Policy Options And Issues In Reforming European Supplementary Pension Systems

Most industrialized countries are struggling with reforming their retirement income systems. The systems have mainly been based on public pay-as-you-go plans but as the systems have become mature they have increased the fiscal burden of nations and become an inadequate device for financial insurance for the old. Consequently, almost all the European countries will need either to prefund their retirement liabilities or reform their retirement systems to reduce or restrict benefits. There is already a significant volume of supplementary pensions in Europe; about 25 per cent of the labor force is covered and more than 2 trillion ECU of funds are under management. The proposed EU occupational pensions directive provides a framework for the growth of some of these supplementary pensions in EU Member States. This paper identifies and discusses ten important economic issues in the design and implementation of supplementary pensions systems.

Pension reform is high on the policy agenda of many advanced and emerging market economies. In advanced economies the challenge is generally to contain future increases in public pension spending as the population ages. In emerging market economies, the challenges are often different. Where pension coverage is extensive, the issues are similar to those in advanced economies. Where pension coverage is low, the key challenge will be to expand coverage in a fiscally sustainable manner. This volume examines the outlook for public pension spending over the coming decades and the options for reform in 52 advanced and emerging market economies.

The Greek pension system has been costly, complex, and distortive, which has contributed to Greece’s fiscal problems and discouraged labor force participation. Several attempts to reform the system faltered due to lack of implementation, pushback by vested interests, and court rulings leading to reversals. A series of reforms introduced throughout 2015–17 unified benefit and contribution rules, removed several distortions and reduced fragmentation and costs. If fully implemented throughout the long-term, these reforms can go a long way towards enhancing the pension system affordability. However, reforms faced setbacks and fell short of creating stronger incentives to build long contribution histories, to deliver sustainable growth by improving the fiscal policy mix, and to ensure fairness and equitable burden sharing across generations and interest groups. Policy priorities should aim towards fully implementing the 2015–17 reforms and complementing them with additional reforms to address these remaining objectives.

Chile’s pension system came under close scrutiny in recent years. This paper takes stock of the adequacy of the system and highlights its challenges. Chile’s defined contribution system was quite influential when introduced, and was taken as an example by other countries. However, it is now delivering low replacement rates relative to OECD peers, as its parameters did not adapt over time to changing demographics and global returns, while informality persists in the labor market. In the absence of reforms, the system’s inability to deliver adequate outcomes for a large share of participants will continue to magnify, as demographic trends and low global interest rates will continue to reduce replacement rates. In addition, recent legislation allowing for pension savings withdrawals to counter the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, is projected to further reduce replacement rates and increase fiscal costs. A substantial improvement in replacement rates is feasible, via a reform that raises contribution rates and the retirement age, coupled with policies that increases workers’ contribution density.

This new book provides a cross-country comparative analysis of the key issues shaping the latest pension reforms in Europe: political games, welfare models and pathways, population reactions, and observed and expected outcomes. Pension reform has been a top policy priority for European governments in the last decade. Ageing populations, changing labour market patterns and the process of European integration are the ‘irresistible forces’ pushing for reform throughout the region. The Political Economy of Pension Reform evaluates the political forces that make pension reform viable in different national and institutional contexts and the nature of political bargains, actors and cleavages surrounding policy change. The volume also examines the nature and outcomes of pension reform experiences in Europe, searching for a solution to the financial challenge posed by growing pension budgets. By addressing the nature of change, the pathways of reform, and the outcomes of the new pension mix in the region, the authors conclude with an analysis of people’s perceptions and attitudes towards pension policy and their acceptance or otherwise of different reform options. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of international political economy, European politics, and social policy.

This conference proceedings compares public pension reform efforts in Central and Eastern Europe with those in other OECD countries, looking at the reasons for reform, policy choices and constraints, the well-being of older people, distributional consequences of reform, and implementation.

Throughout the developed world, public and private pension schemes face major challenges that are creating irresistible pressures for reform. Major structural changes in Latin America and in Central and Eastern Europe have led to particularly fierce pressure. Two member states of the European Union - Italy and Sweden - have introduced radical reform of their public pensions systems; controversial pension reforms have been proposed in France and Germany; and the British government has been widely criticized over its pension reforms and its 2002 white paper. This exceptional volume examines the challenges faced by pension schemes in the advanced economies and the reforms that have been introduced to tackle these challenges. A team of international contributors provides an up-to-date, invaluable analysis of different aspects of pension problems, prospects and reforms. The book incorporates cross-national chapters as well as a focus on individual countries including Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Sweden, the UK and the USA.

Presenting the evolution of supplementary pensions over the past 25 years, this comprehensive book introduces the origin of pensions as a concept and explores the role that international organisations play within the field. It draws comparisons between different welfare states, reflecting upon current research and identifying new directions and ideas.

In the light of the existing financing problems of pay-as-you-go social security pension systems and the greater difficulties they will face in future as the demographic situation deteriorates, the issue of pension reform is becoming a matter of growing importance in OECD countries, developing countries and countries in transition. This paper seeks to facilitate discussion of the underlying economic issues by offering a schematic presentation of the various benefits and costs arising from the various alternatives available in respect of reform, with the major emphasis being on a shift towards funding.

Recoge: Section 1: Overview of the pension reform debate -- Section 2: Description of model used to asses the pension reform options -- Section 3: PAYG System :economic assessment of the main parametric / labour market reform options : What is needed to bring the system back into equilibrium? -- Section 4: Systemic reform: 2Key factors to be considered - internal rates of return + transition burden -- Section 5: Economic assessment of a full / partial shift to funding -- Section 6: An "optimal" EU pension reform strategy.