Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-07-03-Speech-2-127"
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"en.20010703.8.2-127"2
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". – Today the Commission has adopted a communication entitled "Supporting national strategies for safe and sustainable pensions through an integrated approach". This communication is a proposal on specific objectives and working methods for cooperation in the field of pension reforms in accordance with the method of open coordination as decided upon in Lisbon.
This report on the national strategies will be based on an integrated approach, and, politically, this is the most important element of the communication. It will be necessary to take into account, not only pension reforms in a narrow sense, but also employment policy and the management of public finances. In order to prepare these strategies, different governmental departments will have to participate and, of course, the social partners.
Why have an integrated approach? The need for this is based on an understanding of the interaction between pensions and other policy areas. Employment strategy is one example. A successful employment strategy makes it easier to finance pensions, but pension reforms can create employment incentives. A second example is public finances. Consolidating public finances today makes it easier to cope with the budgetary impact of ageing tomorrow, but insufficient control of pension expenditure could destabilise public finances.
Of course, there is close cooperation between the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. They are going to present a joint report and their contribution is crucial, but the European Parliament can play an important role in this process. We wish to have your opinion on this communication and, in particular, the objectives proposed. As the Commission and the Belgian presidency are keen on making good progress in time for the next European Council, we would be grateful if you could give this opinion before October.
The more informal regular contacts between the European Parliament and the Social Protection Committee will also continue on a regular basis. Some other modalities of cooperation may also be discussed, and I am open to any suggestions from Parliament.
In conclusion, it is politically very important that the Member States are keen on this cooperation in the field of pension reform. This is one of the most sensitive and difficult reforms in all Member States and that is why it is of great political importance. We believe that with this cooperation, between the Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States, we can establish a comprehensive approach. This will be useful to the Member States and help implementation of the reforms.
Over the past two years there has been a significant change in attitudes towards European cooperation, particularly in the social field. We can see a change in the attitude of those who are in charge of the national protection policies. They are now agreed in calling for an open method of coordination to be applied to pensions in the long-term future.
Our proposal puts this forward as a "soft" type of policy-making at European level, that is "soft" compared with legislation or with existing policies. I refer, in particular, to the coordination of economic policies. It is very clear in this communication that the new open method does not replace the existing methods. This proposal does not take away the national responsibilities of the national policy-makers. The ambition of this communication is to promote the development of an integrated approach to the challenges imposed by ageing and societal changes in the pension systems.
What is the content of this communication? There are three main axes: the first one concerns the adequacy of pensions. The second one concerns financial sustainability, and the third one, the modernisation of the pension systems in response to societal change. I will expand on each of these axes.
Adequacy describes the fundamental social goals of pension systems in order to prevent social exclusion of older people and to give them the opportunity to maintain their living standard in old age.
Second is financial sustainability. In order to be achieved in a spirit of intergovernmental and intra-generational fairness throughout, this requires a high level of employment, respect for the growth and stability pact and a good regulatory framework for the private systems.
The third axis concerns the modernisation of pension systems. According to this axis the pension systems have to be more compatible with the need for more flexible workforces. That means that they have to meet the needs of the new models of working organisation; they have to meet the needs of less stable families and of greater equality between men and women. It should also make them more transparent, predictable and adaptable to changing circumstances.
Under the heading of these three axes there are ten concrete objectives. We – and the Social Protection Committee, which has done excellent work – are going to measure these objectives by means of indicators. It is because of the Social Protection Committee that we have an analysis of all pension systems and the reforms that have taken place in all Member States. The Social Protection Committee, then, is working on the economic and social indicators. Next year we are going to adopt these indicators in order to measure the objectives.
What is the proposed procedure? How the Member States meet the particular objectives is up to them and depends on national strategies. The communication suggests that the Member States should submit these first national strategies by the end of summer 2002. There will be a first joint monitoring procedure during the 2003 spring European Council."@en1
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