Social security coordination in Association Agreements

DOI10.1177/1388262718771785
Published date01 June 2018
Date01 June 2018
Subject MatterArticles
Article
Social security coordination
in Association Agreements:
Is a common EU approach with
third countries in sight?
Katharina Eisele
European Parliamentary Research Service, Brussels
Abstract
In March 2012, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the external dimension
of EU social security coordination. On the one hand, the Commission explained that social
security coordination between the EU and rest of the world is dealt with at a national level. On
the other hand, the Commission argued that a common EU approach to social security coor-
dination with third countries was under development. This common EU approach to social
security coordination consists of a number of elements. One element relates to Association
Agreements and Stabilisation and Association Agreements. These Agreements and specific
Decisions taken by Association Councils (established by such Agreements) stipulate rules, which
govern social security coordination for workers and their families, who move between the EU
and the associated country. According to the Commission, once the Association Council
Decisions are adopted, the common EU approach to social security coordination will be
implemented. Six years after the publication of the 2012 European Commission Communication,
questions arise as to whether or not the Association Agreements have been implemented, and
the reasons for this.
This article seeks to examine and contrast selected Association Agreements and Stabilisation
and Association Agreements (SAAs), which provide social security rules for the nationals of the
contracting parties. These will include the Ankara Agreement concluded with Turkey, the Euro-
Mediterranean Agreements with Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, and the SAAs with the Balkan
countries. The aim of this article is to provide an overarching overview of the different legal
positions that third-country nationals may rely on, based on their nationality, and to explore
whether or not Association Agreements have been implemented in terms of social security
coordination rules.
Corresponding author:
Katharina Eisele, European Parliamentary Research Service, Brussels, Belgium.
E-mail: katharina.eisele@europarl.europa.eu
European Journal of Social Security
2018, Vol. 20(2) 116–128
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1388262718771785
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