Modernised social security coordination extends to the EEA EFTA States  
Published:  31-05-2012

As from 1 June 2012, EU’s new regulation on social security coordination will also apply to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway by virtue of the EEA Agreement. The regulation aims at modernising and improving the coordination of national social security systems, which is crucial in order to facilitate the free movement of persons in the EU and thus also in the EEA. For Switzerland, the regulation has applied since 1 April 2012 through a bilateral agreement with the EU. The entry into force on 1 June 2012 of last year’s EEA Joint Committee Decision will ensure that the regulation applies to all nationals of an EEA country who are or who have been covered by the social security legislation of one of those countries, as well as to the members of their family and their survivors. According to the principle of equal treatment, EFTA EEA nationals have the same rights and obligations as the nationals of the country where they reside. This means that EEA nationals can work, study, travel or retire anywhere in the European Economic Area without missing out on any of their entitlements.
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