Selbständige in der EU: Einige Anmerkungen zu den Problemen ihrer sozialen Absicherung

The aim of the paper is to point to some emerging problems concering the social security of the self-employed. There is a call for action related to the social security systems of the single states and the intergovernmental coordination. In this context the point of view of the European Commission is of special interest and therefore special attention is paid to this matter in the paper. The short survey shows, that there are special aspects which have to be considered to derive some options for social policy measures, which are the result of inter alia 1. the different principles of taxes within the member states, 2. the cross-border production of goods and services, 3. the relocation of self-employed people between the member states and 4. the change of the working status, e. g. the change from dependent employee to selfemployed person et vice versa. Further the analysis elucidates, that the priority of the employment policy in respect to social policy within the EU-context has to be taken into consideration for all proposed reforms and that the European Institutions will carefully keep an eye on the guarantee of the four rights of freedom and that no measure will thwart the competition policies and employment policies.