Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-23-Speech-2-288"
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"en.20030923.8.2-288"2
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"Mr President, I also congratulate the Commission and the Council on the quality of their joint report, and especially the rapporteur on his own powerful report on this key issue.
I trust that Member States in particular will take note that the problem of adequate and sustainable pensions is a problem today, will be an even bigger problem tomorrow, and requires action now. I particularly commend the rapporteur on the way he has worked hard to absorb amendments from colleagues from different parties, who also care strongly about this issue. Indeed I am grateful that he has seen fit to accept five of mine: on defining the objective; to provide adequate and fair incomes to older people and prevent poverty in old age; on defining the gravity of the problem; on the importance of promoting pension portability; and, in particular, on the disgrace that certain EU institutions continue to discriminate against allowing older workers to apply for jobs - a point I have raised on several occasions with Commissioner Kinnock with, I regret to say, only bluster in response.
Because the rapporteur has accepted so much it would probably be churlish of me to lament his non-acceptance of my amendment declaring that secure, inflation-proof pensions for public sector workers, such as Members of this Parliament, are seen as increasingly unfair by those in company schemes that depend on stock market performance in the real world. I believe we should show that we recognise this. It is, after all, the reality.
Having said that, his report recognises much that is a problem. It also seeks to focus attention on what needs to be done. In the next 50 years the number of over-65s will double from 25% to perhaps 50% of the population. In rural areas, including large parts of my own constituency of the West Midlands, the percentage could be higher still.
His report deserves support from across this House. He certainly has mine."@en1
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