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ADDENDUM TO THE POSITION PAPER OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA
Chapter 2: FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS In response to the EU Common Position (CONF-LV 35/01) of 31 May 2001, Latvia presents following addendum to its position paper on Chapter 2: "Free movement of persons" (CONF-LV 71/00) of 14 December 2000. The Government of the Republic of Latvia has adopted its position as follows. The Republic of Latvia would accept the transitional arrangements for the movement of workers set out in the EU Common Position (CONF-LV 35/01) on the following conditions: 1. At the Accession Conference reaching the provisional closure of this chapter, current Member States make individual declarations, concerning the substance of the national regime they will apply from Latvia's accession with regard to the Latvian nationals. Those Member States that intend to apply transitional arrangements are invited to state that they will apply national measures resulting in significantly increased labor market access for Latvian nationals. Other Member States are invited to state that they will apply national measures resulting in full labor market access of Latvian nationals. Latvia would accept the right of current Member States to invoke a safeguard clause based on the model of former Article 20 of Regulation (EEC) 1612/68. 2. The transitional arrangements for the movement of workers set out in the EU Common Position CONF-LV 35/01 are complemented by the following provisions: Latvia may apply to nationals from a current Member State national measures equivalent to the measures applied by that Member State with regard to Latvia on free movement of workers and provision of services. As long as a current Member State applies national measures to nationals of a new Member State, Latvia may impose safeguard provision as defined in the EU Common Position CONF-LV 35/01 with regard to that new Member State. Nationals of other Member States legally resident and employed in Latvia will enjoy treatment equal to Latvian nationals in respect to working conditions, pay etc. *** In view of the above considerations, Latvia proposes that, if its position is acceptable to the EU, the negotiations on chapter "Free movement of persons" are considered as provisionally closed. Latvia will continue to follow the development in the EU with regard to the free movement of workers and may return to this chapter at an appropriate moment.
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