EUROPE – The European Commission says a proposed directive on pension portability could be adopted this year as part of plans to make 2006 the year of ‘European worker mobility’.

“A proposal for a directive on the portability of pension rights in the case of mobility for occupational reasons could be adopted by the Commission in 2005,” the Commission said in a release heralding next year as “the European Year for mobility of workers”.

Earlier this month the Commission was unable to say when it would present the planned draft directive on pension portability – after earlier saying it would present it in the first quarter of 2005.

“The document is still under consultation,” a spokeswoman at the Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs told IPE on June 6.

She added the document requires comment from all DGs – and that the employment department would then assess the proposals before it goes to the Commission college, the weekly meeting of commissioners.

The Commission said today that around €4.3m will be spent on raising awareness of worker mobility.

“The year aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of the benefits of both working abroad and in a new occupation,” it said. “It is the first European year which combines the issues of mobility and workers.”

“There are still legal, administrative, and linguistic obstacles to worker mobility, coupled with lack of knowledge about available information and assistance, and many workers remain unconvinced about the advantages of working in another country and/or sector,” said employment and social affairs commissioner Vladimír Spidla. “This is what we have to address.”

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