Stresses that pensions and pension systems are the responsibility of the Member States; recognises that Member States’ economies are interdependent, and therefore calls on the EU and the Member States to properly coordinate their different pension policies and by using the Open Method of Coordination to guarantee the adequacy, safety and sustainability of pension systems;

25. Recognises the fact that public pension systems strengthen social solidarity and are the responsibility of the Member States and that safeguarding these systems should be a political priority; believes that greater use of alternatives to state-funded pensions, such as supplementary schemes, could be a viable alternative; points out that private pensions could include occupational supplementary pension schemes by employers or other collective organisations and associations and individual supplementary pensions based on savings; emphasises that the existence of private pensions would increase the need for the appropriate regulation of private pension funds, the portability of such pensions and the promotion and continued modernisation ...[+++](including more flexibility) of these alternatives; within this framework, believes that the risk should be taken into account that women in the context of the existing public pension system might lose insurance coverage if private provisions are to replace this system, but that this risk can be reduced by crediting pension entitlements for maternity leave, parental leave and breaks from work for personal reasons;

25. Recognises the fact that public pension systems strengthen social solidarity and are the responsibility of Member States and that safeguarding these systems should be a political priority; believes that greater use of alternatives to state-funded pensions, such as supplementary schemes, could be a viable alternative; points out that private pensions could include occupational supplementary pension schemes by employers or other collective organisations and associations and individual supplementary pensions based on savings; emphasises that the existence of private pensions would increase the need for the appropriate regulation of private pension funds, the portability of such pensions and the promotion and continued modernisation (inc ...[+++]luding more flexibility) of these alternatives; within this framework, believes that the risk should be taken into account that women in the context of the existing public pension system might lose insurance coverage if private provisions are to replace this system, but that this risk can be reduced by crediting pension entitlements maternity leave, parental leave and breaks from work for personal reasons;

14. Stresses the importance of combating indirect discrimination in pension schemes, not only in occupational schemes but also in the practices of statutory pension schemes; emphasises that the Court of Justice of the European Union has made it clear that occupational pension schemes are to be considered as pay and that the principle of equal treatment therefore applies to these schemes as well, despite the fact that the distinction between statutory and occupational pension schemes is problematic in some Member States and that the concept of occupational pension schemes is unknown in some Member States, which might lead to indirect dis ...[+++]crimination in the labour market;

8. The competent authorities of the host Member State shall inform the competent authorities of the home Member State of any significant change in the host Member State's requirements of social and labour law relevant to the field of occupational pension schemes which may affect the characteristics of the pension scheme insofar as it concerns the operation of the pension scheme sponsored by an undertaking in the host Member State and in any rules that have to be applied in accordance with Article 18(7) and with paragraph 7 of this Article.

* Ensure that pension systems, and in particular early retirement and invalidity schemes, and their interaction with tax-benefit systems, offer effective incentives for the participation of older workers; that workers are not encouraged to take up early retirement and are not penalised for staying in the labour market beyond the standard retirement age; and that pension systems facilitate the option of gradual retirement.