Activities of Ilda FIGUEIREDO related to 2010/2239(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems (debate)
Amendments (29)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Appreciates the holisticStrongly opposes the approach adopted by the Green Paper, which is intended to impart fresh impclaims that there is 'an urgent need to review the pension promise in view of what the rest of the economy – and public budgetus at national and EU level with the aim of safeguarding old-age pensions- can be expected to provide' and calls for the development of a European internal market in pension funds, which would amount to reopening the financial casino and creating new opportunities for speculation rather than restricting it, thereby putting the adequacy, safety and sustainability of pensions even more at risk;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that Member States facPoints out that investing pension contributions on volatile financial markets, as advocated in the Commission's earlier Financial Services Action Plan, did not lead to higher returns for current and future penormous challenges in ensuring that pensions meet citizens' expectsioners, but instead to heavy losses in 2008 (20% on average for pension funds) and severe underfunding of occupational pension schemes, creating problems for them in meeting their pension obligations;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Sorely misses any mention of SMEs, which are one of the main sources of ePoints out that the European Union is now showing its real anti-social face: the EU and national governments are advocating and imployement in the EU and can, must and wish to make a major contribution to the sustainability and adequacy of pension systemsg a concerted austerity strategy which entails cutting pensions, raising statutory retirement ages, changing the basis for calculating pension entitlements from earnings in a person's best years to average earnings over a person's working career, increasing contribution periods, and the like;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Observes that soundfair economic and social policies make an important contribution to growth and st, stability and social sustainability;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that long-term investment in pension systems requires a positive approach as part of economic governance and more particulHighlights the fact that government deficits are high and public debt is soaring mainly because governments are constantly 'rescuing' the financial sector from the results of its speculation and the damage it was inflicting on the economy; strongly opposes the EU governments' austerity policies which are placing the burden of repaying public debt to the same financial sector creditors on ordinarly in the Stability and Growth Pact; workers, pensioners, etc. whose jobs, wages, social benefits, pensions and rights are under attack;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the mass mobilisations of trade unions and social movements which have occurred in a number of Member States in protest against these austerity policies in general and the new wave of neo-liberal pension 'reforms' in particular; strongly supports the prospect of EU-wide coordination of these resistance movements against the EU- wide concerted class war from above launched by the Commission, the Council and the governments of all the Member States except Cyprus;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights the fact that, according to mainstream economists, maintaining average annual labour productivity growth of 1.3-1.7%, as in past decades, will make it possible to produce increasing added value with a decreasing workforce and provide a sound basis for a fair distribution of incomes between economically active and non-active persons (such as pensioners, children, pupils, students, etc.); emphasises that further productivity reserves could be mobilised by increasing energy and resource efficiency;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Points out that securing sufficient productivity growth on a path towards sustainable development, introducing the more egalitarian distribution of incomes and wealth, phasing out precarious employment, promoting 'Decent Work' and achieving full employment are the real key economic issues when it comes to safeguarding the financial sustainability of pension systems and ensuring the adequacy of future pensions;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Observes that the EU lacks a set of common criteria which illuminate the various pension systems and that there is therefore a lack of transparent supervision applicable to all systemswould help guarantee the existence of public and universal social security systems in the context of equitable reforms enabling people to live with dignity without falling below the poverty threshold (i.e. 60% of average income in each Member State);
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets that the Green Paper does not devote any attention to the gender issue, particularly bearing in mind that, because of disparities in careers and low wages, women have smaller pensions on average and are more likely to be affected by poverty;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the importance of individualising pension entitlements in such a way as to guarantee the economic independence of men and women and ensure that pension levels guarantee a decent life;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that, within the diversity of pension systems, the general systems (first pillar) combined with work-related systems (second pillar) afford the bestcan help improve pension levels, but that it is in all circumstances the role of the general system (first pillar) to guarantee of adequatel pension provisions;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that the sustainability and adequacyimprovement of pension systems are certainly also affectobviously conditioned by the thirdfirst pillar, namely individual savings, facilitated or otherwiseas the financial crisis has shown;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that national budgets are under severe pressure and that many Member States are reviewing the efficiency of expenditure; calls on Member States to consider introducing compensation so that all taxpayers who cannot achieve the level of ambition in the first and second pillars are entitled to a supplementary offset of pension contributions in the second pillar or of contributions to private pension schemes in the third pillar; notes that this could also help Member States to establish a three-pillar structure;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that, in view of demographic trends and the need to ensure a general increase in the statutory retirement age and an extension of compulsory contribution periods are not necessary at all; highlights the fact that the pensions can be paid for, it is necessary for more people to participate in the labour market and to do so for longer; observes that life expectancy is growing an reforms of the past two decades one- sidedly froze or decreased the contributions to be paid by the employers and increased the overall contributions to be paid by employees; considers that - while maintaining the current level of employees' contributions - a return to parity financing of statutory pension schemes (at least 50% of contributions to be paid by the employer) would calls onow most Member States to consider linking themaintain or to return to a statutory retirement age to life expectancy; of 60 years;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that there are major disparities in the statutory retirement age and in the actual age at which older people cease to be employed; calls on Member States and the two sides of industry, therefore, to exchange information about good experiences and to conclude agreements leading to a prolongation of working life, for example by rewarding people who work for lonConsiders that ways of organising work and working time arrangements must be adapted to demographic change; points out that improved stability of employment, social security and health and safety at the workplace, and also shorter collective working times, are necessary for the more effective integration of young and older workers alike, in order to keep them in gainful employment, motivated and healthy, until they reach the statutory retirement ager;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets that the 2020 Strategy devotes no explicit attention to sustainable and adequate pension systems; in the context of defending public and universal social security systems that guarantee decent pensions for all;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports, in accordance with the 2020 Strategy, a targeted and active labour market policy which will lead to increased participation in employment on the part of older workers, women, young people, members of minority groups and the long-term unemployed, creating jobs with rights for all;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the growing importance of labour-market mobility in the EU, as well Points out that the 2003 directive concerning the institutions for occupational retirement provision (IORPs) forced Member States to abolish prudential rules governing occupational pension schemes (OPS) and to open up the provision of OPS to competition; emphasises that the directive allows IORPs to invest 70% of their portfolio or technical provisions in shares and corporate bonds, including in risk capital markets, and up to 30% in assets denominated in foreign currencies, but that apart from transparency and information requirements it does not even stipulate that at least the need for such mobilityaccumulated contributions to the scheme should be guaranteed at retirement or that a minimum rate of return or a defined benefit should be set;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Emphasises that the liberalisation of prudential regulation brought about by that directive may have contributed to the losses and problems suffered by occupational pension schemes in the financial crisis; highlights the fact that the IORP Directive does not provide for proper protection of the contributions and future pensions of the members of occupational pension schemes and calls on the Commission to repeal it;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Advocates a step-by-step reintegration of the assets of funded schemes into public pension schemes - as Argentina has done - in order to strengthen the redistributive character of pension systems; calls on the Member States to promote statutory pension systems which guarantee that old-age poverty can be prevented and, through their earnings-related component, ensure that living standards are maintained;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 413 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 424 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Is concerned about the inadequate information provided to the public by public authorities and bodies administering pensions concerning the necessity, possibilities, accumulated entitlements, likely results and actual state of affairs with regard to old-age pensions; calls on the Commission and Member States to launch campaigns to enable and encourage members of the public to take measures to ensure adequate pension provision for themselves;
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Considers that, when pension provision is reformed, or when there is a changeover from a promised pension to a promised pension arrangement, or from a final salary to a mean salary system, the public must be promptly and fully informed of the consequences;