Regulating Pensions: Why the European Union Matters

This discussion paper explores how EU law affects national pensions systems, be it directly (by regulating pensions explicitly) or indirectly (by providing a regulatory framework that must be respected in the field of pensions as well as in other fields). Moreover, the focus will be on some fundamental questions: what should be the scope of the IORP directive? Which pension funds and schemes should be subject to it? How do we overcome the political dilemmas when regulating pensions? (Part of the paper appeared in book form in 2012.)