The opinion welcomes the revision of the Blue Card, since it makes the card more attractive as a way of entering the EU.

However, the Committee considers that Commission's proposal to replace parallel national schemes with a single EU-wide scheme goes too far, and prefers that Member States maintain their own routes for admitting highly qualified workers alongside the EU Blue Card.

The opinion agrees with the measures to facilitate granting of the card, but expresses scepticism about the application of lower salary thresholds.

Finally the opinion recalls that equal opportunities and non-discrimination must be guaranteed in the employing of third-county nationals and that close involvement of national and European social partners is needed in this field.

The aim of this recast is to allow the EU to attract talented non-EU students and researchers, while taking into consideration a certain risk of exploitation, to which trainees and au-pairs are particularly exposed. The proposal amends two existing directives: 1/ the “Students’ Directive” (Council Directive 2004/114/EC on the conditions of admission of third country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service): extending its scope to remunerated trainees and au-pairs and making mandatory provisions on unremunerated trainees; 2/ the “Researchers’ Directive” (Council Directive 2005/71/EC on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for the purposes of scientific research).