Modernising EU regulation on social security coordination to facilitate free movement

The Council of European Union and the European Parliament have adopted a regulation that revises the rules on the coordination of social security systems at EU level. The revised rules will strengthen fair labour mobility and make the implementation of the coordination rules clearer.

The EU guarantees its citizens the right to move and work freely within the Union. Although each Member State has its own social security system, national systems are coordinated at EU level to ensure that free movement works in practice. The purpose of this coordination is to ensure that people’s social security rights are protected when they move and work between EU countries.

The revision covers five key areas: family benefits, unemployment benefits, applicable legislation for posted workers and persons working in two or more Member States, long-term care benefits, and the equal treatment of economically inactive persons. The update is intended to make the implementation of cross-border social security rules clearer, fairer and easier to enforce.

The President of the Council and the President of the European Parliament signed the regulation on wednesday 7 October 2026. The regulation is due to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in October, in which case it will enter into force on 1 November 2026. Most of its provisions will become applicable after a two-year transitional period.

The EU social security regulations are directly applicable legislation. National legislation has been adapted to support their implementation, and these national provisions will now need to be updated to reflect the revised regulation. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will begin preparing the necessary legislative amendments in cooperation with stakeholders. The required changes must be completed within two years of the regulation’s entry into force.