WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/W/561 
16 March 2006 
 (06-1169) 
General Council 
15 – 16 May 2006  
 
 
 
ARRANGEMENT GOVERNING THE TRANSFER OF PENSION RIGHTS BETWEEN 
THE WTO PENSION PLAN (WTOPP) AND 
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES PENSION SCHEME (EC SCHEME) 
 
 
1. Article 10 of the WTOPP Regulations states that:  "The Management Board, may, subject to 
the concurrence of the General Council, approve agreements with Member Governments and with 
intergovernmental organizations, with a view to secu ring continuity of pension rights for participants 
in the Plan". 
2. The Management Board of the WTOPP and th e Secretariat of the European Communities 
Pension Scheme recently approved the attached text  of an arrangement governing the transfer of 
pension rights between the two schemes. 
3. The General Council is invited to express its concurrence with the attached transfer 
arrangement with the European Communities Pension Scheme. WT/GC/W/561 
Page 2 
  ARRANGEMENT GOVERNING THE TRANSFER OF PENSION RIGHTS BETWEEN 
THE WTO PENSION PLAN (WTOPP) AND 
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES PENSION SCHEME (EC SCHEME) 
 
    The present exchange of letters governs the transfer of pension rights between the WTO 
Pension Plan (WTOPP) and the European Comm unities pension scheme (EC scheme).  A staff 
member leaving the service of the WTO and entering the service of the EC, and an official leaving the 
service of the EC and entering the service of the WTO may avail himself/herself of the transfer arrangement defined in the present exchange of lett ers.  In either case the receiving institution shall 
determine, by means of general implem enting provisions, the number of years of 
contributory/pensionable service with which he/she  shall be credited in the corresponding Pension 
Plan/pension scheme in respect of the period of  contributory/pensionable service in the former 
Pension Plan/pension scheme.  The general implemen ting provisions applicable in respect of the 
WTOPP are set out in Annex I.  The general implem enting provisions currently applicable in respect 
of the EC scheme are set out in Annex 2.  
 
     
 
    
 
  Robert Luther Bernard Nonat  Secretary xxxxxx  WTO Pension Plan European Communities Pension Scheme  
 Geneva,  xxxxx,  
    
 
 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 3 
   
Annex I  
 
 
General implementing provisions applicable by the WTO Pension Plan  
in respect of transfers between the EC pension scheme and the WTO Pension Plan  
  
Article 1 
 
In the present agreement:  
(b) "EC Scheme" means the pension scheme of the European Communities; 
 (c) "Scheme participant" means a participant in the EC Scheme;  (d) "Pension Plan" means the Pension Plan of the World Trade Organization; 
 
(e) "Plan participant" means a participant in the Pension Plan;  (f) "Applicable exchange rate" means the aver age, computed over the 36 consecutive calendar 
months of contributory service (or the applicab le such period if less than 36 months) up to 
and including the last month of participati on in the EC Scheme or the Pension Plan, 
respectively, of the monthly United Nations oper ational rates of exchange between the Euro  
and the Swiss Franc. 
 
Article 2 
 1. A former Scheme participant who has not recei ved a benefit under the EC Staff Regulations 
may elect to be covered by the present provisions upon entering the service of the World Trade Organization within six months after participation in the EC Scheme has ceased and electing within such period to transfer the accrued entitlements from the EC Scheme to the 
Pension Plan. 
 
2. Upon so electing, the former Sc heme participant shall cease to  be entitled to any benefit under 
the EC Staff Regulations. 
 3. Upon the former Scheme participant becoming a Plan participant and electing to be covered 
by the present provisions, the EC Scheme shall pay to the Pension Plan an amount equal to 
the equivalent actuarial value calculated in  accordance with the general implementing 
provisions for articles 11 and 12 of annex VIII to  the Staff Regulations of officials of the 
European Communities of the retirement benefit which the Scheme participant had accrued in 
the EC Scheme up to the date par ticipation in the EC Scheme ceased. 
 4. The former Scheme participant shall be cred ited with contributory service with the Pension 
Plan as calculated in accordance with Articles 2(a) and 8 of the Regulations of the Pension 
Plan and, in particular, with the transfer f actors appended to these provisions, the applicable 
exchange rate and the pensiona ble remuneration applicable to the participant under the Plan 
Regulations. 
 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 4  
 
  Article 3 
 
1. A former Plan participant may elect to be cove red by the present provisions  after entering the 
EC Scheme and in respect of the conditions fo reseen by article 11 of annex VIII of the Staff 
Regulations of the officials of  the European Communities.  
 
2. Upon so electing, the former Plan participant shall cease to be entitled to receive benefits 
under the Regulations of the Pension Plan. 
 3. Upon the former Plan participan t becoming a Scheme participant and electing to be covered 
by the present provisions, the Pension Plan sha ll pay to the EC Scheme an amount equal to 
the equivalent actuarial value, calculated in  accordance with Articles 2(a) and 8 of the 
Regulations of the Pension Plan, of the retirem ent benefit which the former Plan participant 
had accrued in the Pension Plan up to the date participation ceased, subject to the application 
of the transfer factors appended to these provisi ons, the exchange rate where applicable and 
the final average remuneration applicable to th e former Plan participant at the date of 
separation from service. 
 4. The former Plan participant shall be credited fo r purposes of the EC Scheme with a number of 
years of pensionable service calculated in accordance with the general implementing provisions for Articles 11 and 12 of Annex VIII to  the Staff Regulations of officials of the 
European Communities. 
 
Article 4 
 
1. Plan participants who entered the service of the World Trade Organization before the 
effective date of this agreement, and who have not received any payments from the EC 
Scheme resulting from their participation, may elect to avail themselves of these general implementing provisions by so informing the Pension Plan in writing before [ ].  Upon so electing, the provisions of article 2, paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, and ar ticle 3, paragraphs 2, 3, and 
4, above shall apply. 
 
2. Former Plan participants who entered the EC  Scheme before the effective date of this 
agreement may elect to avail themselves of th ese general implementing provisions in respect 
of the conditions foreseen by article 11 of anne x VIII (and, where applicable, by article 26(3) 
of annex XIII) of the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities. 
  WT/GC/W/561 
 Page 5 
 
 
  World Trade Organization Pension Plan 
Transfer Factors to be applied to Transfers to and from the EC Scheme  
 
Age Service to be credited for a transfer amount 
equal to Annual Pensionable Remuneration Transfer Out Factor 
Normal retirement 
age 60 Transfer Out Factor 
Normal retirement 
age 62 
18 10.502 2.944 2.603 
19 10.199 3.061 2.708 
20 10.204 3.184 2.816 
21 9.478 3.314 2.931 
22 8.837 3.448 3.050 
23 8.300 3.588 3.173 
24 7.849 3.733 3.301 
25 7.477 3.883 3.434 
26 7.179 4.040 3.572 
27 6.950 4.202 3.715 
28 6.784 4.370 3.864 
29 6.626 4.544 4.018 
30 6.476 4.725 4.178 
31 6.335 4.914 4.344 
32 6.201 5.109 4.516 
33 6.071 5.312 4.695 
34 5.945 5.523 4.881 
35 5.820 5.743 5.074 
36 5.698 5.971 5.275 
37 5.579 6.208 5.484 
38 5.465 6.455 5.701 
39 5.352 6.711 5.927 
40 5.241 6.978 6.162 
41 5.131 7.256 6.406 
42 5.025 7.545 6.660 
43 4.922 7.846 6.924 
44 4.821 8.160 7.200 
45 4.724 8.486 7.486 
46 4.629 8.826 7.784 
47 4.536 9.180 8.095 
48 4.445 9.550 8.419 
49 4.355 9.935 8.757 
50 4.266 10.338 9.109 
51 4.180 10.758 9.477 
52 4.098 11.198 9.862 
53 4.018 11.660 10.265 
54 3.940 12.143 10.688 
55 3.864 12.652 11.131 
56 3.790 13.187 11.598 
57 3.717 13.751 12.090 
58 3.642 14.347 12.610 
59 3.567 14.978 13.158 
60 3.489 15.645 13.739 
61 3.393 - 14.353 
62 3.278 - 15.004 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 6  
 
   Annex 2
 
 
 
General implementing provisions fo r Articles 11 and 12 of Annex VIII  
to the Staff Regulations on transferring pension rights  
 
Section 2 – Provisions relating to Articles 11(1) and 12 
 
 
Article 2 
 
 Staff who leave the service of the Communities to:  
 • enter the service of a government administration or a national or international 
organization, or  
 • pursue an activity in an employed or self employed capacity by virtue of which they 
acquire pension rights, 
 
may, provided they have not already started draw ing a pension under the Staff Regulations, request 
that the institution in which they are employed transf er the actuarial equivalent of their pension rights 
(current on the day of the actual transfer) to one of the following bodies:  
 • a government administration or a natio nal or international organization, 
 • the body responsible for administering the pe nsion scheme that covers their activity in 
an employed or self employed capacity. 
  Alternatively, staff who have not reached pens ionable age within the meaning of Article 77 of 
the Staff Regulations who permanently cease employment for a reason other than their death or 
invalidity and who are not entitled to a retirement pens ion may request that the actuarial equivalent of 
their pension rights be transferred to a private insu rance company or pension fund of their choice, on 
condition such company or fund guarantees that:  
   • the capital will not be paid out; 
  • a monthly income will be paid from age 60 at the earliest, and age 65 at the 
latest; 
  • provisions are included for widow(er)s' or survivors' pensions; 
  • transfer to another insurance company or fund will be authorized only if such 
company or fund fulfils the conditions laid down in the three preceding 
indents. 
 
Article 3 
   
  When staff permanently cease employment for a reason other than their death, invalidity or 
because they have started to draw their retirement pension, their institution will notify them of the 
amount of the actuarial equivalent that corresponds to  their entire pension rights acquired to that date 
under the Community pension scheme. 
   The transfer, under Article 11(1) or Article 12, shall become permanent and irrevocable once 
written agreement for it has been provided by: 
 
 • the administration, organization, body, insurance company or pension fund referred to 
in Article 2, and  WT/GC/W/561 
 Page 7 
 
 
   • the staff member and the institution in which they are employed. 
  By giving this agreement, staff shall effec tively waive their entitlement and that of their 
dependants to any other pension rights  under the Community pension scheme. 
 
Article 4 
 
 The amount of the actuarial equivalent (M) sha ll be calculated by the institution in which the 
staff member is employed at the time of ceasing employment: 
 
 • on the basis of the retirement pension (P) due to the staff member on the date on 
which employment permanently ceases, and 
 • by capitalising this pension (P) on the basis of the latest actuarial values (V1) in the 
table in Annex 1, according to the formula M = P x V1. 
  The actuarial equivalent calculated by this method shall be updated by a new calculation on 
the date on which the corresponding payment order is created. 
 
Section 3 – Provisions relating to Article 11(2) and 11(3) 
 
Article 5 
  Staff who take up their post with the Communities after: 
 
 • leaving the service of a government admini stration or of a national or international 
organization, or 
 • pursuing an activity in an employed or self employed capacity, 
 
shall be entitled, between the date on which they are established in their post or the end of their 
probation period (or, if they are not subject to a pr obation period, the date on which they take up their 
post) and the date on which they become eligible for payment of a retirement pension under the terms 
of Article 77 of the Staff Regulations, to have pa id to the Communities the capital value, updated to 
the date of the actual transfer, of pension rights acquired by virtue of such service or activities. 
  If the staff member has already started recei ving payments under the scheme in question, 
based on the rights referred to in the previous paragra ph, as either a pension or an income, the transfer 
can be carried out only if agreem ent is obtained from this scheme. 
  Applications must be submitted in writing, using the form provided for this purpose and 
preferably sent by registered post with acknowledgeme nt of receipt.  They can be submitted as early 
as the date on which the staff member is establishe d in his post or the date on which his probation 
period finishes or, if he is not subject to a probatio n period, the date on which they take up their post. 
 
 Applications received before the end of th e probation period may not be processed by the 
competent department until this period has ended.   Regardless of their status, staff must submit th eir application no later than six months after the 
end of the minimum period needed to qualify them for the right referred to in Article 77 of the Staff 
Regulations.  If the end of this period has not been reached by the time the staff member has reached pensionable age within the meaning of Article 77 of the Staff Regulations, they must submit their 
application no later than 6 months after the date on which they attain this age. 
 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 8  
 
   Applications must be submitted within the peri ods referred to above, ev en if no agreement has 
been reached with the pension scheme(s) in qu estion on suitable arrangements for the transfer. 
  The date that counts shall be the date on whic h the competent institution takes delivery of an 
application sent by registered post or, failing that, th e date on which the application is registered with 
the competent department of the institution. 
  In any unbroken period during which they are members of the pension scheme for officials of the European Communities, staff ma y exercise this option once only for each of any pension schemes 
they may have belonged to, regardless either of th e administrative status under which they invoked 
the right to do so or of the Community institution, agency or office in which they performed the duties 
that made them eligible for the right.   The competent institution shall terminate the procedure if, on the date on which the member 
of staff resigns or on which his contract ends, he has been either working for less than the 10 years 
needed to be eligible for a Community pension or have not reached pensionable age within the 
meaning of Article 77 of the Staff Regulations, an d if it has not proved possible to obtain definitive 
agreement from the staff member regarding the number  of pensionable years to be credited to the 
Community pension scheme.   Staff members who are reinstated after 
 
 • a period of secondment under the second i ndent of Article 37(1)(b) of the Staff 
Regulations, or 
 • a period of leave on personal grounds under Article 40 of the Staff Regulations or 
Articles 17 and 91 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the 
European Communities, 
 may request the transfer of the capital value, update d to the date of the actual transfer, of pension 
rights acquired during the secondment or  period of leave on personal grounds. 
  This provision shall not have the effect of re- opening any periods that have already closed for 
submitting a transfer application under Article 11(2) of Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations. 
  If the period provided for in paragraph 1 has expi red, staff shall have a period of six months 
from the date of their reinstatement within which to  request the transfer of only those rights acquired 
during the period of secondment or leave on personal grounds.  
Article 6 
  All amounts owed to staff members from thei r previous pension scheme which are to be 
transferred must be certified as being the up to date  capital value of the pension rights acquired before 
taking up their post with the Communities, or, for ap plications under Article 11(3) of Annex VIII to 
the Staff Regulations, before their reinstatement.  
 The amount to be transferred must correspond to the whole of this capital value.  It may 
correspond to the rights acquired from periods spent in  the service of more than one administration or 
organization or from more than one period of ac tivity in an employed or self employed capacity. 
   
  WT/GC/W/561 
 Page 9 
 
 
  Article 7 
 
 For purposes of calculating the pensionable years to be credited under Article 11(2) and (3) of 
Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations:  
 The number of pensionable years to be taken into account shall be calculated on the basis of 
the transferable amount of the pension rights ac quired during the periods referred to in the 
first subparagraphs, respectively, of Article  5(1) and (2), minus the amount of capital 
appreciation between the date on which the transfer  application is registered and the date of 
the actual transfer. 
 
 Where the national or international body is not able to supply the value of the pension rights 
on the date on which the application is registered , simple interest at the rate provided for in 
Article 10 of Annex XII to the Staff Regul ations shall be deducted from the amount 
transferred for the period from the date on which th e application is registered to the date of 
the actual transfer. 
  The number of pensionable years to be take n into account shall be calculated as follows: 
 
 • by converting the transferred amount (M) into a theoretical income (R) using the 
latest actuarial values (V2) as provided for in the table in Anne x 2, according to the 
formula R = M/V2. 
 • by converting this notional pension (R) into  a number of pensionable years (N) to the 
Community pension scheme, based on (i) the annual basic salary (T) to which the 
staff member is entitled on the date on which his transfer application is registered and 
(ii) the annual rate of pension right accumu lation applicable to the staff member in 
question (P), according to the formula N = R/(T x P). 
 • for staff who entered service before [  ] the bonus obtained shall be subject to the 
application of a weighting (CR) (see table Annex 3) to take account of the provisions 
of Article 22(1) and (2) of Annex XIII to the Staff Regulations, comprising amendments to the pensionable age and to the rate of increase of rights acquired after the normal pensionable age of the staff member concerned. 
 
  Amounts transferred to the Community pension scheme in a currency ot her than euros shall, 
for purposes of determining the number of pensionable years, be converted into euros on the basis of 
the monthly rate set by the Commission for the implementation of the budget in the month in which the application is registered. 
   For purposes of applying points 1, 2 and 3 and,  if the institution in question finds that the 
transfer was not possible on the date when the staff member announced their interest due to a lack of 
agreement with the pension scheme in question on su itable arrangements for doing so, the date to be 
taken into account shall be the date on which the application is registered. 
   Where the application is registered during th e probation period, the date to be taken into 
account shall be that on which the staff member is  established or that of the end of his probation 
period.  
   The number of pensionable years to be take n into account may not under any circumstances 
exceed the number of years during which the staff member in question was a member of the schemes in question.  Any excess amount resulting from the ceiling on the number of pensionable years shall 
be reimbursed to the staff member concerned. 
 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 10  
 
  Article 8 
 
  The crediting of pensionable years may not lead to the total pension payable by the 
Communities exceeding the ceilings set by the pension scheme. 
 
  Where relevant, the pensionable years taken into account shall go towards determining the 
actuarial equivalent transferable under Article 11(1) or Article 12 of Annex VIII to the Staff 
Regulations thereto. 
   The pensionable years taken into account shall not go towards determining the minimum 
number of completed years of service that qualify st aff for a retirement pension under Article 77 of 
the Staff Regulations. 
   The pensionable years credited to contract staff who become officials or temporary officials, 
or who are reinstated in the service of the Commun ity with one of these statuses, shall be converted 
into pensionable years acquired by an official subject  to the terms of Article 3 of Annex VIII to the 
Staff Regulations. 
 
Section 4 – Transitional and Final Provisions  
 
Article 9  
 The transitional provisions on the applicati on of Article 11(1) and Article 12(1)(b) of 
Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations shall be as de fined by Article 27 of Annex XIII thereto.  
Article 10  
 The transitional provisions on the application of Article 11(2) of Annex VIII to the Staff 
Regulations shall be as defined by Article 26 of Annex XIII thereto. 
 
 These provisions shall apply by analogy to app lications to exercise the option to transfer 
rights under Article 11(3) of Annex VIII.  
Article 11  
 These general implementing provisions for Article 11(1), (2) and (3) and Article 12 of 
Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations shall enter into force on 1 May 2004. 
 
 They shall repeal and replace the general implementing provisions adopted on 2 July 1969. 
However, those general implementing provisions sha ll remain applicable to applications submitted 
before 1 May 2004. 
 Done at Brussels, 28.4.2004   WT/GC/W/561 
 Page 11 
 
 
  Annex 1  
  Table of actuarial values (V1) calculated on th e basis of the parameters laid down in Annex 
XII to the Staff Regulations for purposes of calculati ng the transferable amount of actuarial equivalent 
under Articles 11(1) and 12 of Anne x VIII to the Staff Regulations. 
 
 
  
  
 Age at the date of the 
application  Actuarial value V1  
20 9,643 
21 9,597 
22 9,552 
23 9,529 
24 9,477 
25 9,422 
26 9,382 
27 9,368 
28 9,373 
29 9,393 
30 9,419 
31 9,467 
32 9,533 
33 9,620 
34 9,716 
35 9,815 
36 9,926 
37 10,045 
38 10,171 
39 10,303 
40 10,441 
41 10,583 42 10,728 
43 10,877 
44 11,030 
45 11,184 
46 11,341 
47 11,499 
48 11,663 
49 11,830 
50 12,002 
51 12,182 
52 12,369 
53 12,556 
54 12,747 
55 12,949 
56 13,158 
57 13,378 
58 13,607 
59 13,856 
60 14,121 
61 14,408 
62 14,715 
63 15,050 
64 15,215 
65 15,215 WT/GC/W/561 
Page 12  
 
   
Annex 2
  
 
 Table of actuarial values (V2) calculated on th e basis of the parameters laid down in Annex 
XII to the Staff Regulations for purposes of calculati ng the number of pensionable years to be credited 
under Article 11(2) and (3) of Anne x VIII to the Staff Regulations. 
 
   
 
   
 
    
 
 
    
 
  
 
__________ 
 
 Age at the date of the 
application  Actuarial value V2  
20 9,643 
21 9,597 
22 9,552 
23 9,529 
24 9,477 
25 9,422 
26 9,382 
27 9,368 
28 9,373 
29 9,393 
30 9,419 
31 9,467 
32 9,533 
33 9,620 
34 9,716 
35 9,815 
36 9,926 
37 10,045 
38 10,171 
39 10,303 
40 10,441 
41 10,583 42 10,728 
43 10,877 
44 11,030 
45 11,184 
46 11,341 
47 11,499 
48 11,663 
49 11,830 
50 12,002 
51 12,182 
52 12,369 
53 12,556 
54 12,747 
55 12,949 
56 13,158 
57 13,378 
58 13,607 
59 13,856 
60 14,121 
61 14,408 
62 14,715 
63 15,050 
64 15,215 
65 15,215