Norway has lifted labour restrictions on both Bulgarian and Romanian citizens with immediate effect.

Workers from the two countries will now have the same access to the Norwegian labour market as workers from other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).

In January, the Norwegian government proposed a bill to repeal the restrictions for workers from the two Balkan states.

The restrictions had been in place since Romania and Bulgaria joined the (EEA) in July 2007 and required citizens from these states to apply for permission to work, while other EEA nationals and those outside Scandinavia only had to register.

According to the Nordic counrry's government, immigration from Bulgaria and Romania has been "moderate" and the removal of restrictions would have no negative impact on the labour market.

Within the European Union, restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers are still in force in the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Austria, Malta and Luxemburg.

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