European Pension Provision November 10 2000 The number of pensioners is increasing, but gloomy prophecies of bankrupted states may have been over stated. The metaphor of the ticking time bomb for the looming pension crisis is a familiar one, as are the demographic figures which underpin the predictions. Figures calculated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, based on the prospective retirement of the post-war baby boomers show the differing levels of exposure in OECD countries. Overview - Defusing the demographic timebomb: - Shift towards equities continues to gain pace - New directive sets sights on an integrated market Pension Markets - More consolidation is on the cards - Transatlantic traffic is on the rise Issues - Defined Contribution vs Defined Benefit - Stakeholder Pensions - Dream of a pan-European system Country Review - Germany: Social Democrats break with tradition - Sweden: Complete overhaul is under way - Italy: More retirees than Latin lovers - France: Left-wing resistance maintains status quo