Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, under the Cyprus presidency, have reached a provisional agreement on updated rules for coordinating national social security systems. The revision aims to modernize legislation, making rules clearer, fairer, and easier to enforce, with the goal of strengthening fair labor mobility and improving social security coordination across the EU.
The agreement addresses five key areas: unemployment benefits, long-term care benefits, access to welfare benefits for economically inactive persons, family benefits, and applicable legislation for posted workers and individuals working in multiple member states. This is intended to provide clarity for EU citizens exercising their right to free movement.
The provisional agreement must still be endorsed and formally adopted by both the Council and Parliament following legal-linguistic review. It amends regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009 on social security coordination. Notably, it clarifies when member states may limit access to social benefits for economically inactive EU citizens, establishes coordination for long-term care benefits, proposes new arrangements for unemployment benefits across borders, introduces provisions for family benefits coordination, and clarifies rules for posted workers.
Freedom of movement is a fundamental EU principle, but past uncertainties about access to social rights and benefits have limited citizens' ability to live and work in other member states. This agreement aims to address these issues by providing clarity.