Social security: coordination of social security systems and implementation

The Council agreed, by qualified majority, on a general approach on amendments to the coordination of social security systems regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009, thus paving the way to seek an agreement at first reading with the European Parliament.

The amendments aim at providing a satisfactory solution in the case of wholly unemployed, formerly self-employed, frontier workers who were insured in their country of activity against unemployment and who have returned to their member state of residence, where no insurance against the risk of unemployment exists (new article 65a in regulation 883/2004).

Article 65a introduces a derogation whereby the country of last activity would provide unemployment benefits to a wholly unemployed self-employed person who had resided outside the competent member state, if there is no possibility for any category of self-employed persons to be covered by the unemployment benefits system in the country of residence.

Adopted amendments also cover the use of the "home base" criterion for determining the legislation applicable to aircrew members (new paragraph in article 14 of regulation 987/2009).

The aim of the amendment is to clarify the notion of "registered office or place of business" as "home base" for flying personnel. The home base is the place from which the air crew member habitually carries out his or her work in performance of his or her contract.