BRATISLAVA, March 14, (WEBNOVINY) – The Slovak government will not propose delaying the retirement of Slovakia’s citizens, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said at the Monday meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for European Affairs. She informed MPs of the conclusions of unscheduled talks by the European Council and an informal meeting of eurozone countries in Brussels. She specified that representatives of the Slovak government in Brussels achieved harmony between pension systems and demography. “Joint theses in terms of joint determination of the retirement age, etc. are already not part of the Competitiveness Pact,” said the prime minister.
This means that in decision-making on pension systems, the real demographic structure will play a role, i.e. the ratio between the retirement age and life expectancy. The centrally set retirement age for all EU countries no longer comes into consideration, reported the prime minister. So far, a norm stipulating that the time period between the retirement age and life expectancy should be 15 years at minimum has been valid. Slovakia currently meets this ratio at the age of 62. If Slovakia had prolonged the retirement age, it would fail to meet this criterion. “So these countries cannot push us into higher retirement age,” added Radicova.
Slovakia managed to push through core aspects in the amending part of the Competitiveness Pact. Along with aspects of pension policy, these also include direct taxes, that should come under the exclusive jurisdiction of national states, said the prime minister.
SITA
