Internal social security coordination in seven European States

Published date01 June 2019
DOI10.1177/1388262719851314
Date01 June 2019
Subject MatterArticles
Article
Internal social security
coordination in seven
European States
Danny Pieters
Faculty of Law, KU Leuven, Belgium
Abstract
In the first chapter, we examine the importance of the difference between federalism and
decentralisation as far as issues of internal social security coordination are concerned. In the next
chapter, factors limiting the importance of internal coordination are reviewed and in the following
chapters, traditional internal coordination questions are addressed. The concluding chapter
questions the approach taken by the European Court of Justice in respect of the interaction
between European and internal social security coordination.
Keywords
European Union, decentralisation, federalism, internal coordination of social security schemes,
health care, long-term care, family allowances, social assistance
Decentralisation and federalism
In this Special Issue, we deal with cases of federalism, devolution (as distinct from federalism) and
decentralisation.
1
A first question that arises is whether there is a fundamental difference between
federalism and decentralisation as far as issues of internal coordination are concerned.
When comparing the coordination issues raised in the three cases of decentralisation (Sweden,
Denmark, and the Netherlands) and the issues at stake in the four cases of devolution or federalism
(Belgium, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom), it is clear that questions relating to internal
coordination arise in the cases of decentralisation and devolution, as the competent municipality or
region has to be identified in both cases. Nevertheless, when decentralising a competence, the
Corresponding author:
Prof. Dr. Danny Pieters, Faculty of Law, KU Leuven, Blijde-Inkomststraat 17 – box 3409, Leuven, Belgium.
E-mail: danny.pieters@law.kuleuven.be
1. For practical reasons we shall use the concepts ‘devolution’ and ‘devolved competences’ both for the weaker and
stronger forms of devolution or federalism.
European Journal of Social Security
2019, Vol. 21(2) 207–216
ªThe Author(s) 2019
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DOI: 10.1177/1388262719851314
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