The majority of the 65 cases handled by the Luxembourg branch were related to social security (36), followed by free movement of persons (7). Photo: Solvit

The majority of the 65 cases handled by the Luxembourg branch were related to social security (36), followed by free movement of persons (7). Photo: Solvit

European citizens encountering social securities issues accounted for 55.4% of cases handled by Luxembourg’s branch of the EU’s Solvit network which assists with public administration and EU law implementation issues.

Although the network’s number of cases across all EU member states decreased by 6.8%, the Luxembourg branch saw a 3.7% increase. Solvit’s office in the grand duchy, however managed to maintain a 79% resolution with the EU average being 80%. France, Germany, Belgium, Portual and Spain were the countries where the disputes most often originated.

The Network, set up by the European Commission in 2002, aims to resolve difficulties encountered with public administrations and the implementation of EU law ranging from professional qualification recognition to social security and cross-border taxation. The majority of the 65 cases handled by the Luxembourg branch were related to social security (36), followed by free movement of persons (7) recognition of professional qualifications (6), cross-border taxation (6) and the freedom to provide services (3).

Solivt Luxembourg’s employees processed two cases related to covid-19, one concering a request for vaccination during a temporary state and the second concerning a refusal to issues a visa on the grounds of pandemic-related restrictions.

“These positive figures are part of a favourable context of internal reorganisation within the economy minsitry, which in 2021 adopted a new organisational chart placing the Solvit Luxembourg centre within a new Directorate-General for European Policy and Intellectual Property, with the aim of giving greater weight to the European aspect in the ministry's policy,” stated the economy ministry in its annual report on the network’s activity.

Solvit Luxembourg’s team added a new lawyer to its teamsin 2021 to which the ministry pointed to in its report as one of the reasons for the network’s positive results over the year.