Malta has been given its second warning since June and asked to implement EU legislation on the blue card scheme. This scheme gives rights to highly qualified non-EU citizens to work and reside on the island and in other EU member states.

Brussels this morning said that it has sent a reasoned opinion to Malta giving it two months to transpose blue card legislation into national law. Should it fail to do so, the commission may decide to take the issue further to the European Court of Justice.

EU member states had to transpose this law by June 19. However, six member states, namely Malta, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Sweden have so far failed to do so.

The EU's Blue Card Directive introduces a scheme which helps attracting highly qualified migrants to Europe, supporting member states' and EU companies' efforts to fill gaps in their labour markets that cannot be filled by their own nationals, other EU nationals or legally resident non-EU nationals.

It also provides a common and simplified procedure applicable in the EU member states bound by the directive and ensures that potential migrants know what they need to do, whichever member state they are planning to go to, rather than having to face 24 different systems.

Once a member state grants a blue card to a migrant, that person can then benefit from free access to highly qualified employment positions in that member state and can also move to other EU states where his or her skills may be needed.

Coupled with preferential rules for acquiring long term resident status and for family reunification, the blue card scheme presents an attractive package to potential highly qualified migrants.

In a reaction, the government said that Maltese legislation transposing the provisions of Directive 2009/50/EC is at an advanced stage of drafting and that publication is planned by the end of this year.