Germany would limit the access of Bulgarian and Romanian workers to its labour market, once the two countries joined the EU, secretary at the federal ministry of economics and labour Gerd Andres said.

Unemployment in Germany was high, Andres said. It averaged 10 per cent and reached up to 16 and 22 per cent in Eastern Germany, said Andres as quoted by Darik Radio.

To deal with these problems Germany had to impose some restriction to the free movement of workers and services, Andres said.

Limitations were going to be enforced in three stages. These could remain valid for a period of more than seven years, Darik reported.

Andres, who traveled to Bucharest, met representatives of the Romanian labour parliamentary committee and labour minister George Barbu.