On free movement

In theory, the free movement of people are one of the basic principles of the European Union and the extended EEC-area. Coming from the Nordic countries, I have been accustomed to this all my life, since it has been implemented since 1952 and formally established in 1954. 

 

In addition we now have the same within the EU/EEC-area. Or do we? Experience has shown me that it isn’t as free as it should be. The first obstacle comes when you wants to register in a new country. That’s no problem at all when you move from Norway to Sweden and from Sweden to Finland. You just fill out a form online to have your new address registered. Actually, I’m not quite sure whether that is required, even. But to register a bank account etc. it’s of course necessary, but on the whole, the process is so simple that I must I have forgotten about it. 

 

Not so in Portugal. One has to line up with immigrants from the rest of the world and show up your credentials which included a passport, something which isn’t necessary within the Nordic countries. Since the implementation of a universal European ID-card, that mightn’t be a requirement today, but in 1999 it was, regardless of the fact that I was a citizen of another member state, Finland. 

 

All in all, I think each larger city in each member state, should have their own offices which would handle all cases pertaining to EU-citizens, perhaps EEC included. In the same way that EU/EEC-citizens have their own queues in airports, it should be the case here as well. The paperwork would be reduced and the people working there, would know which rules apply to EU/EEC-citizens and which rights we do have. Actually, filling out an online form should be sufficient. No need to present yourself to some police department. 

 

Later on, I have become aware of another obstacle which contradicts the principle of free movement. At least in Norway, where I’m originally from, people don’t have to apply for their old age pension. It’s being paid out automatically when you reach the age of 67, as it is there. I don’t know if it’s different in other countries, but I find it illogical that one needs to apply for something which is a right. Through taxes we pay for our pension throughout our lives. It’s our money, so to speak. 

 

But I discovered that I had to apply for it and I didn’t even know that I could receive my pension regardless of the fact that I continued to work. So I was already 66 before I became aware of that and in Finland, Sweden and Portugal the retirement age is 65. I didn’t even know that it’s the authorities in the country you reside permanently which have to apply for you to the other countries involved. Obviously even the Finns didn’t know that and it was not until I discovered the fact myself, that they stopped demanding that I should handle the applications to Sweden and Portugal. Before I became aware of that, I had already contacted the Norwegians and perhaps just as well, because they acted fast enough, so I got my pension from them when I turned 67 earlier this year. I got it from the Finns as well, but not from I turned 65, since I hadn’t applied for it then. And only this month I got it from Sweden and I still haven’t heard anything from Portugal. 



Aside from this chaos, it also seems like I’m being punished since I have worked and paid taxes in four different countries. Each country obviously decided that my active years don’t amount to a full pension, so although I have paid taxes for 50 years now, I am being split up into four individuals which only receives a pittance. If the movement really had been free, nothing of this shouldn’t have been the case. It’s not free if you’re being economically punished for moving between the member states. 

 

There are other obstacles as well. Since 1992, I’ve had the same work as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator, mainly for the same Finnish daily newspaper all the time. My income has been quite stable throughout the years, but since I’m a freelance I don’t have a work contract. All the same, it should be possible to transfer my economic history from country to country, which would make it easier to open bank accounts, apply for loans and getting internet and mobile services, buying cars, renting flats etc. But instead one is being regarded as a newborn or an alien from outer space when it comes to this. 

 

That’s also an obstacle to a free movement. 

 

I’m sure there are more than this and today we have the pandemic and we’ve had the so called refugee crisis, which have created new obstacles, but all the same, I think this should be paid attention to, if we want to preserve and develop the EU.