The national ambassadors to the European Union reportedly marked a slight shift in their respective positions on the question of prior notification during a discussion on the Regulation on the coordination of social security systems in the Committee of Permanent Representatives I (Coreper I) late in the afternoon on Wednesday 3 June.
On the basis of a Commission proposal (see EUROPE 12498/2), which suggests using the “Single Digital Portal” (which provides for validation of the A1 form online by the end of 2022) to send a prior notification, delegations would have shown a certain shift in Member States’ positions, according to our information.
Some 15 Member States, including the Netherlands, France, Spain, Poland and Austria, reportedly recognised that a digital solution could be an option to be explored further. On the other hand, several Eastern Member States, notably Hungary and the Czech Republic, have been opposed to such a possibility. Belgium, for its part, reportedly fully supported the proposal, given that the country has a similar digital system already in place, the Limosa system (see EUROPE 12372/26).
Another crucial point is the issue of frontier workers. Several delegations – such as Romania, Poland, Hungary, France and, to a lesser extent, Italy and Spain – have shown some flexibility for a longer period of export of unemployment benefits, even if the principle of the lex loci laboris (see EUROPE 11926/18) must be respected. However, most Member States would maintain their position and want equal treatment with other nationals. Sweden is said to have asked for the duties to be exported at 3 months, compared with 6 months for other delegations.
In reply to the Presidency’s third question on the possibility of being more flexible in response to the European Parliament’s requests, a large number of delegations would on the whole have liked more flexibility on the part of Parliament.
Thus, the Croatian Presidency will pass the torch to Germany, which is preparing to take over the rotating Presidency of the Council, without having made any progress on the three main problem areas (prior notification, duration of export of unemployment benefits for frontier workers, definition of multiple pluriactivity). The digital solution could be “the key” to unblocking the negotiations, we are told. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)