PES President Sergei Stanishev comments on the Court’s judgment: “Every citizen’s right to freedom of movement within the EU is one of the biggest achievements on this continent. Of course, this freedom should not be abused, nor lead to social dumping, but it must be noted that the misuse of social systems is a rather marginal problem that is neither widespread nor systematic. It is an issue that was inflated by populist parties and politicians. In recent months the European Commission has repeatedly emphasized that there is no evidence that mobile citizens represent a burden on the welfare systems of the host States; they even pay more in taxes and social security contributions than they receive in benefits. Claims that freedom of movement leads to mass abuses of social systems are simply unfounded”.
Mr Stanishev added: “Today the Court made clear that in the limited cases of abuse, the existing EU rules already provide the Member States with the necessary tools to address exploitation of their social benefit systems. The requirement for case-by-case reviews is vital, as it will ensure that every individual’s situation will duly be taken into account, and their rights defended. Once we look at the facts, it is clear that the scaremongering of the populists is just hot air”.
The Court’s judgment can be found here.
