Kommission: Leisetreten bei der Rentenreform

László Andor, EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, said that "the number of retired people in Europe compared to those financing their pensions is forecast to double by 2060 - the current situation is simply not sustainable. In addressing this challenge the balance between time spent in work and in retirement needs to be looked at carefully".

Andor added that "the choice we face is poorer pensioners, higher pension contributions or more people working more and longer. One of the great successes of Europe's social model is to ensure that old age is not synonymous with poverty. This is a promise on which we have to continue to deliver and the dialogue we are launching today should help member states take the right decisions to ensure pension systems are fit for purpose". 

Andrea Moneta, chief executive of Aviva EMEA, one of Europe's leading providers of pensions and life products, said that "this paper is a necessary start to tackle Europe's pensions crisis".

"We now need a new partnership between European governments and the private insurance industry to help people plan for their retirement. Without this individuals face a double hit: a longer working life and lower standards of living in retirement," Moneta added.

Anne-Sophie Parent, director of AGE Platform Europe, a European network of organisations of people aged 50+, argued that "to build public support for these changes, policymakers will need to demonstrate that they are fully aware of the social impact of the reforms they propose and that they take the necessary measures to guarantee that everyone will enjoy an adequate pension in the future, including the most vulnerable".

She added that "making pensions systems financially sustainable is necessary but not enough. The reformed systems must also be socially sustainable and adequate for the long-term. This is why we welcome the focus that the Belgian Presidency is putting on the adequacy of pensions systems and we hope that this key objective will be shared by all member states".

John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), questioned whether there is evidence that employers want to keep older workers in work.

“We know the life expectation is rising but see no evidence that a higher age of retirement would be matched by employers developing workplaces which encourage older workers to remain at work,” he said, stressing that indeed the prevailing philosophy among too many employers is that older workers are set in their ways to match rapidly changing work environments and should be encouraged to leave early, well below existing statutory retirement ages.

“This makes the Commission’s ideas for higher retirement ages look unrealistic. They might more usefully provide that workers can stay in their jobs until the statutory age,” he added.