Pensions in the European Union: Adapting to Economic and Social Change, 2000 Adapting to Economic and Social Change

The ageing, financial and labour market challenges facing the old age pension systems of the member states of the European Union are well known. Those who cast doubt on the ability of the present system of pension provision - at least to the extent that it is pay-as-you-go financed - to cope with the problems posed by these challenges are getting more vociferous. Increasingly there are calls for pay-as-you-go systems to be cut back and for funded systems to be expanded.
This book contests the view that funding is the answer. It shows how adaptable the largely pay-as-you-go old age pension systems in the European Union are. Actuaries, economists, lawyers, political scientists, pension advisers, and sociologists, from nine European countries and the United States, consider four main themes: population ageing, competitiveness and retirement; pension financing and economic growth; adapting pension systems to meet change; and decision-making processes. They argue that pay-as-you-go-financed old age pension systems in the European Union have the ability to successfully adapt to economic and social change provided they do not take on too many non-insurance-related risks. Solving the problems of the labour market and controlling the direction and extent of economic development are beyond the powers of old age pension systems, regardless of how they are structured or financed.
Separate budgets for separate risks is an indispensable principle if the complex processes of social protection are to be successfully managed, monitored, and made transparent. There can be no single plan for the future development of old age pension systems which would be universally valid for all the countries of the European Union. A single solution cannot take into account the special circumstances obtaining in every nation, and since respect for the special features of national systems is the basis of popular acceptance, the way forward is to reform existing systems in existing contexts.

Contributors. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction; E. Reynaud. Part I: Population Ageing, Competitiveness and Retirement. 2. Demography, the Labour Market and Competitiveness; P. Concialdi. 3. Retirement Age: Public Policy and Employer Policies in Europe and the United States; L. apRoberts. Part II: Pension Financing and Economic Growth. 4. Pension Financing, the Substitution Effect and National Savings; G. Hughes. 5. The Effects of a Fully Funded Pension System on Individual Savings Behaviour; C. Öling. 6. The Control and Centralisation of Pension Fund Investment in the United Kingdom; R. Minns. 7. A Political Economy Approach to Pension Financing; F.R. Pizzuti. Part III: Adapting Pension Systems to Meet Change. 8. Equity Within and Between Generations: Pension Systems and Equity; B. Davies. 9. Contributions and Taxes for Financing Public Pension Expenditure: Looking for an Adequate Structure of Finance; W. Schmähl. 10. Personal Pensions in the UK, the Mis-selling Scandal and the Lessons to be Learnt; S. Ward. 11. The New Swedish Pension System; E. Wadensjö. Part IV: Pensions and Social Partnership. 12. The Decision-Making Process in the German Pension System; H.-D. Steinmeyer. 13. Supplementary Pension Plans and Collectively Agreed Schemes; J.-A. Schneider. 14. The Impact of Industrial Relations on the Structure of Supplementary Pensions in Scandinavia; E. Overbye. Part V: Conclusions. 15. Pay-As-You-Go Versus CapitalFunding: Towards a More Balanced View in Pension Policy &endash; Some Concluding Remarks; W. Schmähl. Index.