Project „Creation of National Part of the EESSI System of the Republic of Lithuania“

Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information

Social security of persons moving within the European Union is ensured by regulations on coordination of social security systems. From 1 May 2010, new European Union regulations on the coordination of social security schemes have come into effect, including: Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 (hereinafter referred to as the coordination regulations). The coordination regulations apply to all key social insurance benefits, including pensions, unemployment benefits, family benefits, sickness and maternity benefits and others.

Coordination regulations stipulate a transition towards electronic exchange of information. After the transitional period Member States will be obliged to perform information exchange regarding social security issues using electronic tools. It will be achieved through Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI system) which is currently being developed. EESSI system will be aimed at experts working at competent institutions of the Member States, granting social security benefits according to the coordination regulations. Currently, Member States exchange information with each other using paper documentation. EESSI system will provide all institutions connected to it with opportunity to exchange information electronically increasing speed and security.

EESSI system contains European and national parts. National social security institutions of the Member States will be provided connection to the EESSI system through relevant Access Points. As planned by the European Commission, the European part of the EESSI system is estimated to be completed by the end of June, 2017. Following that, Member States will be committed to implement national IT systems and connect to the European part of EESSI system during the period of two years.

All European Union Member States, European Economic Area Member States and Switzerland will participate in EESSI system.

About the Project

On January, 2017, Ministry of Social Security and Labour together with Project partners State Social Insurance Fund Board under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuanian Labour Exchange under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour and the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health begun the implementation of the Project “Creation of National Part of the EESSI System of the Republic of Lithuania “No 2016-LT-IA-0022, co-financed by the European Union‘s CEF Telecom instrument.

Project implementation period: from January 15, 2017 to July 31, 2019.

Project coordinator: Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

Project administrating institution: Central Project Management Agency.

Project aim: implementation of the national part of EESSI system, as required by the coordination regulations.

Joining the EESSI system will provide advantages to the society. Citizen requests will be processed more efficiently, waiting time for confirmation of social insurance periods acquired in other Member States as well as calculation and payment of the benefits will be reduced. Meanwhile, social security institutions will also benefit from implementation of ESSSI system. Electronic exchange of information will allow standardizing flows of information, optimizing verification and collection of data. Better multilingual communication that will result from the use of common structured documents will be achieved as well.

Two national Access Points will be implemented during the Project that will provide connection to the European part of the EESSI system and through which structured electronic documents will be transferred to the competent institutions of other Member States:

-          Access Point ApLT01 will connect national competent institutions and liaison bodies responsible for sickness benefits in kind, i.e. health insurance.

-          Access Point ApLT02b will connect national competent institutions and liaison bodies responsible for social insurance benefits in cash, family benefits, death grants and determination of applicable legislation.

Three national applications providing tools for issuing, exchanging and keeping of structured electronic documents will also be developed. Ministry of Social Security and Labour will maintain the national application for exchanging structured electronic documents regarding family benefits, death grants and long-term care benefits in cash. Lithuanian Labour Exchange will be responsible for the national application for exchanging information related to registration in public employment office, retaining the unemployment benefit, job search and other issues concerning coordination of unemployment benefits under the competence of Lithuanian Labour Exchange. The National Health Insurance Fund will maintain the national application related information exchange regarding health insurance and provision of healthcare services.

Information about the Project and its implementation is provided by Mariana Žiukienė, Advisor of the International Law Division of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Phone: 8 706 68160. E-mail: [email protected]

Project news

Project opening event is scheduled to take place on March 14, during which the Project and the future national EESSI system will be introduced to competent institutions.

Useful links

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is the national contact institution, responsible for CEF Telecom funding instrument. More information about CEF fund is available here.

Internet website of the Central Project Management Agency.

Administration rules(available only in Lithuanian language) for implementation of CEF Transport and Telecom sectors projects in Lithuania.

Innovation and Network Executive Agency (INEA) internet website.