In 2024, Italy was referred by the European Commission and brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union for violating the right of so-called mobile EU workers to receive the family allowances for dependent children (Assegno unico universale, also AUU).

The Commission’s decision to proceed with the infringement procedure was based, in particular, on one of the requirements set forth in the national legislation for eligibility for the AUU: residency in Italy for at least two years and the presence in Italy of the dependent children covered by the application. In this regard, Commission found that these requirements were discriminatory and breached EU law on social security coordination (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004) and on the free movement of workers (Regulation (EU) No 492/2011 and Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The requirement that dependent children resided in Italy also was in conflict with Article 67 of Regulation (EC) No. 883/04, which provides that “A person is entitled to family benefits under the legislation of the competent Member State, including for family members residing in another Member State, as if the latter were residing in the first Member State.”

As of April 21st, 2026, the date on which the PNRR Law (Law No. 50 of 2026, converting Decree-L...