Solidarity, Health

Cross-border workers: the National Assembly revives European reform on unemployment, teleworking and social rights

February 2026

On 28 January, the European Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly adopted three European resolution proposals put forward by MP Isabelle Rauch, aimed at modernising the framework applicable to cross-border workers. These texts directly concern French cross-border workers – more than 400,000 people in employment – and, beyond that, all cross-border communities facing the challenges of coordinating place of employment, place of residence and social rights.

Three proposals

The first proposal calls for a review of the rules on unemployment benefits laid down in Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, so that benefits are paid by the last country of employment rather than the country of residence. The aim is to align rights and contributions and correct structural financial imbalances, estimated at more than €130 million per year for France vis-à-vis Luxembourg.
The second aims to maintain the 49.9% teleworking threshold without changing social security affiliation, in a context where current agreements remain temporary. The aim is to secure post-Covid working practices in the long term and stabilise cross-border organisations.
The third proposal introduces the principle of dual affiliation in health insurance for children of separated parents working in two Member States, in order to ensure continuity of care and parental equality.These resolutions will now have to be relayed by the French government to the European institutions. While the 2016 reform on cross-border unemployment remains pending, Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026 could reopen this strategic project for the cohesion of border territories.

KEY DOCUMENTS/WEBSITES

The cost to France of cross-border unemployment

Over the period 2011-2023, consolidated data from Unédic indicate that France paid approximately €11.2 billion in unemployment benefits to cross-border workers who had been made redundant, mainly from Switzerland and other neighbouring countries. On an annual basis, compensation for these cross-border workers amounts to approximately €1 billion, while reimbursements paid by the States of employment (under the contributions and compensation mechanisms provided for in the European Regulation) cover only a fraction of this amount (€200 million).