Advisory Committee on Social Security for Migrant Workers

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONEMPL/1731/05 - EN

ORIG: DE Trad 30.08.05

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SECURITY FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

Subject: Progress report on work in connection with the enlargement process

Note from the Secretariat of 23 August 2005

1) Bulgaria and Romania

The Accession Treaty with Bulgaria and Romania was signed in Luxembourg on 25 April 2005. In principle, both countries should join on 1 January 2007. However, the Treaty provides for the possibility of postponing this date for one of the two countries until 1 January 2008 under certain circumstances. The Annexes to the Treaty also list these two countries’ entries in the Annexes of Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72, on which agreement has already been reached in the Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant Workers.

Both countries still have projects running under the Phare Consensus III programme, concerned mainly with further training for those responsible for applying the coordination regulations after accession. Since the Accession Treaty was signed in April 2005, representatives of both countries have been taking part in the meetings of all the committees in the field of coordinating social security systems, for example the Administrative Commission and the Advisory Committee.

2) Western Balkans

a) Croatia

As reported at the last meeting, the European Council decided in June 2004, on the basis of a Commission recommendation, to award Croatia the status of a candidate country. Croatia has already replied in detail to an initial set of questions which covered issues relating to the coordination of social security schemes. However, it is not yet certain when accession negotiations will start. This depends, among other things, on Croatia cooperating unconditionally with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

b) Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

On 26 February 2004, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) applied for membership of the European Union. The Commission plans to submit a recommendation in October 2005 on the start of accession negotiations with this country. This will form the basis for a decision of the European Council.

Moreover, in the autumn of 2005, the Commission intends to submit a number of proposals for decisions of the relevant Association Councils to implement the social security provisions contained in the Association Agreements with third countries. The first round of proposals will also relate to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Croatia and the FYROM.

3) Turkey

At a meeting on 16-17 December 2005, the European Council undertook to open negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005. With the signature of the protocol to extend the customs agreement between the EU and Turkey to include the ten new Member States on 28 July 2005, Turkey has fulfilled the last of the conditions set by the European Union for the start of negotiations. However, when this protocol was signed, Turkey refused to recognise the Republic of Cyprus. This led some Member States to demand new discussions about the start of accession negotiations. A final decision could be made at the informal council of foreign ministers on 1-2 September 2005.

4) Further information

• {0> (allgemeine Informationen zur Erweiterung)<}96{> (general information on enlargement)
• {0> (Text des Beitrittsvertrages mit Bulgarien und Rumänien)<}79{> (text of the Treaty of Accession with Bulgaria and Romania)
• {0> (allgemeine Fragen zur Europäischen Union)<}95{> (general questions on the European Union)

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