SOCIAL SECURITY : COMMISSION SEEKS TO BOOST COORDINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS.

• Position: European Commission

The European Commission is busy drafting new initiatives to tackle misunderstandings over social legislation that should be applied to migrant workers fifteen days after the lifting of restrictions on the free movement of Romanian and Bulgarian workers. On 13 January, it presented a practical guide laying out the existing rules in a clear and comprehensible way, and did not propose any amendments to these rules. The EU executive recalls that salaried and non-salaried workers should receive social security benefits in the country where they work, and that non-active persons (for example retired persons and students) may receive these benefits in the country where they have their 'habitual residence'. More specifically, the document clarifies the wide range of notions of 'habitual residence', 'temporary residence' and 'stay'.

The Commission says this publication updates a previous document, after the entry into force, on 28 June 2012, of Regulationa465/2012 on the coordination of social security systems (which amends Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009). It coincides with recent announcements by David Cameron: the British prime minister has several times spoken of his intention to restrict access to social benefits for migrant workers in order to fight "benefit tourism". "At the current time, we have not received an official proposal. [...] We have ruled out any amendment that would discriminate against workers who pay their taxes in the United Kingdom and claim family allocations," said Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor.

The guide is available at

Social securityCommission seeks to boost coordination of social security systems By Sophie PetitjeanThe European Commission is busy drafting new initiatives to tackle misunderstandings over social legislation that should be applied to migrant workers fifteen days after the lifting of restrictions on the free movement...