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Recommendation 2000 (2012) Final version
Decent pensions for all
1. In an economic, demographic and
social context that has put a huge strain on European pension systems,
requiring far-reaching reforms to ensure their sustainability, the
Parliamentary Assembly is concerned about the issue of pension adequacy,
namely the safeguarding of adequate pensions for all pensioners.
The trends towards smaller pensions and the increased use of funded
schemes are creating new intra- and intergenerational inequality
and therefore pose a threat to social cohesion in many member States.
2. Referring to Resolution
1882 (2012) on decent pensions for all, and Resolution 1752 (2010) on
decent pensions for women, the Parliamentary Assembly calls on the
Committee of Ministers to urge member States to:
2.1. ratify the revised European
Social Charter (ETS No. 163), which is the only binding Council
of Europe instrument that refers to the right of the elderly to
“adequate resources enabling them to lead a decent life”;
2.2. make it a political priority to review and, if necessary,
revise their pension systems;
2.3. take, particularly in the light of the current economic
and financial crises, resolute measures not only to ensure the sustainability
of pension systems but also to guarantee adequate pensions for all, having
regard to the specific situation of groups requiring special protection;
2.4. provide clear information that everyone can understand
on the options available within national pension systems, which
are often complex, to enable everyone to take their own measures
to provide for themselves according to their means.
3. The Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to study the
issues of pensions and the standard of living of the elderly in
the context of the intergovernmental activities conducted by the
Drafting Group on the Human Rights of the Elderly (CDDH-AGE), with
a view to exchanging good practices in this area and preparing practical
instruments, such as guidelines, which can help direct member States
in their ongoing or forthcoming reforms. Active debate on this subject
in the Council of Europe could also represent a significant contribution in
the context of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity
between Generations 2012, initiated by the European Commission.