France: Pension reform progressing gradually

On 18 March, François Fillon, social affairs minister, presented a new version of the document defining the parameters of the proposed pension reform at a meeting of the pension reform working group.

In response to the increasingly urgent need for pension reform, and following prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's address to the social and economic council in February 2003, Mr Fillon presented a draft document on pension reform to the pension reform working group, comprising representatives from the social partners and the government.