Portugal is likely to restrict the access of Bulgarian and Romanian employees to its labour market, AFP said citing Portugal government official.

The country will impose a two-year transitional period on the newly-joined states, the official said without mentioning further details.

About 80,000 Romanians live in Portugal, 28,000 of them being legal residents.

In May in 2006 Protugal decided to open its labour market for states that joined the EU in 2004 but made it absolutely clear that it did not expect a strong migration flow or a tangible impact on the national economy.

Lisbon which will take over the EU presidency in the second half of 2007 has welcomed Bulgaria and Romania's accession appreciating it as a proof for the vitality of the European project, an announcement of Portugal's foreign ministry said.

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