Vol. 557 No. 6
97 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his plans to make changes to the EU retirement pension; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the value of the pension has been greatly eroded due to indexation; his further plans to streamline the bureaucracy in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23195/02]
In its proposals for the present early retirement scheme, which commenced in November 2000, my Department had made provision for annual increases in the rate of pension. However, the European Commission rejected this proposal and insisted that a fixed rate be set for the full period of the CAP rural development plan 2000-2006. Any changes to these provisions would have to be introduced by way of an amendment to the CAP rural development plan with the agreement of the EU Commission.
The rate of pension payable under the 1994 early retirement scheme is the maximum provided for in the EU Council regulation under which the scheme was introduced. The regulation does not provide for indexation of payments. A number of changes to the scheme that did not require formal Commission approval have already been implemented, but I have no plans at present to seek changes to the provisions included in the CAP rural development plan.
