Brussels, 01/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Despite a certain number of concerns expressed by ministers for employment and social policies in Brussels on Thursday 1 December, the Council adopted a general orientation on amendments to the regulation for coordinating social security systems. The two amendments proposed by the European Commission involved the specific framework for cross-border workers. Commissioner Laszlo Andor, in charge of employment, explained that these points should simply be used to, “clarify current regulations” on self-employed workers who are unemployed in their member state of residence and have no kind of benefits after having worked in another member state and having been insured against unemployment. The concerns provoked by this wish to rectify this “legal loophole”, according to the expression used by the Commissioner, was, nonetheless, perceived by several member states, particularly Ireland, France, Malta and the United Kingdom, as an attempt to harmonise national social security legislation. Despite the voicing of these concerns, a consensus on the general orientation emerged during the debate. Policy coordination was approved but harmonisation was not, declared the Irish Minister, adding that despite the very technical nature of the draft amendment to these two regulations, the challenge could still prove fundamental. Social security systems are therefore expected to remain national prerogatives. (OL/trans/fl)