In a BBC news Q&A article on the European Union's attempts to come up with an EU-wide immigration policy, the author asked "How does the EU plan to attract more high-skilled workers?"

The answer, of course, was the European Union Blue Card.

According to the BBC, many European employers complain that they cannot fill job vacancies. In addition, the long-term demographic trend is deteriorating, with more older people entering retirement in the near future with less working-age people to support them.

The BBC cited some interesting statistics. Of the total employed population in the EU, 1.7 percent are highly qualified workers from outside the 27-member bloc. By comparison, this category comprises 9.9 percent in Australia, 7.3 percent in Canada, and 3.2 percent in the United States.

Engineers, information technology workers, and health care workers such as nurses are often mentioned as occupations in high demand throughout Europe. It's hoped that the Blue Card could rival the US Green Card in attracting skilled migrants from around the globe.

There are still some issues to be worked out on how the scheme will be implemented. According to the BBC, there are still disagreements about which qualifications will make an applicant eligible for a Blue Card, as well as how much they will be required to earn while in the EU. It could be as much as 1.5 times the average salary in the country of residence.

There are also issues between member states. Germany and Austria have yet to lift restrictions on the 8 EU members that joined in 2004, and many other member nations still impose work restrictions on Bulgaria and Romania after they joined the EU in 2007.

The Czech Republic feels that the Blue Card should not be implemented until at least 2011, when labor restrictions are lifted for their citizens.

However, all things considered, it seems the the Blue Card is on the way to becoming a reality.