France will partially open its labour market for workers from Bulgaria and Romania, once the two countries join the EU on 1 January 2007. Similar to its model for the 2004 EU entrants, after a specified transition period, the French government is going to move towards progressive and controlled opening of the local labour market.

In May 2006, two years after the accession of 10 new union members, Paris enabled the free access of foreign workers to seven economic sectors, including construction, agriculture and hospitality. Using the same model, Bulgarian and Romanian workers are expected to have free access to the French labour market in 2009.

According to the Sofia Echo, Italy and Spain are the two EU countries that Bulgarian migrant workers have preference for but both countries are expected to delay their free movement until 2009 also.