Basic Principles of European Social Security Coordination based on Regulation (EC) 883/2004

This article discusses the importance of free movement and the coordinating social law of the European Union (EU) in ensuring that people who move between EU Member States are not left without social security coverage. The article explains that the EU does not have a uniform or common social law and that the responsibility for social policy primarily lies with the Member States. The coordinating social law of the EU is limited to the coordination of the various social security systems of the Member States. The article further explains that the coordination of social security systems is essential for the success of European integration and emphasises that the EU Member States are bound by both the basic Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and the implementing Regulation (EC) No 987/2009. After a primary law derivation of the social law coordination, the article explains the scope of application and the key principles of Regulation (EC) 883/2004. This is followed by a discussion of the Regulation's conflict-of-law rules, which take precedence over national provisions.