Coordination of social security in the EU - indexation of family benefits in the Republic of Austria

Coordination of social security in the EU - indexation of family benefits in the Republic of Austria As a unique system of cooperation across the European territory, social security coordination is currently facing political and legal challenges, which culminated in the ongoing legal proceedings initiated by the European Commission as a plaintiff against one of the Member States, namely the Republic of Austria. The first part of this master thesis (chapters one and two) introduces the reader to the general characteristics of coordination, its principles and its anchoring in the EU law. Part two (chapters three to five) allows the reader to learn more about the issue of indexation of (coordinated) family benefits and its history in Europe. It looks in more detail at indexation in the Republic of Austria, specifically its journey from a political idea to an application practice that conflicts with the current EU coordination arrangements, in particular the principle of equal treatment. The first chapter deals with the historical development of the idea of social security coordination, an explanation of the concept, as well as the sources of EU and international law, their scope in this field and their interrelations. The chapter concludes by tracing the link between coordination and one of the EU's..