Supplementary pensions should support, not replace, public systems

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:26:09 +0000

From left to right: Elma Saiz Delgado, Spain’s Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, María del Carmen Barrera Chamorro, EESC rapporteur, Marija Hanzevacki, EESC VP for Communication.

The European Economic and Social Committee warns that expanding supplementary pensions must not weaken public pension systems. In recommendations to the European Commission, it calls for a balanced approach that strengthens both systems. Adopted in April, the EESC’s opinion supports the development of workplace and personal pension schemes, but stresses that they must remain complementary to public pensions. It calls for action at both national and European level to improve labour markets, reinforce public systems and increase trust in additional pension savings.