Recent Changes In Pension, Retirement Laws

Parliament Building, Athens, Greece (Photo credit: otzberg)

A new legislative act outlining the new pension regime for Parliamentary staff, and which was published in the government gazette on Monday, essentially stipulates that retirement and pensions for Parliament's staff will thus be governed by the same rules and with the same retirement age as all for other civil servants working in ministries, while they will receive the same pension as the equivalent ministry employee of their grade.

The new rules go into effect from January 1, 2013 for all Parliament staff still employed there at this date, regardless of the time needed before they are eligible to go into retirement.

The same act also introduces measures harmonising civil servants' pensions with those of the main social insurance funds, stipulating that if the overall sum of pensions, including supplementary pensions and dividends, exceeds 2,000 euro and up to the sum of 3,000 euro, the above sum is reduced by 15 percent. For sums exceeding 3,000 euro, the overall amount of the pension is reduce by 20 percent.

It further increases the age at which pensioners can receive a low-pension benefit to 65, and stipulates that paraplegics and quadruplegics will continue to receive Christmas, Easter and summer bonus payments abolished for other civil service pensioners. This additional sum will be divided into 12 equal installments and be paid with their pension.

Other measures regulate the issues of decisions regulating the sale of milk powder for newborns, allowing these to be sold in retailers other than pharmacies. (AMNA)