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VIENNA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Major European Union reforms are needed to set a waiting period for EU citizens moving to other members to get social welfare assistance, an Austrian official has claimed.
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz initially reiterated the stance during an interview on the "ORF Pressestunde" TV program on Sunday, claiming that EU citizens moving to other member states should need to wait for five years before being eligible for welfare assistance.
"The freedom to work anywhere cannot, in my opinion, be confused with the freedom to choose the best welfare system," he said.
He had added that the measure is necessary not just in Austria but EU-wide, and hence it is also being proposed under these terms.
Austria Press Agency reported on Monday, however,that several Austrian legal experts said it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to implement according to current EU law. They indicated the need for majority votes in both the European Council and the European Parliament to approve such a measure.
In response, Kurz's office acknowledged the expert opinion, saying it would be targeting large-scale reforms on the EU level. Enditem
