The Council of the European Union adopted its position on 26 July at first reading on a draft regulation aimed at ensuring that third country nationals who are legally resident in the EU and in a cross-border situation are subject to the same rules for coordinating social security entitlements as European citizens. After having failed to reach a political agreement in December 2009, the ministers agreed to set aside their concerns during debate at the Health Council, on 8 June (Europolitics 3994). The compromise found under the Spanish presidency settled four questions: pensioners, non-contractual health care providers – two issues which were particularly problematical at the December 2009 Health Council –, e-health and the legal basis. Despite this agreement, the German, Austrian and Bulgarian delegations voted against, and the Czech delegation abstained. The draft regulation will now be forwarded to the European Parliament for a second reading. The Council still has hope of improving certain points during transposition of the directive or in negotiations with the EP at second reading.