Foreign Ministry: country not violating EU directive

The Czech Foreign Ministry has dismissed criticism from the EC that the country’s approach to foreign applicants requesting a residence permit violates the EU's directive regarding the free movement of people. Among others, the EC has expressed objections to the policy of asking residence permit applicants to prove that they have secured accommodation in the country.

The EC says this is not in harmony with the free movement directive that all EU states were supposed to transpose in their legislation by April 2006 and has threatened to file action against the Czech Republic over its alleged failure to observe the said directive. The Czech Republic has two months to react to the criticism. If Brussels finds Prague's response insufficient, it may hand the issue over to the European Court of Justice, which may impose sanctions on the country.