Pensions

The Dutch pension system is recognised as one of the world's best. Nonetheless, in the course of the past decade, it has come under mounting pressure. With interest rates having been very low for many years, pension funds were required to hold increasingly high levels of buffer capital, essentially wiping out any prospects of pensions benefiting from indexation. The continuing flexibilisation of the labour market has undermined the notion of solidarity on which the system was built. The blurring of distinctions between the activities of industries has added to the pressure on mandatory participation. All the while, existing staffing issues have been heightened by increasingly strict supervision. All these developments call for an overhaul of the pension system, yet have the effect of making that same system - and thus pension law - complex.

We are on the threshold of the most drastic reform of the Dutch pension system in history.

We are on the threshold of the most drastic reform of the Dutch pension system in history. Critics are concerned about the participation of pension beneficiaries being eroded, disinformation hampers an exchange of arguments on the merits, and beneath the surface a battle of the generations looms. Meanwhile, conflicts are being fought over a lack of clarity concerning legal relationships, the wave of consolidation among pension administrators continues to swell, and there are issues with the transparency of scope of application clauses. AKD knows the ropes in the pension sector and is happy to help you navigate your way around. We know the sector and its interests backwards and forwards, counting among our clients employers and social partners as well as works councils and pension administrators.

Our team and our experience
AKD's Pension team is a multidisciplinary group of experts who follow all developments closely. Are you struggling with the question whether your company falls within the scope of a mandatory industry-wide pension fund? Do you want to change the governance of your pension fund and enshrine it in your articles? Are you engaged in a dispute over the interpretation of the administration agreement, or defending a class action? Or are you interested in examining the consequences of the Digital Operational Resilience Act? Whatever your issue, AKD will gladly provide the advice suited to your needs.

Our clients include employers in the public and semi-public sectors, ranging from pension administrators, employers' organisations and committees comprising social partners to works councils. We boast specific experience handling

issues concerning the apportionment of responsibility between social partners among themselves and between social partners and pension funds,
consolidation processes and the associated transfer of accrued pension benefits and liquidation of the fund,
as well as liability actions.

In addition to lawyers specialising in pension law, AKD also features litigation lawyers, contract law specialists, wage tax lawyers and experts in the field of financial law. This makes us eminently placed to provide you with high-quality professional advice, made even more comprehensive by a network of allied actuaries and consultants.