I propose to introduce my three reports fairly briefly. Each of them is a very long report and has been circulated to the members of the Committee. The first Report deals with a proposal for a Council Regulation which is basically an amending Regulation. It is to amend, for the benefit of unemployed workers, one of the basic Regulations, Regulation No. 1408/71, which provides for fairly comprehensive social security cover for employed persons and ? families moving within the Community.
Paragraph 2 summarises the kind of cover that this Regulation provides for employed persons and their dependants.
In paragraph 3 we summarised the position regarding benefit for the unemployed and here we see what the disadvantage for them is. I quote from the paragraph:
The basic rule is that the country where the person was last employed is the one required to pay the unemployment benefit and any periods of insurance, employment or residence as appropriate completed by the unemployed person in other Member States may be used to help satisfy the contribution conditions. However, in order to receive unemployment benefit a person must make himself available for work by signing on regularly at an employment exchange in the country where the benefit is being paid, and because of this the person concerned normally cannot continue to be paid unemployment benefit if he transfers his residence to another Member State.