Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-10-Speech-3-183"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-04-10"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:National strategies for safe and sustainable pensions2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020410.6.3-183"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-04-10-Speech-3-1842
lpv:speaker	lp:Maria Johanna (Marieke) Sanders-ten Holte2
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; Committee on Development and Cooperation (2002-01-22--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2002-09-19)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (2002-02-06--2004-07-19)3 member; ELDR (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities (2002-01-17--2003-09-03)3 unknown; Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I should like to thank Mr Fatuzzo warmly for the report before us. It is very important that, when citizens reach pensionable age, they can count on a reasonable and fair pension scheme, whether they live in Finland or in Portugal. That applies to men and women alike. I should like to home in on this latter group and present three points which affect women, in particular. First of all, the pension schemes must be designed effectively to prevent poverty and social exclusion. In many of the current schemes, it is still too often the case that mainly older, single women live far below the poverty line. Often, through their choice to devote themselves to their families and not to develop a professional career, they hardly have individual pension rights. I would therefore expressly call on the Member States to review their schemes in such a way as to ensure that women, but also men who, through family circumstances, are not active in the labour market, are nevertheless able to build up individual pension rights. Part-time work, mainly done by women, makes it difficult to accrue pension rights and, in this area too, there should be scope for building up additional rights. Secondly, in its communication, the Commission notes that, in order to keep pension schemes affordable, it is essential for total participation in the labour market to increase, as Mr Fatuzzo pointed out a moment ago. In Laeken, a target figure of 60% was mentioned for women by 2010. An impressive target, but I would cast doubt on whether women, as is the case in some countries, would be prepared to increase their premium contributions for their pensions thanks to the so-called actuarial factors. The fact that, statistically, they have a longer life expectancy should not lead to discrimination. This is precisely where the principle of gender solidarity should come into play. I call on the Member States to give due consideration to this point. Thirdly, the Commission suggests using the open co-ordination method to back the national strategies, and this requires gender-specific data and indicators. This too must be borne in mind. Finally, for the future of an ageing Europe, it is of the utmost importance for safe, adequate and affordable pension schemes to be set up which guarantee that retired men and women can lead dignified and independent lives and can take a full part in social and cultural life."@en1

Named graphs describing this resource:

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph