Speakers
Session overview
Objectives
The session will assess how the EU Supplementary Pensions Package can be translated into national reforms that expand supplementary pension coverage and improve retirement adequacy across Member States. It will examine how reforms such as the revision of IORP II, pension tracking systems and auto-enrolment can increase participation over the next five years, drawing lessons from Member States that have already introduced significant pension reforms. Particular attention will be paid to identifying which elements can realistically be replicated across the EU.
The discussion will also clarify the respective roles of the European Union and Member States. Since the key levers of reform — including taxation, labour-market rules, the role of social partners and auto-enrolment — remain national, it will examine which policy choices are most likely to accelerate the development of supplementary pensions and whether the EU's incentive-based approach can drive structural change.
Finally, the session will examine the conditions needed for PEPPs, Insurance-Based Investment Products (IBIPs) and other long-term retail investment products to achieve meaningful scale. It will assess whether the main barriers are regulatory or behavioural, and whether the proposed PEPP reforms are sufficient to create a viable pan-European market or will ultimately depend on broader national reforms, particularly in taxation and distribution.
Points of discussion
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How can Europe effectively expand supplementary pension coverage and adequacy? The EU Supplementary Pensions Package is now moving from strategy to implementation. Beyond the EU legislative proposals themselves, which domestic reforms and implementation choices are most likely to expand supplementary pension coverage and improve retirement adequacy across Europe over the next five years?
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Europe is seeking to strengthen personal retirement savings and mobilise long-term capital through PEPPs, IBIPs and other long-term retail investment products. What conditions are needed for these products to achieve meaningful scale and deliver better outcomes for citizens?