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60 Years Social Security Coordination from a Workers’ Perspective

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In order to protect the social rights of persons moving within Europe, common rules for the coordination of social security systems have been defined at European level. This year, the Research Institute for Labour and Society (HIVA) - KU Leuven, in collaboration with the European Centre for Workers' Questions (EZA) and with the financial support of the European Commission, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of these provisions. During this event, ITEM researcher Dr. Marjon Weerepas will also talk about a synchronisation between social security and taxation.

The main objective of European regulation, in particular to ensure that persons moving within the EU do not lose social rights, is guaranteed by a number of important principles. It is therefore undeniable that the EU rules on the coordination of social security systems can be seen as an important European social instrument for the mobile worker. However, there are still (small) differences in social protection between mobile workers and workers who have never worked in another Member State. Moreover, some basic principles are under pressure today, mainly because of concerns about 'social dumping' and 'welfare tourism'. These issues will be discussed in Leuven on 16 and 17 May, among others. 

For more information, please consult the programme booklet with practical information.

Program Thursday 16 May

Chairman:
Frederic De Wispelaere, Onderzoeksexpert HIVA–KU Leuven

09:00  Welcome with coffee
09:30

Jozef Pacolet, Professor emeritus HIVA-KU Leuven
Welcome and scope of the conference

09:40 Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs
 

PART I. Setting the scene

10:00 Rob Cornelissen, Guest-Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The protection of social rights in a cross-border situation: a historical overview
10:30 Nicolas Rennuy, Lecturer in Law at the York Law School
EU rules on the coordination of social security systems: a seamless web of social protection
11:00 Coffee break

PART II. Labour Mobility and European Coordination of Social Security: Facts and Figures

11:30 Elena Fries-Tersch, Senior researcher at Milieu Ltd. 
Intra-EU (labour)mobility: an overview of the main trends
12:00 Jozef Pacolet, Emeritus Professor with formal duties at HIVA-KU Leuven           
Social Security Coordination at a glance: the hidden European welfare state
12:30 Lunch

PART III. Social Rights of mobile persons in practice

13:30 Paul Schoukens, Professor at Faculty of Law KU Leuven
Social Security Coordination and non-standard forms of (self)
14:00 Gabriella Berki, Assistant Professor at University of Szeged
Cross-border healthcare from a patient's perspective
14:30 Anna Matyska, Postdoctoral Fellow at IMMRC – KU Leuven
Posting of Polish workers and the application for A1 certificates
15:00 Coffee break
15:30 Pauline Melin, Lecturer in EU Law at Maastricht University 
The external dimension of EU social security coordination 
16:00 Jana Fingarova, Research Associate at the Brandenburg University of Technology
Portability of social security rights: barriers to mobile Bulgarians between Germany and Bulgaria 
16:30

Panel discussion: ‘EU rules at the service of the mobile worker?
Karin Debroey, ACV – CSC
Dirk De Wolf, Editor in chief of the journal 'Over de Grens’
Ger Essers, Co-author of the 'Guide for Mobile European Workers' (ETUC)
17:15 Closing

Programma Friday 17 May

Chairman:
Jozef Pacolet, Emeritus Professor with formal duties at HIVA-KU Leuven

09:00  Welcome and Coffee
09:30 David-Pascal Dion, Head of unit D2 – DG EMPL
State of play: reform of the social security coordination rules, portability of social rights after Brexit, establishment of a European Labour Authority (ELA)
10:00 Bernhard Spiegel, Head of Division Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Austria
A commentary on the agreement on the revised EU rules on social security coordination
10:30 Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Professor of Comparative Public Policy - Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
EU citizenship and social rights. Entitlements and impediments to accassing welfare. en sociale rechten.
11:00 Coffee break

PART IV. A glance at the future

11:30 Frederic De Wispelaere, Research expert at HIVA–KU Leuven
The sustainability of the coordination of social security systems
12:00 Herwig Verschueren, Professor at the Faculty of Law - University of Antwerp
Special non-contributory benefits and social assistance: where do we come from and where could we go?
12:30 Stamatia Devetzi, Professor at the Faculty of Law - University of applied sciences of Fulda
Now also against workers? Solidarity in the post Dano/Alimanovic era and the relationship between Reg. 883/04 and 492/2011
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Yves Jorens, Professor at the Faculty of Law - Ghent University
Intra-EU posting: looking for solutions: a Herculean of Sisyphean task?
14:30 Marjon Weerepas, Professor at the Faculty of Law - Maastricht University 
Towards a synchronisation between social security and taxation law
15:00 Coffee
15:30 Panel discussion: ‘Impact of the EU rules on competent national authorities’
Marc Morsa, Senior legal officer, Federal Public Service Social Security, Belgium 
Maria Kasarova, National Social Security Institute, Bulgaria
Essi Rentola, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
16:30 Koen Meesters, National Political Secretary ACV - CSC
16:50

Luc Van den Brande, Former Minister-president of Flanders and President of EZA
Closing speech
17:10 Closing

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