Social security: extension to employed persons of third countries resident in the Union

OBJECTIVE : to extend to nationals of non-member countries the system of coordination of social security schemes established under Regulation 1408/71/EEC. CONTENT : In keeping with the conclusions of the Veil Report on the free movement of persons (see Fiche de Procédure COS0544), the Commission proposes to extend to nationals of non-member countries the Community coordination of social security schemes laid down by Regulation 1408/71/EEC and currently applicable to employed and self-employed Community workers who are insured in one of the Member States. Through this amendment the Commission will ensure that the 13 million persons from non-member countries legally resident in the Member States are protected under the rules of coordination of Regulation 1408/71/EEC and will therefore be able to guarantee them equality of treatment. The purpose of the scheme is: - to assure non-member country nationals who are legally resident in a Member State and registered in the social security system of that country that they will not lose their rights simply because they are moving into another Member State, - to prevent the problems of double deduction of contributions, - to simplify and clarify the legal rules which currently apply to such persons by means of a single and obligatory legal instrument which is directly applicable in each Member State. In the area of social security allowances the extension of Regulation 1408/71/EEC would only have a limited effect since it only concerns the "internal" (and therefore intra-Community) coordination of social security schemes (for example: the totalization of senior citizens' or invalidity allowances within the Community). In conjunction with this, the extension of Regulation 1408/71/EEC to nationals of non-member countries would not grant the persons involved any right of entry, stay or residence, or access to employment, in a Member State. Finally, the proposal provides for a certain number of temporary measures which seek to prevent those concerned from losing rights by the mere fact of the regulation entering into force. �