The EU provisions on social security

2. <strong>The</strong> modernised <strong>EU</strong> social security
coordination
European Union <strong>provisions</strong> on social security coordination have existed for the past
50 years, the rules constantly adapting to social and juridical developments. New
Regulations (EC) Nos 883/2004 and 987/2009, or ‘modernised <strong>EU</strong> social security coordination’,
are built on this valuable experience: they simplify and enhance the <strong>EU</strong> law,
improving the rights of the persons concerned.
With the ‘modernised <strong>EU</strong> social security coordination’, the focus of these rules has
shifted from facilitating the mobility of workers to enforcing the rights of all citizens,
whether they work or not. <strong>The</strong>se changes in social security coordination aim at making
life easier for Europeans on the move.
‘Modernised coordination’ is a major advance in citizens’ protection, and not only for
the around 10.5 million Europeans living in different <strong>EU</strong> member states from the one in
which they were born (about 2.1 % of the <strong>EU</strong>’s total population). It will make life easier
for the 250 000 people who have worked in more than one member state and need to
export a part of their pension rights every year. It will also improve protection for the
over 1 million people who cross <strong>EU</strong> borders for work every day.
2.1. Better information, better access to rights
Citizens are at the heart of the ‘modernised coordination’ and the new regulations place
a special emphasis on the member states’ duties towards them. Accordingly, member
states must provide active assistance and information and meet concrete objectives of
efficiency, rapid delivery and accessibility. In return, citizens must inform the institutions
as soon as possible of any changes in their personal or family status affecting their
rights to benefits.
To back-up this ‘good administration’ objective, the new rules require data to be
exchanged electronically between institutions. This will be done through the so-called
EESSI system (Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information) which will network
the over 50 000 national institutions.
Former paper ‘E-forms’ will disappear, although some will be replaced by new portable
documents (see list in Section 7). Citizens will also have access to the EESSI system
through a directory, listing all the national and local institutions involved with social
security coordination.
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