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The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published today its final response to the European Commission’s Call for Advice (CfA) on the review of the IORP Directive 2003/41/EC.
A key proposal of EIOPA is the “holistic balance sheet”, as a way to achieve the Commission’s aim for harmonisation. It will enable IORPs to take into account the various adjustment mechanisms (conditional indexation, reduction of accrued rights) and security mechanisms (regulatory own funds, sponsor support, pension protection funds) in an explicit way.
In its advice, EIOPA underlines the importance of a quantitative impact study (QIS) because it is crucial to explore further the possible impact on the financial requirements for pension funds that the holistic balance sheet and the various policy options within that approach might have. EIOPA is currently preparing for a QIS exercise and aims to publish results in the second half of 2012.
Besides the quantitative requirements, EIOPA’s advice also contains proposals to enhance qualitative requirements in such areas as governance and risk-management. These have been modelled on Solvency II with the necessary adjustments for IORPs. EIOPA advice calls for the strengthening of fit and proper criteria and for a proportionate, i.e. adjusted for the nature, size and complexity of IORPs, implementation of robust internal and external controls and sound risk management frameworks.
In addition, the document addresses information provision and member protection, particularly in defined contribution (DC) schemes. According to EIOPA advice, information needs to be relevant, correct, understandable and not misleading. EIOPA calls for the introduction of a Key Information Document for all defined contribution schemes which would allow members to have confidence in the scheme, irrespective of where it is located in the EU.
Gabriel Bernardino, Chairman of EIOPA, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to make marked progress in the area of European regulation of DC schemes. At the moment, 60 million people rely on DC schemes and I have no doubt that this number will continue to grow in the coming decades. However, this is not the end of the process of developing a European framework for occupational pensions, but merely the beginning”, he added. “In particular, we have to ascertain ourselves via the QIS that the proposed approach stimulates affordable yet secure occupational pension provision in Europe”.