EU adopts 22-week rule shifting unemployment benefits to work country for cross-border workers
The EU Council approved a new rule that makes the country where a worker has paid social security for at least 22 consecutive weeks responsible for unemployment benefits, affecting cross-border employees in Spain.
The Council of the European Union formally endorsed a new social-security regulation that shifts responsibility for unemployment benefits to the country in which a worker has contributed for a continuous 22-week period. Designed for cross-border situations, the rule applies when a person’s residence and place of work are in different EU states, meaning Spain may have to fund benefits for non-resident employees who have met the contribution threshold.
Beneficiaries must still satisfy the national eligibility requirements of the paying state, and the regulation does not establish a unified EU unemployment scheme. The change also allows unemployed claimants to export their benefits to another EU country for a minimum of six months while job-searching. Additional provisions cover long-term care, family benefits, and posted-worker rules, with stronger anti-abuse safeguards. The regulation will take effect once published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Why it matters
It changes how unemployment benefits are paid for millions of EU cross-border workers, impacting mobility and social security.
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