Article 18Right to equal treatment
1.Whatever the law applicable to the employment relationship, and without prejudice to point (b) of Article 5(4), intra-corporate transferees admitted under this Directive shall enjoy at least equal treatment with persons covered by Directive 96/71/EC with regard to the terms and conditions of employment in accordance with Article 3 of Directive 96/71/EC in the Member State where the work is carried out.
2.Intra-corporate transferees shall enjoy equal treatment with nationals of the Member State where the work is carried out as regards:
(a)freedom of association and affiliation and membership of an organisation representing workers or employers or of any organisation whose members are engaged in a specific occupation, including the rights and benefits conferred by such organisations, without prejudice to the national provisions on public policy and public security;
(b)recognition of diplomas, certificates and other professional qualifications in accordance with the relevant national procedures;
(c)provisions in national law regarding the branches of social security defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, unless the law of the country of origin applies by virtue of bilateral agreements or the national law of the Member State where the work is carried out, ensuring that the intra-corporate transferee is covered by the social security legislation in one of those countries. In the event of intra-EU mobility, and without prejudice to bilateral agreements ensuring that the intra-corporate transferee is covered by the national law of the country of origin, Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 shall apply accordingly;
(d)without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 and to bilateral agreements, payment of old-age, invalidity and death statutory pensions based on the intra-corporate transferees' previous employment and acquired by intra-corporate transferees moving to a third country, or the survivors of such intra-corporate transferees residing in a third country deriving rights from the intra-corporate transferee, in accordance with the legislation set out in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, under the same conditions and at the same rates as the nationals of the Member State concerned when they move to a third country;
(e)access to goods and services and the supply of goods and services made available to the public, except procedures for obtaining housing as provided for by national law, without prejudice to freedom of contract in accordance with Union and national law, and services afforded by public employment offices.
The bilateral agreements or national law referred to in this paragraph shall constitute international agreements or Member States' provisions within the meaning of Article 4.
3.Without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010, Member States may decide that point (c) of paragraph 2 with regard to family benefits shall not apply to intra-corporate transferees who have been authorised to reside and work in the territory of a Member State for a period not exceeding nine months.
4.This Article shall be without prejudice to the right of the Member State to withdraw or to refuse to renew the permit in accordance with Article 8.