1 May 2011 will mark the removal of restrictions on the right to work in any member state of the European Union (EU) for citizens from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia.
 
All workers from the countries that joined the EU in 2004 will now be able to take up employment freely in those member states as well where labour market restrictions have been in place until the very end of the seven year transitional period ending 30 April 2011.
 
The European Commission does not expect a significant new wave of workers moving from EU-8 to EU-15 countries after 1 May 2011. Massive inflows are also not to be expected to Germany and Austria.

According to current EU estimates, the total stock of nationals from EU-8 countries living in EU-15 member states will increase to 3.3 million in 2015 and to 3.9 million in 2020 and their share in the total population from currently 0.6% is estimated to go up to 0.8% in 2015 and a bit less than 1% in 2020.

EU-8 countries: The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

EU-15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece   Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.