How Can Member States Better Promote Cross-Border Mobility? The Free Movement of Persons, Recognition of Qualifications and Social Security Rights

Project Leader

Description/Objectives
Although EU citizenship facilitates the free movement of citizens within the European Union, people are faced with barriers when they decide to live or work in a Member State other than the one of their nationality. The seminar aims to help Member States identify measures that constitute barriers to worker and professional mobility so that these can be eliminated. In particular, it will address problematic areas of free movement and examine ways of helping Member State authorities to properly transpose and apply the provisions of Directive 2004/38/EC. The seminar will also examine EU rules on the recognition of foreign diplomas and professional qualifications, common problems of implementation, including enforcement, recent case law and instruments to successfully implement Directive 2005/36/EC. Furthermore, the seminar will focus on the social protection of mobile workers so as to enhance occupational mobility. In this context, it will analyse the new provisions for the coordination of social security rights, which Member States have to implement within the course of 2010, as well as problems on the preservation and transfer of acquired pension rights across Europe.

Methodology
This seminar will be based on a mixture of presentations, discussions and workshops. It will stimulate active participation and sharing policy practices. Specific cases and experiences will be explored. Background documentation will also be provided in an online/e-learning set up. Speakers will include officials from the EU institutions, EIPA staff, academics and practitioners.

Target group
This seminar is designed for public officials from national, regional and local authorities, consulates, National Contact Points and other public bodies from the EU Member States and candidate countries. It is also of interest to professionals in the private sector, lawyers, consultants, staff of NGOs, institutes and think tanks as well as others working on EU citizenship, rules for free movement and migration policies.

Programme
The programme will commence on Monday 8 November at 09.00 hrs and finish on Tuesday 9 November at 17.15 hrs.

Seminar venue
The seminar will take place in the Green Conference Room (1.45) at the European Institute of Public Administration, O.L. Vrouweplein 22, NL-6211 HE Maastricht, tel.: +31.43.3296222, fax: +31.43.3296296.

Working language
The seminar will be conducted in English.

Fee
The participation fee is € 800 and includes documentation, 2 lunches, 1 dinner and refreshments. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration. EIPA offers its members a reduction of 10% of the registration fee. This reduction is available to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s member countries (i.e. AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, ES, SE, UK).

Hotel reservations
The European Institute of Public Administration will be pleased to make reservations for you at a hotel in Maastricht. We have made a block booking at a hotel in Maastricht: Hotel Beaumont (www.beaumont.nl), at a rate of € 102 p.p.p.n. (incl. breakfast and tourist tax). Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please indicate the name of the hotel and the dates of arrival and departure on the registration form. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel on checking out. Please note that if you register after the closing date, hotel reservations cannot be guaranteed.

Meals
The lunches will be served at the Institute’s restaurant and dinner in the evening will be at a restaurant in town. Should you require a special menu (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic), please inform the Programme Organiser so that this can be arranged.

Registration
Kindly complete the registration form and submit it before 18 October 2010. Your name and address will be part of EIPA’s database for our mailing purpose only. If you do not want to be included in our mailing database, please tick the box in the registration form.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation. Please indicate the method of payment on the registration form. In any case, the participant or his/her administration will receive an invoice for the payment of the registration fee. For cancellations received after the date indicated on the registration form we will have to charge an administration fee of € 150 unless a replacement participant is found.

Cancellation policy
EIPA reserves the right to cancel the seminar up to 2 weeks before the starting date. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs
incurred (travel, hotel, etc.). For EIPA’s cancellation policy, please visit our website www.eipa.eu (legal notice).