WRITTEN QUESTION P-0115/99

by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission

(22 January 1999)

Subject: Pensions

Would the Commission kindly indicate the action it is taking in order to simplify the process whereby European citizens may obtain pension payments from Member States other than the one in which they are currently residing?

Furthermore, what action is the Commission taking to ensure that European citizens are aware of their rights and entitlements in this regard?

Several of my constituents have experienced problems in this regard: one in particular has had to negotiate a bureaucratic minefield in order to claim pension payments she earned during a period spent living and working in France some years ago.

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 1999)

The report of the high-level panel on free movement of persons included a series of recommendations about how to simplify the rules governing the coordination of social security systems. There was also a special report on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons moving within the Community. Following these reports, the Commission undertook - in the action plan for free movement of workers(1) and the Social action programme 1998-2000(2) - to present, by the end of 1998, a proposal on the revision and simplification of Regulation (EEC) 1408/71(3), as part of the third phase of the SLIM initiative, which proposal was adopted on 21 December 1998(4). On the basis of a Commission proposal(5), the Council adopted Directive 98/49/EC(6) on 29 June 1998, to remove the obstacles associated with supplementary pensions now standing in the way of the free movement of workers. It will ensure the preservation of vested pension rights, facilitate cross-border payments and enable contributions to continue to be made to a supplementary scheme in the Member State of origin during short-term postings. Under paragraph 2 of Article 10, it must have been incorporated in the provisions of national law adopted by the Member States by 25 January 2002 at the latest.

Improving information for citizens about their rights under Community legislation is still one of the Commission's priorities. In addition to publications and information on the Internet (http://europa.eu.int), guides and brochures, the Commission also supported the training seminars held in 1998 in all the Member States.

The Commission is concerned about any administrative practice which fails to do its duty in an area which affects the European citizen so immediately. It encourages the national authorities to improve cooperation through the programme Telematics in social security (TESS), which is designed to simplify and speed up the administrative procedures involved in the acquisition of rights and the award and payment of social security benefits. To this end, the Commission continues to encourage social security institutions to use the telematic services to exchange information.

(1) COM(97) 586 final. See also communication on follow-up to the recommendations of the High-Level Panel on Free Movement of Persons COM(98) 403).

(2) COM(98) 259 final.

(3) An updated version has been published in OJ L 28, 30.1.1997.

(4) COM(98) 779 final.

(5) OJ C 5, 9.1.1998.

(6) OJ L 209, 25.7.1998.