Provisional agreement reached on the modernised rules on social security coordination

20 Mar 2019 01:10 PM

The provisional agreement reached yesterday by the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission revises the European rules on social security coordination to ensure that they remain fair, clear and easier to enforce. This agreement updates and safeguards the rights of citizens moving to another EU country and facilitates the cooperation between national authorities. Among its innovations, job seekers will be given more time to find work abroad and the long-term care needs of older people living abroad will also be addressed. Moreover, national authorities will have better tools to address abuse or fraud and to verify the social security status of posted workers.

Welcoming the provisional agreement, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen yesterday said:

“The right to live, work or study across the Union - one of the most cherished benefits of the EU Single Market for sixty years - would not be possible without the EU rules on social security coordination. I am pleased that today the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the Commission's proposal to ensure that these rules remain fair, clear and easier to enforce. I am particularly happy for our many mobile citizens and workers for which these modernised rules will be a great step forward in their social protection.

In the past years, the European Commission has worked hard to facilitate fair labour mobility for citizens, workers and businesses, while stepping up the fight against fraud. We revised the Posting of Workers Directive, making the same pay for the same work at the same place a reality. Recently, we also reached an agreement to set up the European Labour Authority to make sure that the rules are effectively enforced. With today's provisional agreement on social security coordination, we add the last piece of the puzzle for fair labour mobility in Europe.

I would like to thank rapporteur Balas who negotiated on behalf of the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency on behalf of the Council.”

Next steps

This provisional agreement now has to be formally adopted by both the European Parliament and the Council.

Background

Each Member State determines the features of its own social security system, including which benefits are provided, the conditions for eligibility, how these benefits are calculated and what contributions should be paid, and this for all social security branches, such as old age, unemployment and family benefits.

To ensure that these essential rights are not lost when travelling or living abroad, regulations have been put in place at EU level over the last sixty years to ensure the coordination of such systems. These rules cover the EU28 as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The rules help to determine which system a mobile citizen is subject to. This prevents a person in a cross-border situation from being left without social protection, or from having double coverage.

Today, about 17 million European citizens live or work in another Member State – twice as many as a decade ago. Millions more travel regularly to other European countries for holidays, work and family reasons.

The Commission presented its proposal to update and complement the existing EU legislation in December 2016, as part of its efforts to ensure fairness for those who move as well as for taxpayers, and to provide better tools for cooperation between authorities in the EU. In particular, the new rules modernise the existing legislation in three main areas: unemployment benefits, long-term care benefits and social security coordination for posted workers. 

For more information

Press release: Fairness at the heart of Commission's proposal to update EU rules on social security coordination

Statement: Fair labour mobility: Commission welcomes agreement on the European Labour Authority

Statement by Commissioner Thyssen on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive

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