The European Parliament finally adopted (345 votes in favour, 287 against, 23 abstentions) Guillaume Balas' (S&D, France) negotiating mandate on the regulation on the coordination of social security systems on Tuesday 11 December in Strasbourg.
“The Union of European Progressives has today obtained a majority in favour of my report on European Social Security!", said the rapporteur, congratulating himself. “Today’s vote is a hard hit for the CDU/CSU in the European Parliament", celebrated Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, Germany).
The outcome of the vote was particularly uncertain, according to several parliamentary sources (see EUROPE 12156). The negotiating mandate was adopted in an unusual pattern, ranging from the radical left and the Greens, to the Social Democrats, with the support of the French within the ENF. “This is called a grand coalition bypass", explains one source.
Not surprisingly, the EPP showed a clear divide with, on the one hand, the French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian delegations in favour of the report and, on the other hand, the rest of the group. A similar cleavage has been found within ALDE. Guy Verhofstadt, the president of the Liberals, did not take part in the vote.
As a reminder, the members have: - required that sent workers be affiliated to a social security system in the usual Member State of employment three months before leaving; - set the maximum period of posting at 18 months, with an exemption for business travel; - introduced a mechanism for financial deposits, if the competent authorities of the worker's Member State of affiliation are late in transmitting the necessary documents to the authorities of the host Member State (see EUROPE 12141).
They also supported the export of unemployment benefits to 6 months and the aggregation of entitlements from day one. Above all - a major change from the Commission's proposal and a major divergence from the Council - frontier workers will be able to choose the State of affiliation to the social security system between the Member State of activity and the Member State of residence.
The first meeting with the Board is scheduled for January 10. The negotiations are likely to be very complex, particularly on the applicable legislation, frontier workers and the export and aggregation of rights package. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)