Europe verses the UK, re- State pensions.

**ivanhoe** Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:13 am

Europe looks after its pensioners and future generations of pensioners, namely it's young people. The working populace of Europe pay higher rates of income tax and NI contributions.

Please read the following.

At the Laeken EU summit in 2001 there was a ratified proposal that all member states should endeavour to attain a level of 40% of their median wages as their basic state pension by 2007 and thereafter work towards 60%. This is how we did in 2007:

STATE PENSION AS A PROPORTION OF AVERAGE WAGE 2007
COUNTRY % OF AV EARNINGS
Greece 95.7
Luxemburg 88.3
Netherlands 81.9
Spain 81.2
Denmark 79.8
Italy 67.9
Sweden 62.1
EU AVERAGE 60%
France 51.2
Germany 39.9
Estonia 32.9
Ireland 32.5
UK 30.8
As I'm sure you know, 60% of median wages is the poverty level. Not very good progress, is it? I would be grateful for your comments.