Better pension rights for workers across the borders

The EPP Group today helped EU workers to better safeguard their supplementary pension rights in other EU Member States. European workers can now enjoy minimum rights for their pensions abroad.

"A genuine improvement for many workers. This is a boost to a social Europe for the citizens", stated Rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten MEP. Her Report was adopted today by an overwhelming majority the Parliament's Employment Committee.

Unlike now in some Member States, any EU worker will already start to build up a pension at the age of 21. Then, the worker needs a waiting period of maximum three years to obtain his rights: this is shorter than currently in some Member States.

Today's vote helps workers create a good pension for their old age. "Absolutely necessary, considering the growing number of retired Europeans", stated Oomen-Ruijten.

The proposal deals with pension rights provided by the employer. Statutory pension rights – provided by the state – are already secured for people working across the borders in the EU.

The proposal took a very long time to get finalised. The text was presented by the European Commission in 2005 and the Parliament gave its first reading in 2007. After that, the legislation was blocked in the Council for six years, due to the requirement of unanimity before the entering-into-force of the Lisbon Treaty which highlighted the differences between the Member States.

The Rapporteur is happy that an agreement was reached in 2013. The vote in the plenary will be on 2 April.