement:
- 26 million new jobs have been created across the EU, 6 million of which are in the 10 new Member States.
- Over 2.7 million young people from the 10 new countries have participated in the Erasmus+ programme.
- Poverty has declined significantly in the 10 countries as well: from 37% in 2005 to 17% in 2020, and the numbers are still going down.
Malta
Like in most new EU Member States, the economy of Malta more than doubled since its accession, and this has had a direct effect on its labour landscape, significantly increasing employment opportunities.
EURES Malta plays a vital role in offering support and guidance to Maltese individuals seeking employment opportunities abroad. With the assistance of the network, Maltese jobseekers can access job vacancies, receive information on living and working conditions in other EU countries, and benefit from personalised assistance in their job search.
According to Daniela Caruana, senior executive at EURES Malta’s Recruitment Services:
“Malta’s accession to the EU has opened up many opportunities for Maltese jobseekers, facilitating access to a larger and more diverse labour market. Furthermore, EU membership has facilitated the recognition of Maltese qualifications and skills throughout the EU, making it easier for Maltese professionals to pursue career advancements and opportunities abroad.”
Slovenia
Slovenia is another country that significantly benefitted from becoming an EU Member State in 2004, and consequently joining the EURES family in the same year.
Nada Senada Plestenjak of the EURES Slovenia National Coordination Office says:
“[Joining EURES] has given us the opportunity to provide comprehensive support to jobseekers throughout their journey, whether it’s before they move to another country, while they are working abroad, or when they return home. In addition, the EURES network plays an important role in providing personalised assistance to cross-border workers.”
Nada started her EURES journey in 2008 as a EURES Adviser at the Public Employment Services Regional Office in Ljubljana.
“At that time, we organised many workshops for jobseekers, employers and other stakeholders, mainly to raise awareness about European mobility. We used to do a lot of recruitment projects with EURES Advisers from other countries to help Slovenian citizens find a suitable job abroad. […] We are now activating all available labour potential to find suitable candidates for Slovenian employers, providing more tailor-made support to jobseekers and returnees.”
Looking for work in the EU? A EURES Adviser is here to help you.
Related links:
European Council – Council of the European Union: 2004 enlargement: facts and figures
European Council – Council of the European Union: 20th Anniversary of the 2004 Enlargement of the European Union – Member State natives commenting on how the accession has benefitted their country and changed their lives.
Read more:
Find EURES Advisers
Living and working conditions in EURES countries
EURES Jobs Database
EURES services for employers
EURES Events Calendar
Upcoming Online Events
EURES on Facebook
EURES on X
EURES on LinkedIn
EURES on Instagram
Details
- Publication date
- 11 July 2024
- Authors
- European Labour Authority | Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
- Topics
- EURES30
- Labour market news / mobility news
- News/reports/statistics
- Related section(s)
- Sector
- Accomodation and food service activities
- Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies
- Activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and services
- Administrative and support service activities
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Construction
- Education
- Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
- Financial and insurance activities
- Human health and social work activities
- Information and communication
- Manufacturing
- Mining and quarrying
- Other service activities
- Professional, scientific and technical activities
- Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
- Real estate activities
- Transportation and storage
- Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
- Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles