Introduction to Social Security

The signing of The Maastricht Treaty will result in an increased cross-border movement of workers in the EC and will cause changes in their position with regard to social security, if not in the short - at least in the long run. Harmonisation efforts by the EC members in the field of social security and the coordination of their policies on migrant workers, for instance, will eventually affect the social security rights of the European workforce.

<p class=copymedium>The first part of Pennings' book describes the theory and the structure of `social Europe' as it will develop in the coming years. The second and third parts center on harmonisation initiatives through judgments of the EC Court and via other harmonisation instruments. The author depicts the outlines of social Europe and its strengths and weaknesses and he provides insight into the course European social security law will take. Among the treated issues are equal treatment, residence requirements as a condition for receiving benefits, the development of coordination law, the harmonisation of social security policies and policy recommendations.

<p class=copymedium>The book concludes with a list of abbreviations, which is very useful, an index on the case law of the EC Court as well as a subject index.