Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2004
77 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress that has been made on the legislative priority she has set for the Irish Presidency of the adoption by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament of the proposals to simplify and modernise EU regulations on social security of migrant workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12039/04]
View answerThe EU regulation to which the Deputy refers is Regulation 1408/71, which co-ordinates the social security systems of the member states so as to ensure that migrant workers, or members of their families, are not penalised in terms of social security when they exercise their right to free movement.
Regulation 1408/71 has been amended on many occasions to keep up with developments arising from European Court of Justice case law, various enlargements of the Union and legislative developments in member states. For these reasons, the Commission submitted a proposal to reform and simplify Regulation 1408/71 to Council in December 1998 and consideration of it commenced in 1999 during the Finnish Presidency. In December of last year, following the political agreement reached by the Council of Ministers on the proposed regulation, I made it a priority for the Irish Presidency of the Council to secure agreement with the European Parliament during second reading, thus avoiding the lengthy conciliation process.
A first step was taken towards this goal on the 26 January when Council reached agreement on a common position, which was then presented to the European Parliament on 28 January. The employment and social affairs committee of the Parliament strongly endorsed the common position, with two minor amendments, in a vote on 6 April and this was followed by a plenary vote in Strasbourg on 20 April where Parliament voted overwhelmingly to accept the common position together with the committee's two amendments. Following this, the regulation was deemed to have been adopted on Monday of this week after my colleagues at Council agreed to accept the two amendments proposed by Parliament. This adoption will be formalised later this week when the regulation will be officially signed on behalf of the Presidents of the Council and the Parliament.
This regulation is one of the most important social measures to emerge from Europe in the past number of years and will have a very real impact on the lives of ordinary citizens throughout the European Union. The adoption of the regulation, which is essential to removing barriers to free movement of persons, is a striking demonstration of the fact that co-decision can work smoothly and efficiently in a constructive spirit between the Council and the Parliament.
Given the importance of this regulation to achieving the social objectives of the Union, I am delighted to be able to announce its adoption and confirm that I have achieved what was one of my main priorities for the Irish Presidency. This is the culmination of almost five years of painstaking work by successive Presidencies and it can be a source of pride to all of us that the Irish Presidency has had such a central role in its completion.
