Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001555/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Fernando Navarrete Rojas (PPE), Dolors Montserrat (PPE)
Milestone 409 of Spain’s recovery and resilience plan makes fiscal sustainability a condition for pension reform. On 31 March 2025, the Independent Authority for Financial Responsibility (IAFR) published its report on the pension expenditure rule – a rule that was agreed upon with the Commission and designed to assess the need for corrective action. The IAFR has also published its independent report on sustainability.
The conclusions are alarming:
(a) The expenditure rule agreed upon does not guarantee the system’s sustainability.
(b) Pension expenditure pressure has increased by 0.4 points of GDP.
(c) Transfers from the state will need to be increased by 2.4 points of GDP, which will add to debt.
(d) Without changes to the current policy, the deficit would hit 7 % and debt would reach 129 % of GDP in 2050.
In view of the above:
- 1.Does the Commission believe that the pension reform is still in line with the principle of fiscal sustainability?
- 2.Can Spain amend, through Royal Decree 100/2025, the content of milestone 409, which includes an independent assessment of pension sustainability?
- 3.Will the Commission take the conclusions in the IAFR’s independent report into account when assessing Spain’s request for the fifth disbursement?
Submitted: 16.4.2025