Alignment with EU labour standards: cross-border workers to be eligible for unemployment benefits

The Republic of Moldova will align its regulatory framework in the field of coordination of social security systems and the free movement of workers with European Union legislation. The Parliamentary Committee for Social Protection, Health and Family today approved the report on the draft law amending the Law on the Promotion of Employment and Unemployment Insurance.

The legislative initiative was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, which analyzed and adapted to the national context the best practices applied in the member states of the European Union. Among the main proposed amendments is the clear definition of categories of foreign citizens and the establishment of their right to benefit from the employment services and measures provided by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM).

At the same time, a new category of unemployment benefit recipients will be regulated – cross-border workers. These are persons who work in one EU Member State and reside in another EU Member State, returning home periodically, at least once a week. The document also regulates the situation of unemployed persons registered in the Republic of Moldova who travel to a European Union Member State, a European Economic Area state or another state that is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement in order to look for a job. In such cases, the right to unemployment benefit will be maintained for a period of up to three months. Another amendment concerns the reduction of the minimum age for registration as unemployed from 16 to 15 years, a measure intended to facilitate the early integration of young people into the labour market, while respecting rules on the protection of minors.

The authors also propose extending the NEET category of young people (those who are not in employment, education or training) from the current age range of 15–29 years to 15–34 years. This change will allow more effective monitoring of the NEET phenomenon and will facilitate comparative analysis of statistical data.

The draft also provides for the inclusion of non-formal education in the vocational training voucher system, as well as facilitating access to subsidies for unemployed persons who start a business and create at least one job. The draft law amending the Law on the Promotion of Employment will be submitted to Parliament for examination in the first reading.