Press Release: EU sets out plans for adequate, safe and sustainable pensions

Pensions are the main income source for around a quarter of the EU's population today and younger Europeans will also come to rely on pensions later in their lives. Unless Europe delivers on decent pensions now and in the future, millions will face poverty in old age.

Europe is also ageing as people live longer and have fewer children. From 2013, the EU's working population will already start to shrink. Pensions are putting increased financial pressure on national budgets, especially with the added strain of the financial and economic crisis.

To support these efforts, the European Commission has published a White Paper on adequate, safe and sustainable pensions. It looks at how the EU and the Member States can work to tackle the major challenges that confront our pension systems. It puts forward a range of initiatives to help create the right conditions so that those who are able can continue working - leading to a better balance between time in work and time in retirement; to ensure people who move to another country can keep their pension rights; to help people save more and ensure that pension promises are kept and people get what they expect in retirement.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Memo/12/111: Commissioner László Andor's speaking points on the White Paper on Pensions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/111&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Memo/12/108: Q&A – Commission presents White Paper on pensions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/108&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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