Hungary will gradually open its labor market for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens after their countries join the European Union on January 1, 2007.

Budapest authorities decided that the number of professions for which applicants from the two new member states may automatically receive working permits would be limited to 130-140 for the first two years since accession, according to Hungarian news agency MTI.

Hungarian PM Ferenc Gyurcsany said the list of professional categories will be established by a governmental order that would then be reviewed every six months.

The decision was announces at a reunion of representatives of the Hungarian Parliament, trade unions and employers aimed at setting the necessary measures related to the access of Romanian and Bulgarian workers in Hungary after January 1.