As a staff member of the EU institutions, you build up a pension over time based on the number of years you work. You normally retire at 66, although you may choose to retire earlier with a reduced pension (minimum 58 years old). To qualify for an EU pension, you must have worked for the institutions for at least 10 years or have reached the normal retirement age.
How is your pension calculated?
- You accumulate 1.8% of your final base salary for each year of service.
- The maximum pension is 70% of your final base salary.
- The minimum amount of your pension cannot be less than 4% of the minimum. subsistence figure (basic salary of an AST 1) per year of service.
- If you carry on working beyond the age of 66, a bonus will be applied (1.5% per year).
Transfer out of pension rights
If your contract has ended and you have not completed 10 years of effective service in EU institutions, you can choose to:
- Transfer the amount equivalent to your pension rights acquired at European level to another pension scheme, whether public or private.
- Under certain conditions, you can also request that this amount be paid directly to you ("severance grant").
If you have completed 10 years of effective service before reaching retirement age, you will be eligible to claim a EU pension at retirement age It is therefore not necessary to transfer your pension rights, but you may nevertheless choose to waive your EU pension and transfer your pension rights to your national pension scheme or to the scheme linked to your new job.
Who can request this transfer?
To request a transfer of pension rights, you must have worked as an official, temporary, contract agent or accredited parliamentary assistant, and not be receiving an EU retirement or invalidity pension.
Transfers of EU pension rights do not apply, for example, to persons who have worked exclusively as local staff members, interimaire, trainees or auxiliary staff members. These persons have not acquired EU pension rights because their pension contributions were paid into a national scheme.
Health insurance after retirement
Once you have retired, you are still covered by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS).