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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(81)779
Vol.1981/0221

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)779 final
Brussels-9thDecember 1981
,/
DRAFTCOUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
ontheprinciples ofaCommunitypolicywith
regardtoretirement âge
y
(presented bytheCommission totheCouncil)
C0M(81)779final

>-in \ I'?or,tneadaptationcf«or<,r.5
time,,theCouncilstressedtheimportanceitattachedtothecontinuation
bytheCommission ofitsworkonflexibleretirement .TheCouncilconsidered
thatflexibleretirement,whichshouldbevoluntary,shouldbedevelopedin
conjunction withmeasurestofacilitate agradualwithdrawal fromworking
lifeattheendoftheworker'scareer,suchaspart-timeworkandlonger
holidaysforolderworkers.
Asafollow-uptothatResolution,on14JulytheCommissionpresented
aCommunication ,"Communityguidelines onflexibleretirement"(1)whichwas
discussedbytheStandingCommittee onEmploymentatitsmeetingon
11December1980.Abroadconsensus emergedtotheeffectthatworkersshould
gradually begiventherighttochoosethetimeoftheirretirement,fromagiven
age.Thisconsensus wasaccompanied bystatements oftheemployers' and
workers'viewpoints andtheCommitteeconsidered thatinfutureaccountshould
betakenofspecificnationalcircumstances andthefieldsofcompetenceofthe
variouspartiesconcerned.Accordingly,theCommission wasinvitedtocontinue
itsworkinthisareaandpresentappropriate proposals.Withrespectto
phasedretirement (gradualreductionofworkinghoursattheendofaworker's
career)theCommitteeconsideredthatitcouldbemadethesubjectofa
subsequent discussion .
2.TheaimofthisRecommendation istoreflectthisconsensusinspecific
proposals.ACouncilRecommendation seemedthemostappropriate instrument in
whichtolaydownguidelines corresponding toalong-termsocialpolicygoal
intheMemberStateswhiletakingintoaccountspecificnationalcircumstances
andtheareasofcompetence ofthevariouspartiesconcerned.
Similarly,itseemedadvisabletomakeadistinction intheRecommendation
betweenalong-termcommitment onthepartoftheMemberStates-theachievement
ofthegoal-andtheshort-term commitmentrelatingtomorelimitedobligations .
3.Thelong-termcommitmentistoimplementflexibleretirement as
acommongoalofMemberStates'socialpolicies.Thismeans
freedomofchoiceofthetimeofretirement fromagivenagefor
theentireworkingpopulation,bothemployedandself-employed .
(1)COM(80)393final.
./.

-2-
Tothisend,MemberStatesareinvited(partAoftheRecommendation )toadopt
therequisitemeasurestoachievethisgoal.Thiscanbedonegraduallywithinthe
frameworkofstatutoryoroccupational schemes(schemessetupundercollective
agreement,companyschemes,etc.)takingasabasisacertainnumberofprinciples
whichreflecttherecommendations oftheInternational LabourOrganization inthis
field.
4.Theseprinciplesprovideformoreflexibility intherulesapplicableto
theageatwhichentitlement toaretirementpensionisacquired;therightto
freedomofchoicewithregardtotheageofretirementafteragivenage(identical
formenandwomeninaccordancewiththeprincipleofequaltreatment);certain
alternative schemes(e.g.fixedagewiththepossibility ofbringingforwardor
deferringapplicationforpension,orpensionafteragivennumberofinsurance
years);therighttofinancialcompensation forelderlyworkerswhoseworkingtime
isbeinggraduallycutdown,therighttopursueanoccupationsubjecttocertain
limitswhendrawingapension;andretirementpreparation programmes.Theconditions
governingtheintroduction ofmeasuresofferingfinancialincentivestoencourage
elderlyworkerstovacatetheirjobsareindicatedbutarenotregardedasan
integralpartoftheflexibleretirementsystem.
i
5.TheCommission wouldmakeadistinction betweentheapplication ofthese
principles,themainconcernofwhichistheimprovement ofthequalityoflifeand
agreaterrespectforthewishesoftheindividual andcertainearlyretirement
schemeswhichithaspromotedorsupportedinparticularsectors(e.g.steel,
fishing)andwhich,whilenotrunningcountertotheaboveprinciples,areprinci­
pallyemploymentpolicymeasures.
6.PartBoftheRecommendation envisagesafurtherstageofreflectionatthe
Communitylevelafteraperiodoftwoyears,whentheMemberStatesareaskedto
examineandreporttotheCommission ontheirretirementsystemsinthelightofthe
principlessetoutintheRecommendation .InthelightofthisreviewtheCommission
willreportbacktotheCouncilontheapplication offlexibleretirement (progress,
obstacles,difficulties,costs,etc.)andmaymakefurtherproposalsforthe
realisation ofthecommonobjective,includingpossiblythefixingofthesame
minimumageforretirementinallMemberStates.TheCommissionwillalsoconsider
atthattimemeasurestoextendtheavailability ofphasedretirementarrangements
andinvitestheMemberStatestogivegreaterattentionoverthenexttwoyearsto
./.

policiesandmeasuresdesigned ,.0avoidiheabrupttransition fromfull-time
employment toretirement andtoreporttotheCommission ontheirexperience at
theendofthisperiod.Inthemeantime,theCommissionwillcontinueandenlarge
itscontactswithinterested bodieswithaviewtodevelopingitspolicyinthe
fieldandawaitswithinteresttheresultsoftheEuropeanParliament'scurrent
workon"TheproblemofoldageintheCommunitycountries".

DRAFTCOUNCILRECOMMENDATION ONTHEPRINCIPLES
OFACOMMUNITY POLICYWITHREGARDTORETIREMENT AGE
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing EuropeanEconomicCommunity,
HavingregardtothedraftRecommendation presentedbytheCommission,
HavingregardtotheOpinionofEuropeanParliament,
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
Whereason18December1979theCounciladoptedaResolution ontheadaptation
ofworkingtime(1);
WhereasabroadconsensuswasnotedintheStandingCommitteeonEmploymenttothe
effectthatallworkersshouldgraduallybegiventherightfromacertain
agetochoosethetimeoftheirretirement (2);
Whereasthereareagreatmanyargumentsinfavourofamoreflexibleapproach
toretirementage,whicharemainlyrelatedtotheobjective
needsandwishesofthepersonsconcerned,butalsotomoregeneralpolicy
considerations ;
Whereasaflexibleretirementsystemwouldmoreoverbelikelytocontributetowards
asolutionoftheproblemofequaltreatmentformenandwomenwithrespect
toretirementage;
WhereasatrendtowardsmoreflexiblesystemsisemergingintheMemberStates,
whichforthetimebeingcontinuetoprovideforafixedretirementage;
whereasthistrendismanifestinvariousways(provisionsforflexibleretirement
incorporated inthelaw,pensionsafteracertainnumberofinsuranceyears,opportu­
nitytoapplyforapensionearlierorlaterthanthestatutoryage,bringingdown
theretirementageforcertaincategoriesofpersonsorforcertainarduousordan­
gerousoccupations,earlyretirementpensionsorguaranteed incomesforelderlywor­
kerswhoagreetoleavetheirjobbeforethestatutoryretirementagetoprovide
jobopportunities forunemployedworkersorworkersthreatenedwithdismissal),
./.
(1)OJC2,4January1980
(2)StandingCommitteeonEmployment,20thmeeting,11December1980

INVITES THEMEMBERSTATES
toacknowledge flexibleretirement,thatisfreedomtochoosethetimeof
retirementafteragivenageforallworkers,whetheremployedorself-employed ,
asoneoftheaimsoftheirsocialpolicy;
RECOMMENDS THEMEMBERSTATES
A.Toadopttothisendthenecessary measurestointroduceflexible
retirementgraduallyintotheframeworkofstatutoryoroccupational insurance
schemesinaccordance withthefollowingprinciples :
1.Toensurethatretirementisvoluntary,therulesgoverningtheagefrom
whichanoldagepensionmaybedrawnshouldbemademoreflexible.Tothisend
"* Afteragivenage-identicalformenandwomen-workers
shouldbefreetochoosethetimeoftheirretirement .
~Failingthat,andaslongasthesystemstipulates afixedageforentitle­
menttoapension,workersshouldbeofferedtheoption,duringaspecified
period,ofapplyingforapensioninadvanceofthestatutory ageorrequesting
itsdeferment beyondthatage.Reductions madetotheamountofpensionstaken
earlyshouldnotbesuchastorenderpointlesstheexerciseoftheoption.
~Increasedflexibility asregardstheageofentitlement toanoldagepension
wouldalsobeachievedbyasystemunderwhichentitlement toapension
aroseafteragivennumberofyearsofemployment ormembership ofaninsurance
scheme.

-3-
5.Duringagivenperiodpriortoretirement,elderlyworkerswhoseworking
timeisgraduallybeingreducedshouldreceiveaspecialallowance
compensating partlyorinfullforthereductionintheirearnings,and
theirpensionrightsshouldnotbeimpaired.
6.Financialincentivestopromotetheearlydepartureofelderlyworkers
shouldonlybeappliedforalimitedperiodintheeventofexceptional
economiccircumstances andshouldnotberegardedasanintegralpartof
aflexibleretirementsystem.
7.Workersreceivinganoldagepensioncannotbeexcludedfromallforms
ofpaidemployment .
8.Workerswhoarewithintwoyearsoftheminimumretirementageshouldhave
accesstoappropriate counselling servicesandretirementpreparation
programmes .
B.Toundertake,asafirststage,anexamination oftheirretirementsystems
inthelightoftheseprinciplesoverthenexttwoyears;andtoexaminealso
thefeasibility ofgeneralising opportunities forphasedretirementwithaview
toeasingthetransitionoutoffull-timeemploymentintoretirement.
MemberStatesshallcommunicate theresultsoftheseexaminations tothe
CommissionwithintwoandahalfyearsoftheadoptionofthisRecommendation ,
toenableittodrawupareportforpresentation totheCouncilwithinafurther
sixmonths,onprogressmadeandobstaclesencountered inapplyingflexible
retirement andphasedretirement,andtoproposeanyothermeasuresneededto
achievecommonobjectives andtoeasethetransitionofworkersoutoffull-time
employmentintoretirement.