Sweden and Finland are the only 'old' EU members to give Bulgarian and Romanian workers full labour market access after Bulgaria and Romania enter the EU on January 1 2007.

Sweden was among the few countries, which kept their labour markets open after the EU enlargement in 2004, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

On December 18 2006 Swedish justice ministry representative said that Sweden would refrain from imposing restrictions for workers from the two EU members-to-be.

EU enlargement in 2004 was very successful, he said, and emphasised that the immigration wave towards Sweden was small.

As early as February 2006 Finland said that it would not restrict Bulgarians and Romanians' access to its labour market.

Other 'old' EU members among which UK, Ireland, Denmark, Greece and Spain introduced closed door policy for migrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania, AFP said.

France decided to open partially its labour market and to let migrant labourers work in some industrial sectors.

Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal were to take decision, AFP said.