Press Advisories

18. 3. 2009 9:59

CZ PRES reaches agreement with the EP regarding coordination of social security systems

EU nationals living and working in a Member State other than their country of origin will be able to rely on easier provision of social benefits.

This will be guaranteed by new rules on the coordination of social security systems, which the Czech EU Presidency agreed upon with the European Parliament on 16 March.

“This provision will help EU nationals to move and live in other Member States”, said Jana Reinišová, the Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, who has lead the negotiations with MEPs on behalf of EU-27. “This agreement will strengthn the position of the citizens, simplify legal rules and remove unnecessary discriminatory barriers”, she added.

Searching for a compromise regarding such a difficult, complex proposal took several years. The present agreement must yet be confirmed by the vote of the EP’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee and by a vote in the plenary session. The EU Council will adopt the document officially at one of its ministerial meetings. The Czech Presidency hopes, however, that the compromise will not be further endangered.

The new document significantly modernises and simplifies the current rules for coordination of social security systems and, at the same time, it takes into consideration the rulings of the European Court of Justice. Electronic data exchange between institutions from different Member States is a significant step forward. It will considerably increase the speed and transparency of the clients’ applications for social benefits and it will also facilitate an appropriate assessment of these claims by the authorities.

On the other hand, after the implementation of these new rules the citizens will experience improvements in the area of healthcare payments paid by their health insurance while abroad or in relation to pension claims after having worked for a certain time in different Member States. Furthermore, the legislation will facilitate the free movement of persons, which is not only one of the basic rights of European citizens but also one of the priorities of the Czech EU Presidency.

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