One of the top priorities of the European Commission over the last couple of years has been the realization of a European Research Area (ERA). Researchers are stimulated to go to different countries and to broaden their knowledge by networking.
The researcher’s career is no longer ‘static’; he/she is no longer staying at one university but is moving from one country to another on a frequent basis and for shorter periods of time. This causes them to encounter many obstacles with regard to their social security position.
In this book, the authors focus on those social security problems mobile researchers have to face. In order to do so they sketch the variety of social statuses across Europe and the different levels of social protection that go along with them. The authors also deal with the technical arrangements that have been developed to co-ordinate social security. This book especially analyses the weaknesses and shortcomings of these technical coordination rules for researchers. Particular attention is given to the growing group of “third country nationals” among the researchers in Europe, as well as to the weak position they have when it comes to the co-ordination of their social security rights. The authors, however, do not only look at the present situation; they also made an attempt to develop alternatives. Some of their solutions need only small changes in existing legislation and practice, but for other problematic issues more efforts will have to be made by both European and national policy makers.
This book is intended for all those trying to improve the social security position of mobile researchers or mobile workers in general.

About the authors:

JOS BERGHMAN is professor of social policy at the K.U.Leuven.

PAUL SCHOUKENS is professor of European social security law at the K.U.Leuven.