Reporting on the implementation of the coordination regulations at national level continues to be one of the most important activities of trESS. In the trESS III project, this yearly reporting can take two forms: either a general legal report, taking stock of the problems and issues arising in the Member States with regard to the application of the coordination regulations as a whole (the traditional “European report”, which was produced in 2011) or a thematic report on issues and problems arising in the Member States with regard to a specific topic concerning EU social security coordination (“Thematic report”). In either case, the reports are based on input from the national experts. In 2012, trESS will deliver a Thematic report on a topic that is in the debate in every Member State: the coordination of benefits with activation measures.

The trESS Think Tank will carry out legal strategic long-term analysis and examine whether and where the coordination rules need to be adapted in order to meet the goal of facilitating the free movement of persons. For 2012, the Think Tank will analyse current challenges with regard to the coordination of unemployment benefits, in particular insofar as the Articles 61, 64 and 65 of Regulation 883/2004 are concerned, and to identify possible solutions for a simplified and more efficient coordination of unemployment benefits.

Furthermore, trESS will contribute to an impact assessment with regard to the coordination of long-term care benefits. As a first step, trESS will analyse Member State replies to a questionnaire on long-term care prepared by the Secretariat of the Administrative Commission and present the results of this analysis at the AC meeting in June. This questionnaire seeks to collect feedback on the 2011 Think Tank report, which presented several options to deal with problems connected with the coordination of long-term care. Subsequently, in consultation with the EC, the proposal(s) supported by the majority of the Member States will be further elaborated in a report to assess the impact of a possible legal reform. The main findings of this report will be presented to the AC.

Finally, trESS will produce a report on monitoring the use of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in the EU/EEA/Switzerland in 2011. The report will also be based on an analysis of Member States’ replies to a questionnaire drawn up by the Secretariat of the Administrative Commission. The report will be written in Spring and be presented at the AC meeting in June.

Our statistical team will provide support to an ad hoc group to be set up in the Administrative Commission with a view to investigating the type of statistical data that should be collected in accordance with Article 91 of Regulation 987/2009 and write a statistical report containing a proposal for a limited set of key indicators and a statistical methodology for each of those indicators.

Of course, we will keep you in the loop on the result of all these activities via our various – traditional and new – communication channels.