Workshop on saving for retirement through auto‑enrolment and supplementary pensions

1. 10 Sep 2026, 09:00 - 09:30 (CEST)

   Coffee and registration
2. 09:30 - 09:40 (CEST)

   Welcome and introduction

   An overview of the European Commission’s recommendation on supplementary pensions and its strategic alignment with the broader savings and investments union (SIU) agenda.

   Speaker: Alexandra Jour-Schrӧder, Deputy Director-General, Directorate General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA).

3. 09:40 - 10:00 (CEST)

   Keynote speech: The Irish experience in designing auto‑enrolment

   A review of Ireland’s recent auto‑enrolment implementation, highlighting key implementational challenges, policy design considerations, and foundational lessons learned.

   Speaker: Dara Calleary TD, Minister for social protection (Ireland).

4. 10:00 - 10:20 (CEST)

   Voluntary personal pensions: Creating incentives and vehicles for savings

   An analysis of evolving personal pension frameworks, featuring insights on France’s plan d’épargne retraite (PER) and current reform initiatives in Germany.

   Speakers:

   • Antoine Vandon, Deputy Head, Insurance products and markets unit, DG Trésor (France)
   • Alexander Friedrich, Senior Expert, Insurance Sector, Bundesministerium der Finanzen (Germany)
5. 10:30 - 10:40 (CEST)

   Q&A

   Opportunities for delegates to ask presenters about their experiences.

6. 10:40 - 11:00 (CEST)

   Coffee and networking
7. 11:00 - 12:30 (CEST)

   Breakout group discussions: Challenges in the preparation phase

   Moderated discussions in three parallel working groups, providing opportunities for all participants to contribute their views and comments.

   Guiding topics:

   • Stakeholder and social partner engagement: Integrating the expertise of social partners (trade unions and employers) into the planning phase to foster
     broad‑based consensus.
     Introduction and moderation: Stefano Cappiello, Director‑General, Dipartimento del Tesoro, Italy
      
   • Industry capacity and operational efficiency: Assessing the readiness of the financial sector and supervisory bodies to scale; strategies to maintain low‑cost structures and protect net returns for savers.
     Introduction and moderation: Carine Pilot, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)
      
   • Fiscal policy and incentivisation: Evaluating the role of public support, including the relative efficacy of tax‑shielded incentives versus direct matching contributions.
     Introduction and moderation: Stephanie Payet, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
8. 12:30 - 12:55 (CEST)

   Working groups will report back to the plenum on their discussions.
9. 13:00 - 14:00 (CEST)

   Lunch
10. 14:00 - 14:45 (CEST)

    Communication challenges: The importance of trust and openness

    Exploring the role of public communication in building trust and market confidence. This session covers strategic outreach to target demographics, the integration of pension reforms with wider financial literacy initiatives, and best practices for managing auto‑enrolment rollouts, including lead‑time signalling and transparent opt‑out procedures.

    Speaker: Patrycja Kowalczyk‑Rólczyńska, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, and Sylwia Pieńkowska‑Kamieniecka, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland).

11. 14:45 - 16:15 (CEST)

    Breakout group discussions: Design of default options

    Moderated discussions in three parallel working groups, providing opportunities for all participants to contribute their views and comments.

    Guiding topics:

    • Default option calibration: Determining the core parameters of auto‑enrolment systems, including contribution rate scaling, lifecycle investment strategies, and implementation timelines.
      Introduction and moderation: Colum Walsh, Ministry of social protection, Ireland
       
    • Role of public institutions: Defining the scope for public‑sector involvement in managing supplementary pension infrastructure to reduce administrative friction for employers and participants.
      Introduction and moderation: Dermot Griffin, National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), Ireland
       
    • Ensuring inclusive coverage: Addressing adequacy gaps in pension participation for specific cohorts, including the self‑employed, women, and younger workers.
      Introduction and moderation: Tabea Bucher‑Koenen, University of Mannheim, Germany
12. 16:15 - 16:30 (CEST)

    Coffee and networking
13. 16:30 - 16:55 (CEST)

    Working groups will report back to the plenum on their discussions.
14. Show 8 more items
15. 16:55 - 17:15 (CEST)

    Closing remarks

    Speaker: Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union.

Practical information