The European Parliament adopted, by 674 votes to 22 with 8 abstentions, a legislative resolution under the consultation procedure, amending the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, and determining the content of Annex XI.
The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Emine BOZKURT (PES, NL) on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Many of the amendments are the result of agreement reached during trialogue meetings between representatives of the Parliament, the Commission and the Council.
Parliament notes that it considers the procedure on the Coordination of social security systems: amending the annexes to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 (COD/2007/0129) to have lapsed as a result of the incorporation into this procedure of the contents of the Commission proposal (COM(2007)0376). It should be noted that this procedure is linked to the proposal for the implementing regulation (see COD/2006/0006). Both these procedures need to be completed before the new social security coordinating Regulation 883/2004 becomes applicable.
Due to the merging of the procedures, the title for this proposal is changed to: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, and determining the content of its annexes. A new recital notes that Annexes I, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII and IX to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 should be adapted to take into account both the requirements of the Member States that have acceded to the European Union since that Regulation was adopted and recent developments in other Member States.
Parliament clarified the situation of family members of former frontier workers should benefit from the possibility to continue medical treatment in the former country of employment of the insured person after his or her retirement. It also clarified that the principle of unity of the applicable legislation is of great importance and should be enhanced. This should not mean, however, that the grant of a benefit alone, in accordance with the Regulation and comprising the payment of insurance contributions or insurance coverage for the beneficiary, renders the legislation of the Member State whose institution has granted that benefit the applicable legislation for that person.
The Parliament also adopted another technical amendment which clarifies one of the Annexes in order to take account of new amendments made to Member States’ legislation.