In September 2023, the European Commission published a communication on “Digitalisation in social security coordination: facilitating free movement in the Single Market”. The communication stresses the strong potential for the digital transition to improve the coordination of social security systems, to reduce administrative burden and improve the competitiveness of the European economy. It provides an overview of the existing digital tools and shapes actions to make access to social security services quicker and simpler, improve the exchanges of information between national social security institutions and speed up the recognition and granting of eligible benefits across borders.
As specific actions, the European Commission calls on Member States to:
- Accelerate their implementation of the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system to ensure that the system is fully implemented by the end of 2024 at the latest.
- Deliver more social security coordination procedures fully online, to make it even easier for people to move and work abroad, and ensure they get fast access to their eligible benefits.
- Fully engage in the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) pilot activities, which explore how to simplify the issuance and verification of citizens’ social security entitlements across borders.
- Work towards introducing EU Digital Identity (EUDI) wallets, which will allow EU citizens to carry digital versions of entitlement documents, such as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), making it easier for social security institutions, labour inspectorates and healthcare providers to instantly verify these documents.
We are proud and happy that particular reference is made to the European Tracking Service (ETS). The Commission notes that the ETS will provide mobile workers at any point in their career with information on their pension rights in the Member States where they have worked, by building on the existing national tracking systems. The Commission adds that this can enable people to make informed decisions about their career and savings needs, to secure more adequate pensions.
The Communication was endorsed and approved by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in November 2023.