Simplification and De-Bureaucratization of the Public Pension Service

Abstract

Declining demographic trends and the pandemic-triggered economic recess have put significant pressure on public resources. This is why, numerous debates have been stared in the public space regarding the public pension system in Romania, which have included new regulatory proposals, changing the retirement age, calculating or eliminating special pensions. The discussion of the topics above was brought about by forecasts of an increase in the number of retirees over the next ten years, a decrease in size of the active population and the inability of public budgets to provide for the pension system. Therefore, this paper examines public pension services in four European countries to identify and compare the legislative, institutional and procedural systems in order to identify specific elements that could lead to a mitigation of the expected adverse effects. The analysis is based on data available from public sources: the legal framework and the websites of institutions with responsibilities in the field of retirement and pension payment policies in the four countries analyzed.