Nine Member States from Western and Northern Europe and the Visegrad Group have specifically asked the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU to slow down the pace in the interinstitutional negotiations on the Regulation on the coordination of social security systems (Regulation 883/2004 and 987/2009), in a note consulted by EUROPE on Tuesday 15 October.
This document, supported by a large part of the blocking minority of last March on the Interinstitutional Agreement (see EUROPE 12225/15), namely Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Germany, stresses the need to achieve a "high quality" result, which provides "tangible added value for citizens, employees and national administrations".
Recognising a certain scepticism about the agreement reached last March (see EUROPE 12217/5), the signatories call for an agreement that suits a majority of Member States, rather than dividing them, and undertake to show some flexibility on the last two chapters still open (applicable legislation and unemployment). "We recognise that it will not be possible to achieve a balanced outcome if all Member States simply reiterate their positions. So we are ready to explore new alternatives and have worked at expert level on such ideas", says the article.
Thus, they ask to achieve: - a fair sharing of burden between Member States; - a balance between benefits and obligations; - fair regulation for multi-skilled employees, while avoiding "unnecessary" administrative burdens for companies, employees and authorities. At the same time, they also call for the avoiding false incentives for fraud and/or misuse.
No concrete proposals have so far been put forward by Member States. France suggested, earlier this month, a scheme to make the employer pay the difference in contributions between the host Member State and the home Member State to the posted worker's home fund (see EUROPE 12347/5). A first round of exchanges are reported to have taken place between France and the Visegrad Group countries on the subject on Friday 4 October.
Interinstitutional negotiations between the European Parliament and the EU Council are expected to resume on 22 October, if the Conference of Presidents of the Parliament's political groups gives the go-ahead on Wednesday 16 October. A first meeting between rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs could be held on Thursday 17 October in the morning. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)