Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-21-Speech-4-148"
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"en.20021121.5.4-148"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, firstly I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Oomen-Ruijten, and the MEPs for the excellent report and for their support for the Commission proposal. It is an extremely important proposal and its adoption would be a significant political signal from the Union regarding the integration of third-country nationals legally residing in the European Union, since it offers them, in terms of social security, the same protection which Community citizens moving within the European Union enjoy. It is therefore a major contribution to a balanced, coherent Community immigration policy.
On 27 October 1999, this House called for prompt action regarding the fair treatment of third-country nationals legally residing in the Member States, so that they might be granted rights similar to those enjoyed by citizens of the Union. The proposal in question responds to this call and goes even further, granting third-country nationals rights that are identical, and not just similar, to those enjoyed by Community citizens moving within the European Union.
The proposal will also encourage worker mobility, the importance of which was illustrated by the Commission’s action plan presented at the start of the year. The proposal will therefore simplify the rules, reducing the number of national and international instruments which govern the coordination of social security systems for this category of people.
As the rapporteur rightly pointed out in her explanatory statement, this proposal for a regulation, based on Article 63(4) of the Treaty, aims to build a bridge. It simply extends the scope of Community regulations on social security to third-country nationals, regulations which are and will continue to be based on Article 42 of the Treaty. This means that, for any future amendments to Regulation 1408/71, Parliament will continue to be a codecision-maker.
As you know, the Commission proposal already contains a recital which refers to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, but I agree that there is a need for a specific reference to Article 34(2) of the Charter. The Commission is therefore able to support Amendment No 1.
I fully agree with the assertion that the coordination of social security for third-country nationals is of great importance, but this is so obvious that it – and likewise a recital in this regard – is superfluous. The importance of coordinating social security systems for third-country nationals is already amply conveyed in the first nine recitals proposed by the Commission. While it agrees with the underlying concept, the Commission therefore cannot accept Amendment No 2.
I understand that it is appropriate to refer to the forthcoming, imminent enlargement of the European Union in the recitals: the Commission can therefore accept Amendment No 3. It is, however, unable to support Amendments Nos 4 and 5. With regard to Amendment No 4, it must be said that it is inappropriate to refer in a regulation to a proposal for a Community instrument, the outcome of which is still unknown. The Commission cannot accept Amendment No 5 for a number of reasons. First of all, the aim of the proposal is to grant third-country nationals legally residing in a Member State the same rights as Community citizens moving within the Union. Amendment No 5 seeks to grant third-country nationals different rights to those given to Community citizens. I do not see why an Afghan or Indian worker, in the Netherlands or Finland for example, should have to face profoundly different problems – owing to unfamiliarity with the language and/or with the administrative procedures in the host country – from those faced by a Greek or Portuguese colleague.
The Commission will also launch a vigorous information campaign and, once the proposal has been adopted, all those concerned will be made aware of it so that they can assert their rights when the time comes. Moreover, there is already a high degree of media interest in this proposal.
Lastly, Mr President, I am extremely grateful to this House for having included the proposal on today’s agenda, thereby enabling the Council to formally adopt it at the meeting on 3 December. You will understand that the Commission does not have enough time to submit an amended proposal to the Council, but my fellow Commissioner, Mrs Diamantopoulou, intends to recommend that the Council adopts the proposal together with those of Parliament’s amendments which we have just accepted."@en1
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