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1. EU Blue Card holders shall enjoy equal treatment with nationals of the Member State issuing the EU Blue Card as regards:

(a) terms of employment, including the minimum working age, and working conditions, including pay and dismissal, working hours, leave and holidays, as well as health and safety requirements at the workplace;

(b) freedom of association and affiliation and membership of an organisation representing workers or employers or of any organisation whose members are engaged in a specific occupation, including the rights and benefits conferred by such organisations, without prejudice to the national provisions on public policy and public security;

(c) education and vocational training;

(d) recognition of diplomas, certificates and other professional qualifications in accordance with the relevant national procedures;

(e) branches of social security referred to in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004; and (f) access to goods and services and the supply of goods and services made available to the public, including procedures for obtaining housing, as well as information and counselling services provided by employment offices.

2. With respect to paragraph 1, point (c), Member States may restrict equal treatment as regards study and maintenance grants and loans or other grants and loans regarding secondary and higher education and vocational training. Access to university and post-secondary education may be subject to specific prerequisites in accordance with national law. With respect to paragraph 1, point (f), Member States may restrict equal treatment as regards procedures for obtaining housing. This shall be without prejudice to the freedom of contract in accordance with Union and national law.

3. EU Blue Card holders moving to a third country, or their survivors who reside in a third country and who derive rights from an EU Blue Card holder, shall receive, in relation to old age, invalidity and death, statutory pensions based on the EU Blue Card holder’s previous employment that were acquired in accordance with the legislation referred to in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, under the same conditions and at the same rates as nationals of the Member States concerned where such nationals move to a third country.

4. The right to equal treatment laid down in paragraph 1 is without prejudice to the right of a Member State to withdraw or to refuse to renew the EU Blue Card in accordance with Article 8.

5. This Article does not apply to EU Blue Card holders who are beneficiaries of the right to free movement under Union law in the Member State concerned.

6. This Article applies to EU Blue Card holders who are beneficiaries of international protection only when they reside in a Member State other than the Member State which granted them international protection.

7. Where Member States issue national residence permits for the purpose of highly qualified employment, they shall grant EU Blue Card holders the same equal treatment rights as those granted to holders of national residence permits, where such equal treatment rights are more favourable than those provided for in this Article.