While the Member States are expected to reach a majority on Friday 11 April in favour of the revised mandate on the reform of the rules for coordinating social security schemes (Regulation 883/2004), on Thursday 10 April the Polish Presidency of the EU Council scheduled a possible trilogue with the European Parliament for 19/20 May, according to several sources.
The Member States, meeting in the Committee of Permanent Representatives, will be asked to accept new proposals on the general exemption from prior notification for professional postings of less than three days, no longer excluding the construction sector, on the minimum period of affiliation to determine the Member State responsible for paying the unemployment benefit of a cross-border worker (between 18 and 22 weeks) or on the period of export of these unemployment benefits (six months without distinction) (see EUROPE 13616/22).
According to some sources, the new mandate is likely to win a slight majority. Countries such as France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Spain will be speaking out in favour. Germany could also agree to it, while Belgium, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will oppose it.
For some of these delegations, the Presidency did not place enough emphasis on job search checks for unemployed people returning to their country of residence and receiving compensation from their former country of employment. The duration of membership is also considered by some to be too short.
At the European Parliament, the rapporteur, Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, German), made her dissatisfaction known on 10 April. The European Parliament rejects a single export period of six months for all mobile workers. It also opposes the end of the exemption for construction.
“In view of the proposal presented, I wonder what interest there is for Parliament. In particular, the proposed route for compulsory prior notification of mobile workers completely ignores Parliament’s position. From the outset, Parliament has consistently stressed – in parallel with requests from the sectoral partners and the Member States’ labour inspectorates - that the option of a three-day exemption could only be considered if the construction sector was excluded. I sincerely hope that Coreper’s mandate will be different from what it is at present, because I'm afraid we’re going to get blocked again. To date, no trilogue has been discussed”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)