Row over bid to give new rights to non-EU students

Date: 01/06/2000

By John Shelley

EU EDUCATION ministers are expected to fiercely oppose plans to give students from outside the Union new social security and residence rights at a meeting next week.

Under plans drawn up by the European Commission, EU students and volunteers would be entitled to the same residence, social security and taxation rights as they get in their home country wherever they travel in the Union.

This part of the proposal is likely to be enthusiastically received by most governments, which are keen to make it easier for Union nationals to study or do voluntary work abroad. "The political commitment to do this was reflected in the Lisbon summit. I think member states are all in favour of this," said one official. "There are certain differences on technical points, but we believe that they can be cleared up fairly easily."

But the Commission's call for similar rights to be extended to non-EU youngsters studying on Union soil is likely to spark protests from many member states. Some governments have questioned the legal basis for such a move, although insiders suggest that this is being used as a convenient cover for political concerns about increasing the rights of foreigners, particularly in Austria and the Netherlands.

Commission officials argue that their proposals represent a compromise, as they have shied away from demanding that students are given the same rights as nationals of the member state where they study. Instead, the paper argues that students should simply be guaranteed that they will not lose the rights they have in their home country. This might include rights to employment benefit and health care.

Education officials say they are unwilling to bow to pressure to withdraw their plans to improve the rights of non-EU nationals as well. "We should fight to keep this on the agenda," said one.

EU education ministers are expected to fiercely oppose plans to give students from outside the Union new social security and residence rights at a forthcoming meeting.