The EU Commission is against the children’s money-before rules in Austria

Austria has adapted to child benefit payments to EU citizens the cost of living in the state of residence of the child. This has significant cuts, for example, for Hungarians and Slovaks. The EU considers this to be unlawful and directs action to be taken. the

The EU Commission in the debate surrounding the new Austrian child benefit rules for EU-citizens. The country had adapted to child benefit payments cost-of-living in the state of residence of the child and contrary to the opinion of the authorities in Brussels against European law. On Thursday, the Commission has therefore initiated infringement proceedings against Austria.

last October, had decided the Austrian Parliament, the so-called indexation of the family allowance. Foreign families whose children live in the home, get only child benefit adjusted cost to the usual standard of living. This has significant cuts, for example, for Hungary, Poland, Slovaks, and Romanians. 125 000 children get less money than before. The Alpine Republic expects savings of around 100 million euros.

Austria’s Minister for family Affairs, Juliane Bogner-Strauß (ÖVP) has included the introduction of the EU infringement proceedings due to the new child benefit rules for EU-citizens left. “We continue to believe that the solution we have adopted is in line with European law,” said Bogner-Strauss, the Austrian news Agency APA. Provided that the Commission could not by the Austrian arguments to convince, ultimately, the European court of justice, on the train.

Transfers abroad in Germany

Even in Germany such an approach is discussed always risen again. The German authorities have paid in the past year, child benefit in the amount of approximately 402 million euros abroad. Among the nearly 252 000 children, for the children, money to European countries or Turkey has been transferred, formed the Polish children (123 855) is the largest group.

In the past five years have increased the Transfers. 2012 was gone, according to information from the Federal government children’s allowance in the amount of approximately 75 million euros abroad. The CSU had presented in June in the Federal Council a request for the adjustment of the amount of children’s allowance to the cost of living in the country in which the child lives. The Finance Committee however decided to postpone its discussions on the Initiative for an indefinite period of time. As a reason, the concerns of the EU were Commission.

you argued with the logic, the same contributions should also lead to the same advantages. Child benefit and other family benefits in countries such as Austria and Germany will only be paid to those EU foreigners who make a Deposit in the respective social security system.