European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
David Eatock
Demographic outlook for the European Union 2019
Demography matters. The economy, labour market, healthcare, pensions, the environment, intergenerational fairness and election results – they are all driven by demography. The European Union (EU) has seen its population grow substantially – by around a quarter since 1960 – and it currently stands at over 500 million people. Continue reading
Prudential requirements and supervision of investment firms [EU Legislation in Progress]
Investment firms play an important role in capital markets, facilitating savings and investment flows across the EU. However, the current EU rules are seen as fragmented, overly complex, inconsistently applied and often a poor fit for the actual risks taken by the various types of investment firms. Continue reading
Framework for a pan-European personal pension product (PEPP) [EU Legislation in Progress]
Europe’s population is ageing, due to people living longer and having fewer children, putting increased pressure on pension systems. Continue reading
Occupational pensions: Revision of the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive (IORP II) [EU Legislation in Progress]
Written by David Eatock (4th edition), In 2014, the European Commission proposed a revision (‘IORP II’) of the existing Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORP) Directive of 2003, which covers certain occupational pension savings. These are overwhelmingly in the United Kingdom (55.9% of IORP assets) and the Netherlands (30.7%). The proposed revision aims to improve … Continue reading
Elderly people and poverty: Current levels and changes since the crisis
Written by David Eatock, Measuring poverty is complex and a number of indicators are now used to try to give a comprehensive picture. A composite measure – ‘at risk of poverty or social exclusion’ (AROPE) – is used today to measure progress on the Europe 2020 anti-poverty target. In general, poverty for those aged 65 … Continue reading
The UK’s ‘new settlement’ in the European Union: Renegotiation and referendum
Written by Eva-Maria Poptcheva and David Eatock, Following the election of a majority Conservative government in the UK general election of May 2015, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, opened negotiations with the other EU Member States and the EU institutions to establish a ‘new settlement’ between the UK and the Union. This renegotiation, conducted … Continue reading
The Balance of Competences Review in the United Kingdom, 2012-2014
Written by David Eatock Against a backdrop of continuing and often intense political debate in the United Kingdom about its relationship with the rest of the European Union (EU), the Coalition Agreement of May 2010, underpinning the 2010-2015 Conservative–Liberal Democrat government, stated that the new administration would ‘examine the balance of the EU’s existing competences’, … Continue reading
European Union pension systems: adequate and sustainable?
Written by David Eatock One in four European Union (EU) citizens currently depend on their pension income. Younger citizens will one day benefit from pensions too. And they also have an immediate interest, as the taxes and social security contributions working age people pay help support current pensioners. However, pensions are one of the biggest … Continue reading
Prospects for occupational pensions in the European Union
Written by David Eatock Given ageing demographics, Member States have taken action to reform their public pension systems to put them on a more sustainable footing for the future. The 2015 Ageing Report projects that, over the long term, there will be a reduction in public pension spending as a share of GDP in the … Continue reading
The silver economy: Opportunities from ageing
Written by David Eatock The ‘silver economy’ covers a host of different but interlinked strands; together these can improve the quality of life and inclusion in society and involvement in economic activity of the ageing population through developing innovative policies, products and services to meet their needs, bringing more growth and jobs. The concept has … Continue reading
Will your children live to be 100+?
Written by David Eatock It is expected that half of all children born in the European Union (EU) since the year 2000 will live to be at least 100 years old. This was just one of the facts, challenges and opportunities presented and discussed at a EPRS roundtable event ‘Demographic change in Europe’. Europe’s ageing … Continue reading
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