A group of nine European associations has announced the launch of European Retirement Week, which will take place during the week of 29 November 2021. The goal of this initiative is to provide a platform for a wide range of stakeholders to debate the future of pensions in Europe and to raise citizens’ awareness of the need to save for retirement.

Achieving pension adequacy is indeed crucial to address Europe’s pensions savings gap and to achieve an economy that works for all. This requires, first and foremost, increased public awareness of the importance of long-term savings and returns. The participating associations therefore aim to establish European Retirement Week as a well-known and recurring event in the European calendar.

This year, European Retirement Week will be organised online given the continuing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. It will begin with a high-level event and will feature a rich programme, including a range of presentations and panel discussions spotlighting different aspects of Europe’s retirement saving challenge and identifying possible solutions.

Participating associations include AGE Platform Europe, BETTER FINANCE, BEUC – The European Consumer Association, European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP), the European Banking Federation (EBF), EFAMA, the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE), Insurance Europe, Pensions Europe.

For further information, please contact

Brandon Bhatti

Hume Brophy

Efamapr@humebrophy.com

Daniela Haiduc                                                 

Head of Communications                                              

+32-2-473 562 936                                                                               

cc: info@efama.org                                          

	AGE Platform Europe is a European network of non-profit organisations of and for people aged 50+, which aims to voice and promote the interests of the 200 million citizens aged 50+ in the European Union (Eurostat, 2018) and to raise awareness on the issues that concern them most.  Our work focuses on a wide range of policy areas that impact on older and retired people. These include issues of anti-discrimination, employment of older workers and active ageing, social protection, pension reforms, social inclusion, health, elder abuse, intergenerational solidarity, research, accessibility of public transport and of the build environment, and new technologies (ICT).
	BETTER FINANCE, the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users, is the public interest non-governmental organisation advocating and defending the interests of European citizens as financial services users at European level to lawmakers and the public in order to promote research, information and training on investments, savings and personal finances. It is the one and only European-level organisation solely dedicated to the representation of individual investors, savers and other financial services users.
	BEUC is the umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations from 32 countries. Our main role is to represent them to the EU institutions and defend the interests of European consumers. Our acronym originates from our French name, ‘Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs’. Our daily work involves making sure the EU takes policy decisions that improve the lives of consumers. This covers a range of topics including competition, consumer rights, digital rights, energy, redress and enforcement, financial services, food, health, safety, sustainability and trade policy.
	Founded in 1996, the European Association of Paritarian Institutions – AEIP is a Brussels-based advocacy organization, representing Social Protection Institutions established and managed by employers and trade unions on a joint basis within the framework of collective agreements. The Association has 15 Associate and Affiliate members – all leading large and medium-sized Social Protection Institutions, from 11 European countries, as well as 13 Task Force Members from 4 European countries. All AEIP members are not-for-profit organizations.
	The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector, bringing together national banking associations from across Europe. The federation is committed to a thriving European economy that is underpinned by a stable, secure and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a flourishing society where financing is available to fund the dreams of citizens, businesses and innovators everywhere. For more information visit www.ebf.eu. Twitter handle: @EBFeu
	EFAMA, the voice of the European investment management industry, represents 28 member associations, 58 corporate members and 24 Associate Members. At the end of 2020, total net assets of European investment funds reached EUR 19.6 trillion.  These assets were managed by 34,615 UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities) and 29,608 AIFs (Alternative Investment Funds).  At the end of 2020, assets managed by European asset managers as investment funds and discretionary mandates amounted to an estimated EUR 27 trillion.  More information available at www.efama.org.
	The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) represents 36 exchanges in equities, bonds, derivatives and commodities through 18 Full Members from 30 countries, as well as 1 Affiliate Member and 1 Observer Member. At the end of April 2021, FESE members had 9,112 companies listed on their markets, of which 14% are foreign companies contributing towards European integration and providing broad and liquid access to Europe’s capital markets. Many of our members also organise specialised markets that allow small and medium sized companies across Europe to access capital markets; 1,263 companies were listed in these specialised markets/segments in equity, increasing choice for investors and issuers. Through their RM and MTF operations, FESE members are keen to support the European Commission’s objective of creating a Capital Markets Union.
	Insurance Europe is the European insurance and reinsurance federation. Through its 37 member bodies — the national insurance associations — it represents all types and sizes of insurance and reinsurance undertakings. Insurance Europe, which is based in Brussels, represents undertakings that account for around 95% of total European premium income. Insurance makes a major contribution to Europe’s economic growth and development. European insurers pay out almost €1 000bn annually — or €2.7bn a day — in claims, directly employ nearly 950 000 people and invest over €10.4trn in the economy.
	PensionsEurope represents national associations of pension funds and similar institutions for workplace and other funded pensions. Some members operate purely individual pension schemes. PensionsEurope has 24 member associations in 17 EU Member States and 4 other European countries. PensionsEurope member organisations cover different types of workplace pensions for over 110 million people. Through its Member Associations PensionsEurope represents more than € 4 trillion of assets managed for future pension payments. In addition, many members of PensionsEurope also cover personal pensions, which are connected with an employment relation. PensionsEurope also has 22 Corporate and Supporter Members which are various service providers and stakeholders that work with IORPs.