September 8th, 2023
Brussels, 8 September 2023
On 6 September, the European Commission presented a Communication proposing concrete steps to further digitalise the coordination of social security systems in Europe.
The document presents a series of actions to make access to social security services quicker and simpler across borders by making full use of digital tools and reducing administrative burdens for citizens and businesses.
Pearle* very much welcomes this initiative of the Commission and supports the Commission in its call to Member States to advance on the implementation and roll-out of those tools.
Indeed, since the 2006 European Year on Workers Mobility, Pearle* is contributing towards improvements in cross-border social security, as it is a main concern to practice very short-term mobility, such as touring of artistic groups in the EU. For the live performance sector there is a clear gap between the social security coordination rules and applying those in daily practice. Digitalisation is crucial to narrow this gap.
As Anita Debaere, director of Pearle* says: ‘Member States should understand that making it simpler and easier for businesses and employers to obtain the necessary documents and make declarations, especially in cross-border situations, will lead to better compliance with the rules.’
The tools encompass the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI), the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS), EU Digital Identity (EUDI) wallets (which includes EHIC the European health insurance card), and other tools arising from the EU digital single gateway.
In this regard, Pearle* also advocates for co-legislators to avoid over-complicating the coordination rules on social security and rather consider pragmatic solutions.
Note to editors
Pearle*-Live Performance Europe is the European sector and employers federation representing more than 10,000 organisations in the music and performing arts sector through its national federations and associate European network associations. Pearle* represents both public and private organisations, ranging from large enterprises (such as opera houses) employing more than 250 workers to very small and micro-enterprises with one or two employees.
Sources on cross-border social security in the live performance sector:
- The Ultimate Cookbook for the Cultural Manager: Social Security in an International Context, 2016, updated 2021 and infographic in 2022.
- Mobilive study on ‘Challenges and experiences of high labour mobility across Member States - Exploring the social security and employment status of hyper-mobile workers in the live performance sector’ (HIVA KULeuven, Ghent University, CNRS - University of Strasbourg) – May 2021, as well as infographics and a podcast