European Retirement Week is a joint initiative by 14 associations. In its third edition this year, it aims to provide a platform for a wide range of stakeholders to debate the future of pensions in Europe and raise citizens’ awareness of the need to save for retirement.
The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) is the voice of Europe’s wholesale financial markets, providing expertise across a broad range of regulatory and capital markets issues. We represent the leading global and European banks and other significant capital market players. AFME’s members are the lead under- writers of 89% of European corporate and sovereign debt and 75% of European listed equity capital issuances.
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.
Cross Border Benefits Alliance-Europe (CBBA-Europe) is a Brussels-based European association advocating for the development of cross-border/pan-European solutions in the field of the workplace and individual social benefits, including pensions, healthcare, long-term care, mental health, unemployment, etc. The association was launched in December 2018 and has 22 members including, pension funds, asset managers, multinational corporations, insurance companies, pension funds’ administrators, law firms and other associations. In the field of pensions, CBBA-Europe is mainly focused on the good implementation of the IORP Directive and the PEPP Regulation. Moreover, CBBA-Europe is advocating for the creation of new EU legal framework on occupational pensions allowing for smoother cross-border arrangements. Finally, together with its Scientific Council, CBBA-Europe is working on innovative proposals to develop funded pensions in those European countries where these types of pensions are not developed enough.
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.
EPRA, the European Public Real Estate Association, is the voice of the publicly traded European real estate sector. Founded in 1999, EPRA is a not-for-profit association registered in Belgium. With more than 280 members, covering the whole spectrum of the listed real estate industry (companies, investors and their suppliers), EPRA represents over EUR 690 billion of real estate assets and 94% of the market capitalisation of the FTSE EPRA Nareit Europe Index.
EPRA’s mission is to promote, develop and represent the European public real estate sector. We achieve this through the provision of better information to investors and stakeholders, active involvement in the public and political debate, promotion of best practices and the cohesion and strengthening of the industry.
EFAMA is the voice of the European investment management industry, which manages over EUR 30 trillion of assets on behalf of its clients in Europe and around the world. We advocate for a regulatory environment that supports our industry’s crucial role in steering capital towards investments for a sustainable future and providing long-term value for investors.
At the start of 2019, a consortium of 8 experienced pension stakeholders took up the challenge to establish the pilot stage of the European Tracking Service on Pensions (ETS) under the already existing brand ‘FindyourPension’ (FYP). The idea behind the ETS project is to help mobilise workers get tailored information about their old age provisions as well as an overview of the personal pension entitlements they have collected throughout their career. The pilot comprises the FYP portal containing tailored information on at least 5 countries as well as a first connection as a proof of concept gathering personal pension data from the Belgian tracking facilities. Following a step-by-step approach, the goal is to roll out the service and connect as many National Tracking Services to the platform as possible after the project phase. The project is financially supported by the European Commission (programme EaSI, Progress Axis, Access to Social Protection).
The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) represents 35 exchanges in equities, bonds, derivatives and commodities through 16 Full Members and 1 Affiliate Member from 30 countries. At the end of April 2022, FESE members had 9098 companies listed on their markets, of which 17% 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; 1480 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.
INREV is the European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles. We provide guidance, research and information related to the development and harmonisation of professional standards, reporting guidelines and corporate governance within the non-listed property funds industry across Europe, including the UK.
INREV currently has approximately 490 members. Our member base includes institutional investors from around the globe including pension funds, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds, as well as investment banks, fund managers, fund of funds managers and advisors representing all facets of investing into non-listed real estate vehicles in the UK and the rest of Europe. Our fund manager members manage more than 500 non-listed real estate investment funds, as well as joint ventures, club deals and separate accounts for institutional investors.
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 over €1 000bn annually — or €2.8bn a day — in claims, directly employ more than 920 000 people and invest over €10.6trn in the economy.
Invest Europe is the association representing Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, as well as their investors. Our members take a long-term approach to investing in privately held companies, from start-ups to established firms. They inject not only capital but dynamism, innovation, and expertise. This commitment helps deliver strong and sustainable growth, resulting in healthy returns for Europe’s leading pension funds and insurers, to the benefit of the millions of European citizens who depend on them.
Invest Europe aims to make a constructive contribution to policy affecting private capital investment in Europe. We provide information to the public on our members’ role in the economy. Our research provides the most authoritative source of data on trends and developments in our industry. Invest Europe is the guardian of the industry’s professional standards, demanding accountability, good governance and transparency from our members.
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 25 member associations in 18 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 € 7 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 19 Corporate and Supporter Members which are various service providers and stakeholders that work with IORPs.