Brussels, 31/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 5 November, the parliamentary committee on employment and social affairs (EMPL) put the finishing touches to its work on the proposal of the European Commission for a new directive aiming to improve the application of the right of freedom of movement for workers. The MEPs extended its scope of application, by extending it to include cross-border workers, amongst other things. The Parliament now also has a mandate to start inter-institutional negotiations, but the Council is still a long way from adopting its own position on the text.
The Commission presented its proposal in April 2013, with the objective of allowing “workers to overcome the obstacles to working in another EU country”, as the commissioner for employment and social affairs, Laszlo Andor, explained at the time (EUROPE 10836). It is about reinforcing the “practical application” of article 45 of the Treaty and of regulation 492/2011 on the secondary rights arising from the freedom of movement of workers within the EU, particularly by improving the dissemination of information on these rights and obligations among migrant workers and employers, and by providing the appropriate means for recourse at national level, for instance with the assistance of unions and other bodies which could represent these workers.
In amending the Commission's text, the MEPs of the EMPL committee made several clarifications, which slightly extend the scope of the directive. MEP Edit Bauer (EPP, Slovakia) was appointed rapporteur. Migrant workers of the EU should be protected from the risk of double taxation and discrimination in the matter of tax and social advantages, rather than just protected from general discrimination concerning employment and working conditions, as proposed by the Commission. The MEPs want this protection also to cover seasonal and cross-border workers. In the case of the latter group, this will logically presuppose that the state in which the cross-border worker works may not discriminate on the grounds of the worker's place of residence.
The MEPs took the opportunity to ask the Commission to look into a “29th social security regime” to add to what is on offer nationally, which would make worker mobility even easier. A regime of this kind could be optional, voluntary and individual, they said. (JK/transl.fl)