Republica of Moldova, Building capacity for coordination of social security for migrant workers

The project aimed at improving the social security benefits for Moldovan migrant workers by enhancing the capacity of the Moldovan government in negotiating, adopting, and implementing bilateral social security agreements with major destination countries of Moldovan migrant workers. The project contributes to improve the impact of migration on development and on poverty reduction by ensuring the right of social security for the Moldovan migrant workers and their families.

Executive summary

The project aimed at improving the social security benefits for Moldovan migrant workers by enhancing the capacity of the Moldovan government in negotiating, adopting, and implementing bilateral social security agreements with major destination countries of Moldovan migrant workers. The project contributes to improve the impact of migration on development and on poverty reduction by ensuring the right of social security for the Moldovan migrant workers and their families.

Outcome of the project

Through the technical support provided by this project, the Republic of Moldova has made remarkable achievements in respect to social security agreements. They can be summarized as followings:
  • On 5 September 2008, the Agreement on social assurance between Republic of Moldova and Republic of Bulgaria was signed (entered into force on 1 September 2009).
  • On 11 February 2009, the Agreement on social security between the Republic of Moldova and Portuguese Republic was signed (entered into force on 1 December 2010).
  • On 20 January 2010, the Administrative Arrangement for implementing the Agreement on social assurance between the Republic of Moldova and Republic of Bulgaria was signed. 
  • On 27 April 2010, the Agreement on social security between the Republic of Moldova and Romania was signed (entered into force on 1 September 2011).
  • On 14 June 2010, the Agreement on social security between the Republic of Moldova and the Great Duchy of Luxembourg was signed (entered into force on 29 September 2011).
  • On 5 September 2011, the Agreement on social security between Republic of Moldova and Republic of Austria and the Administrative Arrangement for its implementation were signed. 
  • On 19 October 2011, the Agreement on social assurance between Republic of Moldova and Republic of Estonia and the Administrative Arrangement for its implementation were signed. 
  • On 26 October 2011, the Administrative Arrangement for implementing the Agreement on social security between the Republic of Moldova and the Portuguese Republic was signed.
In sum, during the current project period, the Republic of Moldova has concluded six social security agreements of which three have already entered into effect. These achievements clearly support the success of the project.

Main activities

1. Planning meeting

On 11 December 2009, one-day planning meeting was held in Chisinau with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection and the National House of Social Insurance of the Republic of Moldova. Ms. Magda Filip, Former Director of the External Relations and International Organizations Directorate, Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection of Romania, participated in this meeting as a resource person.

2. Study visit to Bucharest

From 22 to 25 February 2010, ten delegates from the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection and the National House of Social Insurance of the Republic of Moldova conducted a study visit to Bucharest.

The Moldovan delegates visited the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection, the National Pension House, and the Health Insurance National House. They were briefed by the Romanian counterparts on Romania’s experience in concluding and implementing bilateral agreements and complying with the EU Regulations on the social security coordination.

3. Experts training course on the social security coordination

An experts training course on social security agreements was conducted in Chisinau from 2 to 5 March 2010. The training course was intended to strengthen the capacities of the experts in the ministries and national social insurance fund responsible for social security agreements. The main focus of the training was on practical aspects of planning, negotiation, and implementation of bilateral and multilateral social security agreements.

4. Follow-up experts training course on the social security coordination

At the request of the Moldovan authorities, a follow up training was conducted from 6 to 8 October 2010 in Chisinau. The follow up training focused on the administrative arrangements, Romanian experience in implementation of social security agreements between Romania and Luxemburg, and the EU regulations on the coordination of social security.

5. Final meeting
 

The final meeting was held on 22 November 2011 in Chisinau. The objective of the final meeting was to bring together key stakeholders in order to review the main achievements of the project and discuss the next step. The final meeting was attended by 40 participants including Vice-Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family, representatives of ILO tripartite constituents of the Republic of Moldova, representatives of Romanian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection and Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from Romanian Embassy to the Republic of Moldova, as well as the independent project evaluator.

Follow-up activities

On the basis of the achievements of the technical cooperation project “Republic of Moldova: Building capacity for coordination of social security for migrant workers”, the proposed next-phase project aims to develop a range of policy options to reform the national pension system through conduct of policy-oriented studies and the tripartite policy dialogue. The project also aims to strengthen the capacity of the government and social partners to improve governance and administrative efficiency of the national pension system .

In 2011 the ILO launched a new EC-funded migration project which is targeting the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. One of the main components of the new project is promotion of social security protection for migrant workers and their families. The fulfilment of the objective of the current project will be enhanced by this new project.

List of products

1. Coordination of social security : training modules ( Coordonarea sistemelor de securitate sociala : module de instruire)
This bi-lingual guide provides step-by-step guidance for bilateral agreements on social security for CEE countries. In addition it also provides the explanations on the adoption and use of the model bilateral agreement in the field of social security, and the model administrative arrangement for the implementation of the agreement in the field of social security.

2. Coordination of social security (II) : supplementary training modules (Coordonarea sistemelor de securitate sociala (II): module suplimentare de instruire)
This publication is based on the second training which focuses more on the practical aspects of the implementation of the social security agreements.

Both training modules publications are accompanied by CD-ROM.

3. Coordination of Social Security Systems in the European Union: An explanatory report on EC Regulation No 883/2004 and its Implementing Regulation No 987/2009 (Coordonarea Sistemelor de Securitate Socială în Uniunea Europeană: Raport explicativ asupra Regulamentului (CE) nr. 883/2004 şi al Regulamentului (CE) său de implementare nr. 987/2009)
This report explains the new EU regulations on social security coordination (EC Regulations No 883/2004 and No 987/2009). It provides detailed information on the coordination of the right of social security as a worker, an unemployed, a pensioner or other non-active persons mobile within the European Union. The report is particularly of interest to national authorities and experts in social security institutions who work in the area of social security coordination. This publication is available in English and Romanian.

4. Coordination Social Security for Migrant Workers: A rights-based approach (Asigurarea drepturilor de securitate socială pentru lucrătorii migranți)
This publication consists of three parts. Part I discusses international labour standards on social security for migrant workers. Part II presents a step-by-step guide for negotiating and concluding bilateral social security agreements, highlighting issues and challenges that policy makers may face while also drawing on best-practice experiences in coordinating social security systems. Part III focuses on the implementation of social security agreements and the coordination of benefits-in-kind.