38 Amendments of Heinz K. BECKER related to 2012/2234(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A – indent 4
Recital A – indent 4
- the moral obligation of the Member States to guarantee public (first-pillar) pensions - if needed, complemented by minimum income provisions - to proviwhich provide a secure basis for funding an adequate standard of living and quality of life and thus an independent, dignified life; statutory minimum pensions which cover people’s basic needs should be regarded a decent income above the poverty line for all citizenss a means of combating poverty, and thus as a form of social assistance, and not as part of a pay-as-you-go pension scheme;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A – indent 6
Recital A – indent 6
- the need to consider linking the statutory retirement age to life expectancy while at the same time enabling workers to lead longer, healthier working lives with a view to extending working careers until the statutory retirement age, and beyond if individuals so wish;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A – indent 9
Recital A – indent 9
- the need to grant all workers equal access to collective pension schemes operating in their firm or sector, and the need for citizens to be better informed about acquired pension entitlements, for example by means of a continually updated pension account combined with a pension tracking system;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the worst financial and economic crisis inacute sovereign debt crisis which has now lasted for decades has turned into an acute sovereign debt financial and economic crisis that has severely affected the pension incomes of millions of EU citizens;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the worst financial and economic crisis in decades has turned into an acute sovereign debt crisis that has severely affected the pension incomes of millions of EU citizens; whereas this crisis has shown that European economies are all interdependent and that it is no longer possible for any country to guarantee on its own the adequacy, safety and sustainability of its social protection systems;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the first cohort of the so-called ‘baby boom generation’ has reached pensionable age, causing the demographic challenge to no longer be a future challenge but today’s reality, causing the number of people aged 60+ to increase by more than 2 million per year – doubleeven set apart from the economic crisis, long-term demographic and productivity trends point to a low- growth economic scenario for Europe, with economic growth rates lower than those amount as compared tottained during previous decades;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas risingin countries with higher unemployment has hurt pay-as-you-go pension schemes suffer more, while funded systems are hit by disappointing financial markets returns or even major losses;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas retirement systems are a key element of the European social model which ensure a decent standard of living for people in old agend maintain the standard and quality of living by obtaining of the pension age, i.e. in line with the Article 1 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas retirement systems are a key element of the European social model which ensurare designed to offer older people a dsecent standard of living for people in old ageure basis for funding an adequate standard of living;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls the gender challenge regarding pensions; emphasises the need to improve gender equality at all ages and address the social impact of the shift from statutory pay-as-you-go to funded schemes and from defined contributions pension plans; underlines the urgency to address the poverty risk in particular among women, with no or inadequate access to individual or spousal pension rights, through the provision of a non- contributory income safety net in order to keep these women out of poverty;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the likelihood of a long- term, low-growth economic scenario, which will require Member States to consolidate their budgets and reform their economies under austere conditions; subscribendorses, therefore, to the view expressedhe call made in the Commission’s White Paper that people will need to build up complementary occupational and if possible privateurging the Member States to reform their pension savingystems;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the likelihood of a long- term, low-growth economic scenario, which will require Member States to consolidate their budgets and reform their economies under austere conditions; subscribes, therefore, to the view expressed in the Commission's White Paper that people will need to build up complementary occupational and ifndividual, possible private pension savings;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that first-pillar pensions remain the most important source of income for pensioners; calls on Member States to implement reforms to their first-pillar systems aligning contributory years to the changing ratio between pensioners and people in working age, also to prevent public pension costs crowding out other important government spending; calls on the Member States to ensure first-pillar pensions - if necessary complemented by minimum income provisions - to provipensions to provide a secure basis for funding an adequate standard of living and quality of life and thus an independent, dignified life; points out that statutory minimum pensions which meet people’s basic needs should be regarded a decent minimum incos a means of combating poverty, and thus as a form of social assistance, and not as part of a pay- as-you-go pension scheme;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point i
Paragraph 4 – point i
i. a public, first-pillar, decent minimum pension pay-as-you-go pension which provides a secure basis for funding an adequate standard of living and quality of life and thus an independent, dignified life;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point ii
Paragraph 4 – point ii
ii. a fsounded, employment-related, mandatory collective second, transparent, first-pillar state pension, preferably governed by (sectoral) social partners as the basis for funding an adequate standard of living;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point iii
Paragraph 4 – point iii
iii. an individual third-pillar pension based on private saving funded, employment-related, optional collective second-pillar pension, preferably governed by the social partners;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
notes, however, that the first pillar should be the most important and that proportionally greater attention should therefore be devoted to it; calls on the Member States to consider introducing such or comparable schemes where they do not yet exist; calls on the Commission to ensure any existing or future regulation in the field of pensions to be conducive to multi-pillar pension schemes;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the importance of pension fundoccupational and individual pension providers as substantial and reliable long- term investors in the EU economy; emphasises their significance for achieving the Europe 2020 strategy's headline targets concerning economic growth, more and better jobs and attaining socially inclusive societies; urges the Commission not to jeopardise the investment potential of pension funds when introducing or changing EU regulations, especially when reviewing the directive on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is of the opinion that to arrive at a comprehensive solution to the pension challenge, taking into account the need to work longer, to adapt working conditions and lifelong learning from youth to old age so as to enable people to work longer, consensus between governments and social partners is paramount – including beyond the statutory retirement age – on a voluntary basis, consensus between governments and social partners is paramount; considers that this should also be promoted by means of tax incentives, as this would create a win-win situation; calls on Member States to devise measures jointly with the social partners to make it possible to offer opportunities for such further training;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recommends that the Commission make arrangements for intergenerational participation and codetermination by means of the additional, binding involvement of representatives of the generations without party affiliations at the level of the social partners, or more precisely a European Youth Council and European Council of Older Persons, each comprising representatives of the interests of the young and the old at European level (in the same way as they used to be represented, for example, by the European Youth Forum and the AGE Platform Europe), which should be consulted on all decisions affecting these generations;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that implementing structural reforms aimed at having people work more and longer is the only feasible way to generate the tax revenues and social and pension premiums needed to consolidate Member State budgets and to fund adequate, safe and sustainable pension schemes; points to the risk ofexisting disadvantage of atypical employment contracts (e.g. part-time work) leading to only partial pension entitlements; calls on the Member States to put funds aside to combat the rising public costs of the retiring population;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the Commission's last mention in the 2013 Annual Growth Survey of the need to reform pension systems; observes, however, that in many Member States priority should be assigned to aligning the actual retirement age with the statutory retirement age;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the acceleration of the pressure posed by demographic developments on national budgets and pension systems now that the first cohorts of the ‘baby boom generation’ retire; notes the uneven progress and levels of ambition across Member States in formulating and implementing structural reforms aimed at raising employment, phasing out early retirement schemes and putting both the statutory and effective retirement age on a sustainable footing with increases in life expectancy; welcomes the Commission’s recommendation that the retirement age for women be brought into line with that for men; stresses that Member States that fail to implement gradual reforms now may at a later stage find themselves in a scenario where they have to implement reforms shock-wise and with significant social consequences;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Recommends that, if Member States link the statutory retirement age to rising life expectancy, they have it constantly adjusted by an institutionalised forum of experts comprising demographers, actuaries, etc., and the representatives of the generations; recommends that, for this purpose, very precise definitions be adopted, inter alia, of assessment criteria which are relevant scientifically and from the point of view of social policy (e.g. life expectancy, birth rate, labour market, immigration, health, economic dependency ratio, etc.);
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on Member States to propose measures to facilitate longer, healthy and active working lives, for example age- appropriate working conditions, flexible organisation of work, more preventive health measures, stepping-up of lifelong learning, promoting the skills of older workers, cost-effective strategies to ensure the compatibility of work, private life and family life, and the like;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the social partners to adopt a life-cycle approach to human resources management and to adapt workplaces; calls on employers to come up with programmes to ensure that employees can work longer; calls on workers to engage actively in available training opportunities and and are also motivated to take advantage of them in order to keep themselves fit for the labour market at all stages of their working life;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Member States to act vigorously to realise the ambitions formulated in the EU Pact for Gender Equality (2011-2020) that focus on closing gender gaps and combat gender segregation and on promoting a better work-life balance for women and men– inter alia with regard to the disparity in wages, which is still excessive – and on promoting a better work-life balance for women and men; notes that, above all, this requires child care facilities to be provided; stresses that these objectives are key to raising female employment and to fighting female poverty in working and old age;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Proposes a generational check, which should objectively assess the impact of future legislative proposals on all generations – particularly younger and older people – in the legislative procedure. This should make it clear what consequences legislation will have for these generations; generational checks would play a particularly important part in legislative proposals that affect the pensions system;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Proposes that the younger and older generations, which feel the maximum impact of decisions, should be involved as statutory social partners, with equal rights, in order to ensure their active participation and codetermination in all generational issues; believes that this could guarantee the maximum consensus among all social groups and prevent conflicts in decision-making;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Welcomes the Commission’s objective of bringing the statutory retirement age for women into line with that for men;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Considers that ways much be found of bringing influence to bear so as to take account of the part of life devoted to caring for and looking after children of all ages and older persons who cannot care for themselves;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the call in the White Paper for developing funded, complementary occupational pensions and private savings; stresses, however, that the Commission should rather recommend collective mandatory occupational pension savingchemes, as collective (second pillar) pension systems − usually governed by (sectoral) social partners whilst governed by independent bodies which are publically accountable and include scheme members − allow for solidarity within and between generations, whereas individual schemes do not; stresses the need to start building up complementary occupational pension systems now, despite the crisis; whilst recognise and address the difficulty of some people to access these schemes;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the call in the White Paper for developing funded, complementary occupational pensions and private savings; stresses, however, that the Commission should rather recommend collective mandatosupplementary occupational pension savings, as collective (second pillar) pension systems - usually governed by (sectoral) social partners - allow for solidarity within and between generations, whereas individual schemes do not; stresses the need to start building up complementary occupational pension systems now, despite the crisis;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the need to put in place a common European supervision and regulatory system for financial markets and institutions in view of creating an environment that will enable every Member State to provide adequate protection of supplementary pensions systems and individual savings; stresses the need to develop EU rules for investment practice and prudent management of DC schemes, including life-styling portfolios, minimum return guarantees, protection of pension outcome when pay-out phase falls during economic and financial downturns and equal treatment through gender neutral life annuities;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Emphasises that collective occupational pension schemes should be held with low operating costs;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Regrets the wide dispersion in characteristics and outcomes across Member States’ occupational pension schemes as regards access, solidarity, cost- effectiveness, risk and return; welcomes the Commission’s intention, in close consultation with the Member States, social partners, the pension industry, generational representatives of young people and older people, and other stakeholders, to develop a code of good practice for occupational pension schemes;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission, since assertions taken as a basis for proposals in some cases are unbalanced, factually incomplete and unrepresentative, to reassess and resubmit the grounds on which the proposals were based;