With a few exceptions, MEPs supported the digital solution proposed by the European Commission for prior notification, discussed in the framework of the inter-institutional negotiations on Regulation 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems. They did so during a debate in the Employment and Social Policy Committee with a senior European Commission official on Monday 15 June.
Joost Korte, Director General of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) came to discuss the issues related to the digitisation of information exchanges on social security systems in the context of workers' mobility and in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He addressed the question of a digital tool, also presented to the Member States (see EUROPE 12498/2), which would make it possible to back up the prior notification of a posting to the competent national administrations of the host country as soon as a worker applies for an A1 form, the document certifying the legislation applicable to a worker who is not affiliated in the country where the work is carried out. This system would be backed up by the Single Digital Gateway (see EUROPE 12026/15) which plans to make it compulsory to digitise the form by the end of 2023.
"So in fact, the idea would be that the moment a posted workers applies electronically for this form an automatic signal would go out to the country where the posting will take place, which would be instantly be informed of the attention", explained Mr Korte, convinced that this solution, without being a "panacea", would be a good solution to unblock the negotiations on Regulation 883/2004 (see EUROPE 12387/18).
In return, MEPs seemed convinced of the proposed solution, with the exception of some voices on the far right who insisted on national sovereignty and the need to monitor with human intervention.
Some MEPs from the radical left expressed fears that this system could lead to a large amount of fraud and stressed the need to fight against austerity measures, which have led to cuts in inspection staff. Mr Korte acknowledged the harmful effects of austerity policies on workplace checks, but assured that this digital solution would, on the contrary, help fight fraud.
Lack of investment by Member States
The problem, he stressed, was the lack of investment by the Member States in the digitisation of their social security systems, which was still often done by paper mail or fax, and, on the other hand, in their willingness to cooperate with each other. Mistrust between national administrations is a major difficulty, he acknowledged.
This is why the EESSI Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (an IT system that helps social security bodies in the EU to exchange information) is still not in place, he explained, despite the fact that the EU has injected funds of over €100 million since 2008.
Mr Korte pointed out that the RINA (Reference Implementation of a National Application) system, set up by the European Commission to help Member States to digitise their national social security systems (to form the EESSI system), is almost financially unsustainable without the contribution of Member States. The task is monstrous, he said, adding that it was a matter of interconnecting some 15,000 national institutions among themselves and among 32 Member States.
European Social Security Number
The creation of a European social security number or ESSN was also discussed by the senior official and MEPs with a view to facilitating future exchanges between Member States. Mr Korte explained that the proposal, which is currently being drawn up by the Commission, should not be "too ambitious" and should not involve all European citizens (around 400 million), but only those who are mobile (around 17 million) in the first instance. He also mentioned the possibility of integrating the European Health Insurance Card with the European Social Security Number. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)