Observes that there is a trend towards more defined-contribution schemes and fewer defined-benefit schemes; notes that, as a result, pension providers transfer the risk associated with investment to pension savers; considers that, because of the diversity and complexity of the various capital-based occupational pension systems, conditions need to be laid down concerning the portability of acquired pension entitlements in the sense that portability begins when new contracts are concluded, an application for transfer being approved only if the actuarial sum transferred is to be placed in a fund whose purpose is payme ...[+++]nt of old-age pensions; asks for an in-depth study on tax issues related to the capital-based occupational pension systems and life insurance capital systems; considers that, with regard to cross-border issues, the clear focus of EU activity should be on developing minimum standards for the acquisition and preservation of pension rights and on facilitating the establishment of national tracing systems for those rights;

Calls on the Commission and the Council – given that a sustainable and properly functioning pension system is extremely important for citizens and for the stability of public finances – to ensure that the costs of pension reform continue to be taken into account in assessing whether a Member State should be subject to the excessive deficit procedure, and recommends that the focus should be on the sustainability of the funding system as opposed to any specific type of pension reform; notes that systemic pension reforms entail substantial transformation costs, which must be taken into account for the purpose of calculating government debt and budget deficits; ...[+++]

Any transfer of defence-related products within the Community should be subject to prior authorisation through general, global or individual transfer licences granted or published by the Member State from whose territory the supplier wishes to transfer defence-related products.

Early retirement from farming should target a significant structural change of the transferred holdings through the measure for the setting-up of young farmers according to the requirements of that measure, or by transferring the holding with a view to increasing its size, also taking into account the experience acquired in the implementation of previous Community schemes in this field.

Institutions for occupational retirement provision which also operate compulsory employment-related pension schemes which are considered to be social-security schemes covered by Regulations (EEC) No 1408/71 and (EEC) No 574/72 shall be covered by this Directive in respect of their non-compulsory occupational retirement provision business.

Institutions for occupational retirement provision which also operate compulsory employment-related pension schemes which are considered to be social-security schemes covered by Regulations (EEC) No 1408/71 and (EEC) No 574/72 shall be covered by this Directive in respect of their non-compulsory occupational retirement provision business.