It is up to the European Commission and the Member States to make the most out of the opportunity for mobility through operational programmes, such as language courses or exchange programmes. Another barrier to workers moving from one country to another is that they are uncertain as to what will happen if they cannot find employment immediately.
Unemployment benefits are transferable only to a limited extent. EU law has been adjusted accordingly and now needs to be implemented rigorously. The same applies for the transferability of pension rights. To summarise, adjustment through mobility is not merely a theoretical concept, but a European reality. However, there is scope for both more inter-regional and more intercountry labour mobility.