EU Commission, pension reform and economic data The Commissions’ general directorates and services are actively engaged in pensions reform and Interim Economic Forecast. The White Paper on the future of pensions, due to be launched on February 14-15, "sets out ideas and proposals to ensure pensions in the EU are adequate and sustainable in the long run". Notwithstanding the fact that the Commission recognizes that the primary responsibility for pension system rests with the Member States, which in turn prompt the Commission’s initiatives, the aim of a scheme at EU level can "help Member States in their efforts to create the right conditions so both women and men can remain in the labour market" and to improve opportunities for safe complementary retirement savings. The content of the White Paper, which addresses key issues identified in the wide-ranging consultation launched in July 2010 with the Green Paper, has not yet been disclosed, while from its seat in Berlaymont the Commission conveyed its concern over safe and sustainable pension systems at national level owing to Europe’s major demographic challenges (population ageing) and changes in the job market. "Today, those aged 65 or over make up 16 % of the European population", the Commission points out in its comment on the White Paper. This will almost double over the next 50 years". Hence the need to review the pillars of EU pension systems. The following week, probably February 22-23, the Commission is due to present the Interim Economic Forecasts, which covers only the 7 biggest Members States, namely: Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, and Poland. Utmost discretion is seen also in this case. But the Commission made known that "due to rapidly changing economic circumstances, the Commission will publish an extended interim economic forecast", with more information on GDP, inflation, national public budget deficit and debts, employment, government balance as well as the EU and Euro-area aggregates. European parliament: harder life for dictators Leaders of authoritarian regimes can spend their dubiously acquired wealth in the EU. Now it’s time to put an end to dubious attitudes towards those who deny essential freedoms, democracy and citizens’ rights in their own country. This is the content of a resolution passed in Brussels during the latest plenary of the European Parliament. To "many authoritarian leaders and their acolytes, the EU is an attractive place to invest, buy property, hold bank accounts", and enjoy the "freedom to spend their often dubiously acquired wealth”, MEPs underlined. The issue was raised on many past occasions, especially in the case of dictators their relatives or supporters fleeing from former European colonies. "The EU’s hypocritical stance towards the leaders of authoritarian regimes needs to end. We publicly denounce their human rights records, while letting them busily stash their money away in our banks, own property within our borders, do business with our companies and holiday in our resorts. Our message has to be loud and clear: the EU will not help you launder your ill-gotten gains,” says MEP Graham Watson (ALDE, UK), who drafted the report. The message is referred also to several declined dictators of African countries, currently experiencing problematic post-dictatorships, examples include Libya and Egypt; the president of Sudan and Syrian leader Assad. The resolution is Parliament’s input to an EU sanctions policy review requested by the Council of Ministers. MEPs call on the Member States to apply restrictive measures or sanctions (embargo on oil, arms…) regardless of political, economic and security interests. Academic institutions and sports and charity organizations should likewise be “prohibited from accepting funding, grants or donations from these leaders and their natural and legal associates. At the same time, the EU "should strive to minimise the impact of sanctions on the vulnerable and innocent populations of authoritarian regimes. All restrictive measures must aim to influence "only the accountable elites of repressive or criminal regimes, and should be coupled with support for civil society, so as to build respect for democracy and human rights".
