Czech Republic's accession into the EU
The Czech Republic is in the front-line for EU membership and like many other countries, it is trying to make amendments and harmonise its legal, political and economic legislation with the EU's. This harmony will be achieved once all 30 chapters of the accession agreement are closed. By Nicole Klement and Jan Velinger.
On Friday, the Czech Republic closed the 21st and most recent chapter on the movement of people and labour in its accession talks with the EU. The Czech Republic agreed on a provision enabling EU countries to flexibly limit the number of Czechs seeking work in the union within the first two years, but at the same time it has safeguarded better conditions for the protection of its own labour market. I spoke with Petr Jezek, the Director of the European Integration department at the Czech Foreign Ministry, his colleague and the Czech chief EU negotiator, Pavel Telicka and the Communist MP Miroslav, about what the Free Movement of People chapter and EU membership means for the Czech Republic.
