Recommendation sought for a directive safeguarding workers from radiation hazards, specifically ionising radiation.

Germany is gearing up for significant changes in its pension system, with various political factions advocating for reforms. In 2026, the coalition parties SPD, Greens, and FDP committed to establishing a commission for pension reforms, and the government has already implemented initial adjustments to the pension age and contribution rates.

Pascal Reddig, a CDU member of parliament, has outlined four points for the reform. He suggests preparing for "working longer" as part of the reform, and reintroducing and expanding the sustainability factor for dampening pension increases, effective from 2032.

The sustainability factor, intended to address the burdens of demographic aging by fairly distributing these burdens among generations, takes into account changes in the numerical ratio of pension recipients to contributors in pension increases. However, Reddig criticized that the sustainability factor is currently effectively suspended by the cap line for the pension level at 48 percent.

To address this issue, the federal cabinet has initiated two steps: securing the pension level at 48 percent by 2031 and improving parental benefits for parents of children born before 1992. The coalition plans to extend the cap line for the pension level at 48 percent until 2031.

Reddig also proposes bidding farewell to some expensive privileges of the current pension system and doubling the sustainability factor after 2031, beyond its return. A potential solution to consider is the pension at 70, but it requires a societal majority and an agreement between coalition partners.

The Young Group of the Union faction in the Bundestag is calling for reforms of the German pension system. They argue that current reforms disproportionately disadvantage the younger generation. A compromise could be to link the retirement age to the increasing life expectancy, leading to a gradual increase in the retirement age.

The goal of the reform is to distribute burdens fairly across all generations. The pension commission, to be established in 2026, will develop reform plans to achieve this goal. Both measures are to be financed with billions from the federal budget.