Promotion of European Unemployment Insurance

20.7.2015

Question for written answer E-011668-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Jonás Fernández (S&D) , Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto (S&D) , Javi López (S&D)

According to information seen by the El País newspaper (6 June 2015[1]), one of the measures included in the report on the future of the EU being prepared by the Presidents of the Council, the Eurogroup, the Commission, this House and the ECB is the promotion of what is known as European Unemployment Insurance. Its purpose would be to act as an automatic stabiliser in the face of asymmetric external shocks, such as those suffered by Member States during the recent economic crisis, and to complement the progress also being proposed in relation to the EU’s fiscal integration.

Can the Commission spell out for Members the details of this proposal already released to the media? Specifically, can it explain: whether the envisaged instrument aims to replace national unemployment-insurance systems wholly or in part, or whether it would complement them; the conditions whereby the Member States would contribute to and fund it; how citizens would access these funds (coverage, eligibility, duration, benefits, etc.); whether or not the envisaged insurance scheme would be permanent or temporary; and, above all, whether or not there would be conditionality relating to socioeconomic indicators for accessing the instrument, as the journalist’s information suggests?

• [1] http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2015/06/05/actualidad/1433537018_387936.html