June 28, 1983
To the Congress of the United States:
Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act as amended by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (P.L. 95 - 216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the Agreement between the United States of America and Belgium on Social Security and the Final Protocol to the Agreement, both signed on February 19, 1982, and the Administrative Agreement for the Implementation of the Agreement and Additional Protocol, both signed on November 23, 1982.
These United States-Belgium agreements are similar in objective to the social security agreements already in force with Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Switzerland. Such bilateral agreements, which are generally known as totalization agreements, provide for limited coordination between the United States and foreign social security systems to overcome the problems of gaps in protection and of dual coverage and taxation for workers who move from one country to the other.
I also transmit for the information of the Congress a comprehensive report prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, which explains the provisions of the Agreements and provides data on the number of persons affected by the Agreements and the effect on social security financing as required by the same provision of the Social Security Act.
The Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services join with me in commending the United States-Belgium Social Security Agreement and related documents.
Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 28, 1983.