Frontier workers
A frontier worker is someone who is employed in a Member State but resides in another, where he/she returns at least once a week.
The Commission has considered that it is not advisable to establish a specific status for frontier workers. They are generally not treated any differently from other workers enjoying the rights to free movement of workers who are EU nationals working in another Member State. Exceptionally, however, they are entitled to unemployment benefit in the country of residence. A Communication from the Commission on the living and working conditions of Community citizens resident in frontier regions, with special reference to frontier workers, considered aspects of their specific position in the labour market, including education, vocational guidance and training, taxation, transport and cross-border cooperation between local and regional authorities (COM (90) 561 final).
There are a number of other issues that create particular complexity in the case of frontier workers, such as those concerned with healthcare and social security. For example, in the case of social advantages, such as special education for children, some Member States have resisted providing the same social advantages to frontier workers, who are not resident in the Member State, as are provided to ‘normal’ resident migrant workers. However, the European Court of Justice has rejected this position, and the Commission proposes to enforce the ECJ’s ruling against Member States who continue to impose residence conditions on frontier workers in these circumstances (Commission Communication of 11 December 2002 on ‘Free movement of workers – achieving the full benefits and potential’ (COM (2002) 694 final)).
See also: free movement and social security; mobility of workers; occupational mobility; professional qualifications; social protection.