Reforming European Pension Systems


Conference 24 and 25 September 2004

Castle of Schengen, Luxembourg

Executive Summary

On the first anniversary of the death of Professor Franco Modigliani, the Luxembourg Institute for European and International Studies (LIEIS) organised a conference on ‘Reforming European Pension Systems’ on 24 and 25 September 2004 in Schengen.

Initially, the intention was to hold this conference in the presence of Professor Modigliani who had written a comprehensive paper for the LIEIS. However, due to ill health, such a meeting had to be postponed repeatedly. A third date was set two days before Professor Modigliani’s death. One year on, the LIEIS convened colleagues and friends to honour his memory and life-long works and to discuss his ideas in relation to pension reforms in Europe.

In the course of 5 sessions, approximately 30 participants from about 10 countries debated the following questions:

(1) the open legacy of Franco Modigliani and European pension reforms

(2) the Modigliani-Muralidhar approach to pension reform

(3) various funding modes and issues of transition

(4) lessons and outlook on pension reforms in Europe

(5) alternatives for pension reform in Luxembourg