Citizens of Romania and Bulgaria can work without restrictions across the European Union from today. Transitional controls were imposed by some member states on nationals of the two countries, the poorest in the bloc, when they joined the EU in 2007. Their rights to work and claim benefits were limited for the first seven years of EU membership. Some in wealthier western EU nations fear mass migration from the two countries.Meanwhile, Latvia started 2014 by adopting the euro as its currency, the 18th country to do so. But some Latvians have expressed scepticism over the move at a time of financial difficulties in Europe.