Assessing the Effectiveness of the Blue Card Directive between Challenging Transposition Processes, Lacklustre Results and Proposals for Reform: Remarks from the Italian Perspective

In the last decades the EU has made major efforts to introduce a new European scheme for labour immigration and, due to the idea that it can contribute to the economic vitality of the EU market, it has progressively welcomed the creation of flexible admission systems that are responsive to the priorities and volumes (number of people admitted) set by each member State. According to the point of view of EU institutions, well-managed migration policies aimed at attracting highly qualified migrants can contribute to boosting economic growth and competitiveness, addressing labour market shortages and offsetting the costs of demographic aging. It was this objective that led the EU to adopt in 2009 the so-called EU 'Blue Card Directive' , in order to incentivize non-EU workers to enter the EU for the purpose of highly qualified employment. This legislation aspired to facilitating the admission and mobility of highly qualified migrants and their family members by harmonising entry and residence conditions throughout the EU and by providing for a legal status and a set of rights.