Europäischer Rechnungshof - European Court of Auditors
(Press briefing) Supplementary pension schemes – do they work in the EU internal market?
Press invitation
for 21 May 2025
Supplementary pension schemes – do they work
in the EU internal market?
- Online press briefing: Wednesday 21 May at 10.00 a.m. CEST
- Publication: Same day at 5.00 p.m. CEST
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) would like to invite you to an online press briefing on its upcoming special report on developing supplementary pensions and pension funds in the EU – at 10.00 a.m. CEST on Wednesday 21 May 2025.
The purpose of the briefing is to provide a detailed overview of the audit, and to put its conclusions and recommendations into context. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the report with ECA Member Mihails Kozlovs and representatives of the audit team.
RSVP: Please let us know by 1.00 p.m. on Tuesday 20 May whether you intend to take part in the online briefing; we will then send you detailed instructions on how to connect. To allow for an informed discussion, confirmed participants can receive an embargoed copy of the report and press release upon request ahead of the briefing. Both documents will be published on the ECA website at 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday 21 May.
Background
Pension systems in the EU are generally structured around three pillars. The first pillar is state and statutory pensions, complemented by earnings-related occupational pensions as the second pillar, and other personal pensions as the third. Occupational pensions are retirement savings plans that employers provide for their employees. Occupational pension funds play a particularly important role in the Netherlands, and to lesser extent in several other countries, including France, Germany, and Sweden.
The auditors assessed whether the European Commission and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority have been effective in strengthening the role of occupational pension funds and developing pan-European personal pension products. The report comes at a time when the Commission plans to review the legal frameworks for occupational pension funds and the pan-European fund as part of the Savings and Investments Union.
Press contact
ECA press office: press@eca.europa.eu
Damijan Fišer: M: (+352) 621 552 224