The Twenty-Seven approve that the State where work was performed will assume the benefit if at least 22 uninterrupted weeks were contributed. Those seeking employment in another country will be able to retain unemployment benefits for six months instead of three.
The Twenty-Seven have given the final green light to the reform of European rules coordinating national social security systems. The change, blocked for nearly ten years following failures in 2019 and 2021, establishes that the State where work was performed will be responsible for paying unemployment benefits if at least 22 weeks of uninterrupted contributions have been made, as reported by sport.es.
The measure directly affects cross-border workers, those who reside in one EU country but work in another. Until now, the cost of unemployment could fall on the country of residence, while contributions filled the coffers of the country of employment. With the new criterion, contributions made in a State determine who pays for unemployment.
Spain, with a notable community of residents working in France, Portugal, or Germany, is directly concerned by this change in criterion. A resident in Spanish territory who contributes in another EU country for at least 22 consecutive weeks will be guaranteed benefits funded by that State, not by Spain.
The reform also extends the margin for those already receiving unemployment benefits who move to another European country in search of work. The period during which they can retain the benefit increases from three to six months, doubling the available time. This allows, for example, a person receiving unemployment benefits in Spain to move to another member State to look for work without immediately giving up the aid.
Brussels does not create a common European benefit. Each State maintains its own social security system with its requirements, amounts, and conditions. The European Union only sets coordination rules to avoid gaps when a worker crosses a border.
The final approval closes years of negotiations and aims to correct imbalances between member States. Some countries accumulated contributions from foreign workers while the cost of unemployment fell on the country of residence. With the new framework, that disconnection disappears once the threshold of 22 weeks is exceeded.
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