Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-23-Speech-2-283"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-09-23"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Adequate and sustainable pensions2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030923.8.2-283"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-09-23-Speech-2-2842
lpv:speaker	lp:Theodorus J.J. Bouwman2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 chair; EMPL (2002-01-21--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with Japan (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; G/EFA (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Conference of Committee Chairs (2002-01-21--2004-07-19)3 unknown; GroenLinks (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Commissioner, Mr Andersson, first of all, thank you for the work of both the rapporteur and the Commission. I welcome the fact that we are gradually applying the open coordination method to pensions. It is not so much a debate as a beginning. I do not know what we should do in the long term with regard to the accessibility, financability and modernisation of pensions. The proposal offers, among other things, a number of guidelines. In my view, the benefit of the Commission proposal is that it gives a good insight into what is going on and that it contains a first set of measures. However, as I have already stated, they are long-term measures. Mr Cercas may well make a comment with regard to the next generation, but that is precisely the problem that we will be facing. In the short term, we are having to deal with a labour market that is silting up in many parts of Europe and the solution of getting people to work for longer is not effective in the short term. Mrs Ainardi has already pointed out that there are a number of problems in a number of Member States, including France and Austria. In the Netherlands, 20 000 people have taken to the streets in protest against the largely Liberal Christian-Democratic government that has thought out all kinds of measures to encourage the participation of the elderly in the labour market in the long term. For example, by cutting back on early retirement, the early retirement scheme (VUT), extended unemployment benefit (WW), general unemployment benefit and similar schemes. In this connection, it has, by the way, left no scope for circumventing these measures. This means that people are currently protesting against a government in the Netherlands that is intent on taking measures of this kind. As I stated before, 20 000 demonstrators have taken to the streets in protest. Short-term policy is the missing link and, in that sense, the report by Jan Andersson is, in fact, a shallow report for problems of this type. I am stating the facts as they are. The report is not a disaster. It is a first step. In the coming period, however, something should be added. And this will bring with it all kinds of problems. I agree on increasing the effective pensionable age, but, at the moment, we should just see how things pan out, and alternatives will therefore need to be developed to ensure that short-term and long-term policy are balanced out more effectively."@en1

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