COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 30 June 1993 on flexible retirement arrangements

(93/C 188/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

1. RECALLS the Council recommendation of 10 December 1982 on the principles of a Community policy with regard to retirement age (1), which advocates inter alia the gradual introduction of flexible retirement arrangements and lays down general objectives on these issues;

2. RECALLS the reports submitted to the Council by the Commission in 1986 and 1992 on the application of the recommendation;

3. RECALLS the Council recommendation of 27 July 1992 on the convergence of social protection objectives and policies (2);

4. NOTES the changed employment situation in recent years and the changes in the age and composition of the workforce;

5. NOTES that several Member States have framed their policies in the light of a number of objectives having regard, on the one hand, to the retirement situation for employees and, on the other, to the labour-market situation for older workers;

6. NOTES the financial constraints and their implications for retirement schemes and other schemes with similar objectives in the Member States, in view of demographic patterns and the labour-market situation;

7. NOTES the increasing demand by men and women for greater choice and more flexibility regarding active participation in the labour market over their working lives;

8. NOTES that certain features of flexible retirement arrangements for older employees may have a considerable bearing on the possibility of those covered by them returning to employment;

9. NOTES recent developments in pension and retirement schemes and the debate under way in Member States in the light of changes in the employment, demographic and economic situation;

10. EMPHASIZES the positive socio-economic contribution made by older employees and WISHES to encourage a smooth transition from work to retirement, e.g. through appropriate adjustment of working conditions;

11. EMPHASIZES that a smooth transition to retirement as well as flexible arrangements as indicated in point 13 may constitute a rational response to changing demographic patterns and to labour-market changes;

12. REFERS in this connection to the steps taken in several Member States, in accordance with their specific features, to introduce the possibility of partial retirement from the labour market, combining retirement benefits with income from employment;

13. EMPHASIZES that the framing and implementation of a policy on flexible retirement arrangements is a matter for each Member State, subject to the provision of the Treaties and bearing in mind the principle of subsidiarity referred to in Article 3b of the Treaty establishing the European Community as provided for in the Treaty on European Union;

14. NOTES the important role of management and labour in this field in the Member States;

15. WISHES to see older people continue to play an active part in society and, having regard to the economic and employment situation in each Member State, maintain a link with the labour market;

16. INVITES the Member States and, where appropriate, management and labour, to develop and, if necessary, adapt their employment policies so as to make possible flexible adjustments in line with changes in demography and in the age structure of the labour force;

17. CALLS on Member States to continue collecting information and assessing the effects of changes in their employment policies and in their pension and retirement schemes;

18. CALLS on the Commission therefore:

(a) to promote exchanges of information on pension and retirement schemes for older employees in the Community;

(b) subsequently to inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee of the measures taken by the Member States in implementation of this resolution;

(c) to examine, following the communication of this information to the institutions concerned and in consultation with the Member States, whether other measures are needed.

(1) OJ No L 357, 18. 12. 1982, p. 27.

(2) OJ No L 245, 26. 8. 1992, p. 49.