Senator Coghlan also raised the costs of the provisions to industry and employers. There will be a cost, which is the reason regulations such as these are applied on a European-wide basis. They ensure that one country cannot obtain a competitive advantage over another by virtue of imposing what is undoubtedly an additional labour cost. Many of the applicant countries of eastern Europe have much more flexible – so-called – labour markets than Ireland and do not guarantee the rights of workers to the same extent as current EU member states. Eventually, however, they will have to accept the acquis and conform to EU legislation as required.