The Bill that will transpose into Estonian law the EU directive that aims to facilitate third-country nationals taking up highly qualified employment passed the second reading in the Riigikogu today.

The Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act (European Union Blue Card) (349 SE),  initiated by the Government, will transpose into Estonian legal space the updated Blue Card Directive which has been amended to attract highly qualified workers from third countries to the European Union and to keep them employed, in particular in sectors where Member States are facing  skills shortages in global competition.

The purpose of the new rules is to harmonise the conditions of entry and residence of highly qualified workers from third countries and to increase the attractiveness of the EU Blue Card. Member States will be able to maintain their national schemes concerning highly qualified workers in parallel with the EU Blue Card system. At the same time, the new rules will introduce several provisions to ensure that Blue Card holders and their family members would not find themselves in a more disadvantaged situation than holders of national permits.

The Bill will specify among other things the definition of higher professional qualifications and the educational requirements that EU Blue Card holders must meet in terms of their education. It will also regulate the higher professional skills which are considered equivalent to the knowledge, skills and competence attested by higher education qualifications for the purpose of applying for a Blue Card.

According to the Bill, the person will need to have entered into an employment contract for at least six months instead of the current one year to apply for a Blue Card. Currently, a card holder can be unemployed once for up to three months during the period of validity of their Blue Card. In the future, they can be unemployed for a total of up to three months if they have held a Blue Card for less than two years, and for a total of up to six months if they have held a Blue Card for at least two years. The Bill will also specify the conditions for mobility for EU Blue Card holders and will establish more favourable conditions for family reunification.

Before the second reading, the Constitutional Committee made an amendment arising from the directive to the Bill concerning the change of employer by Blue Card holders. If a card holder has worked in a Member State for less than a year and changes employer, the state has the right to carry out a check of the labour market situation, that is, whether it is possible to fill the relevant vacancy with residents of the Member State or EU citizens. After a year has passed, the Member State may require only that a change of employer be communicated, and no check of the labour market situation may be carried out. Under the earlier directive, a check could be carried out for up to two years.

In addition to the transposition of the directive, the Bill will specify the definition of growth company. At present, only a company registered in Estonia that complies with the conditions provided for in the Act is a growth company. However, according to an amendment, in the future, a branch of a foreign company registered in Estonia may also be a growth company.

The deliberation of two drafts was deferred

The deliberation of two Bills was cancelled at the sitting due to the absence of the presenters. The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Riigikogu Election Act, the Municipal Council Election Act and the European Parliament Election Act (292 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, and the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Study Committee to Solve the Demographic Crisis” (324 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was deferred from today’s agenda.

After the sitting, members of the Riigikogu are planning to form the Literature Support Group on the initiative of Member of the Riigikogu Mart Helme.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
[email protected]
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