2.3 Pension rights in the EU After a life of work, a pension is a right, and no pension should amount to less than a standard established at the European level. Fragmentation in the contributions cannot lead to the loss of the pension benefits. It is fair to foresee a ceiling to higher pensions. votes Further information : A) Pension schemes are undergoing a process of revision in several European
countries. Demographic changes in the society, a different organisation of work and more and more stringent budget constraints are putting under discussion the
way pensions were shaped during the second half of the last century. However, the
reform of pension schemes is often approached in a way that puts on the people currently working the burden of the revision of the system, requiring them to work longer for a lower pension. Moreover, the precarious working conditions of a large part of the young workers and of women (75% of part time workers in 201218) com-
plicate their perspective of actually obtaining a decent pension. Finally, in some cas-
es, the pensions provided are not sufficient to fulfil the basic needs of elderly people.
B) In this sense, we believe that a reform of the pension systems should not be limited to budget cuts, but it should go in the direction of a more equal redistribution
of the resources that are available, and that the right to maintain a decent standard
of living during old age should be maintained as a pillar of any future reform. More specifically, we think that an old age pension should be guaranteed as a universal
and unconditional right. The pension system should become a universal system
providing as a whole for a public insurance for old age. This has to be considered not only as a tool to enforce the rights of the elderly guaranteed in Article 25 of
the Charter of Fundamental Rights19, but also as an instrument to “improve so18 European Parliament infographics, based on Eurostat, European Commission and Research by the Library of the European Parliament, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/264234703109379779/ 19 “The Union recognises and respects the rights of the elderly to lead a life of dignity and independence and to participate in social and cultural life.”
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V. The policy proposals