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(1) For the gradual establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides for measures to be adopted in the field of immigration which are fair towards third-country nationals.

(2) The TFEU provides that the Union is to develop a common immigration policy aimed at ensuring, at all stages, the efficient management of migration flows and fair treatment of third-country nationals residing legally in Member States. To that end, the European Parliament and the Council are to adopt measures on the conditions of entry and residence, and standards on the issue by Member States of long-term visas and residence permits, as well as the definition of the rights of third-country nationals residing legally in a Member State, including the conditions governing freedom of movement and of residence in other Member States.

(3) The Commission's Communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ sets the objective of the Union becoming an economy based on knowledge and innovation, reducing the administrative burden on companies and better matching labour supply with demand. Measures to make it easier for third-country managers, specialists and trainee employees to enter the Union in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer have to be seen in that broader context.

(4) The Stockholm Programme, adopted by the European Council on 11 December 2009, recognises that labour immigration can contribute to increased competitiveness and economic vitality and that, in the context of the important demographic challenges that will face the Union in the future and, consequently, an increased demand for labour, flexible immigration policies will make an important contribution to the Union's economic development and performance in the longer term. The Stockholm Programme thus invites the Commission and the Council to continue implementing the Policy Plan on Legal Migration set out in the Commission's Communication of 21 December 2005.

(5) As a result of the globalisation of business, increasing trade and the growth and spread of multinational groups, in recent years movements of managers, specialists and trainee employees of branches and subsidiaries of multinationals, temporarily relocated for short assignments to other units of the company, have gained momentum.

(6) Such intra-corporate transfers of key personnel result in new skills and knowledge, innovation and enhanced economic opportunities for the host entities, thus advancing the knowledge-based economy in the Union while fostering investment flows across the Union. Intra-corporate transfers from third countries also have the potential to facilitate intra-corporate transfers from the Union to third-country companies and to put the Union in a stronger position in its relationship with international partners. Facilitation of intra-corporate transfers enables multinational groups to tap their human resources best.

(7) The set of rules established by this Directive may also benefit the migrants' countries of origin as this temporary migration may, under its well-established rules, foster transfers of skills, knowledge, technology and know-how.

(8) This Directive should be without prejudice to the principle of preference for Union citizens as regards access to Member States' labour market as expressed in the relevant provisions of the relevant Acts of Accession.

(9) This Directive should be without prejudice to the right of Member States to issue permits other than intra-corporate transferee permits for any purpose of employment if a third-country national does not fall within the scope of this Directive.

(10) This Directive should establish a transparent and simplified procedure for admission of intra-corporate transferees, based on common definitions and harmonised criteria.

(11) Member States should ensure that appropriate checks and effective inspections are carried out in order to guarantee the proper enforcement of this Directive. The fact that an intra-corporate transferee permit has been issued should not affect or prevent the Member States from applying, during the intra-corporate transfer, their labour law provisions having — in accordance with Union law — as their objective checking compliance with the working conditions as set out in Article 18(1).

(12) The possibility for a Member State to impose, on the basis of national law, sanctions against an intra-corporate transferee's employer established in a third country should remain unaffected.

(13) For the purpose of this Directive, intra-corporate transferees should encompass managers, specialists and trainee employees. Their definition should build on specific commitments of the Union under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and bilateral trade agreements. Since those commitments undertaken under GATS do not cover conditions of entry, stay and work, this Directive should complement and facilitate the application of those commitments. However, the scope of the intra-corporate transfers covered by this Directive should be broader than that implied by trade commitments, as the transfers do not necessarily take place within the services sector and may originate in a third country which is not party to a trade agreement.

(14) To assess the qualifications of intra-corporate transferees, Member States should make use of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning, as appropriate, for the assessment of qualifications in a comparable and transparent manner. EQF National Coordination Points may provide information and guidance on how national qualifications levels relate to the EQF.

(15) Intra-corporate transferees should benefit from at least the same terms and conditions of employment as posted workers whose employer is established on the territory of the Union, as defined by Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council . Member States should require that intra-corporate transferees enjoy equal treatment with nationals occupying comparable positions as regards the remuneration which will be granted during the entire transfer. Each Member State should be responsible for checking the remuneration granted to the intra-corporate transferees during their stay on its territory. That is intended to protect workers and guarantee fair competition between undertakings established in a Member State and those established in a third country, as it ensures that the latter will not be able to benefit from lower labour standards to take any competitive advantage.

(16) In order to ensure that the skills of the intra-corporate transferee are specific to the host entity, the transferee should have been employed within the same group of undertakings from at least three up to twelve uninterrupted months immediately prior to the transfer in the case of managers and specialists, and from at least three up to six uninterrupted months in the case of trainee employees.

(17) As intra-corporate transfers constitute temporary migration, the maximum duration of one transfer to the Union, including mobility between Member States, should not exceed three years for managers and specialists and one year for trainee employees after which they should leave for a third country unless they obtain a residence permit on another basis in accordance with Union or national law. The maximum duration of the transfer should encompass the cumulated durations of consecutively issued intra-corporate transferee permits. A subsequent transfer to the Union might take place after the third-country national has left the territory of the Member States.

(18) In order to ensure the temporary character of an intra-corporate transfer and prevent abuses, Member States should be able to require a certain period of time to elapse between the end of the maximum duration of one transfer and another application concerning the same third-country national for the purposes of this Directive in the same Member State.

(19) As intra-corporate transfers consist of temporary secondment, the applicant should provide evidence, as part of the work contract or the assignment letter, that the third-country national will be able to transfer back to an entity belonging to the same group and established in a third country at the end of the assignment. The applicant should also provide evidence that the third-country national manager or specialist possesses the professional qualifications and adequate professional experience needed in the host entity to which he or she is to be transferred.

(20) Third-country nationals who apply to be admitted as trainee employees should provide evidence of a university degree. In addition, they should, if required, present a training agreement, including a description of the training programme, its duration and the conditions in which the trainee employees will be supervised, proving that they will benefit from genuine training and not be used as normal workers.

(21) Unless it conflicts with the principle of preference for Union citizens as expressed in the relevant provisions of the relevant Acts of Accession, no labour market test should be required.