The Netherlands' Pensioen Federatie has appointed Ger Jaarsma as its new chairman, confirming that he will take over from José Meijer, who has held the interim chairmanship for a year and a half.

The federation said Jaarsma was familiar with the ins and outs of trade associations, social partners and politics, adding that he has used the past few weeks to delve into the strategic tasks of the association and will be getting acquainted with the members, board members and stakeholders in the coming period.

Jaarsma commented: “I would like to thank the members for the confidence they have placed in me and I am going to work in this fascinating world with great energy. There is still a lot to gain in terms of trust.

“The changes also create an opportunity to enter into dialogue with society in order to increase mutual understanding. I consider that one of my main tasks. I look forward to fleshing out this together with our members.”

Meanwhile, the federation has emphasised the need for the Dutch government to pass reforms in order to make the nation’s pension system “future-proof”, adding that this was important for “stability and confidence in the system”.

The measures which the federation is pushing for include the introduction of clear frameworks where investments can contribute to CO2 reduction, with this providing insight into the emissions of companies and sectors.

Additionally, it supports the promotion of public-private partnerships in financing sustainability and measures to improve the level of support provided to self-employed and flexibly employed workers from the Dutch pension sector.

In May 2021 the Dutch government confirmed a delay to planned reforms, with Minister for Social Affairs and Employment, Wouter Koolmees, stating in a letter to parliament that the Future of Pensions Act will come into effect no later than 1 January 2023, a year later than expected.

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