We asked the Chair of the ETS Executive Board how she looks back on the year and what her expectations are for the new year.

Claudia: I am particularly pleased that we have now been able to welcome two new NTSs to the association. With ZfDR and Regos, we have two PTS that cover all three pillars and, in many respects, have already successfully navigated the difficult path that the ETS will have to traverse in the coming years. The association now has PTSs from six countries on board, which is a fantastic source of experience and best practices. In terms of coverage, meaning the potential number of Pension Tracker users, Germany and France are two countries that are popular destinations for mobile and cross-border workers. Therefore, connecting them will greatly increases the appeal of the FindyourPension platform for this group.

You have been involved in the ETS for really some time, what motivates you to work on the ETS?
There are two main things that keep me motivated to work on Findyourpension.eu. One is the experience we gain from working with mobile scientists. My work at the VBL also includes providing special advice to this group, who come to us because they are completing a professional placement at a scientific institution in Germany and, among other things, have supplementary insurance with the VBL. They have many questions and, as they often have no clear idea of how the pension systems in Germany or Europe work, it is not enough to simply explain the VBL system to them. You can really feel the uncertainty and tension surrounding pensions, even though we now offer almost exclusively online seminars. And it doesn't matter whether you are dealing with academics or employees in the care or construction sectors. The feeling of being overwhelmed and mistrustful is palpable in everyone. We want to change this with our work, and at our events you can see what good information can achieve.

The second source of my motivation is my interest in the topic of retirement provision itself and its legal basis, as I am a lawyer. For years, societies and states have been trying to make pension systems more sustainable while still ensuring the standard of living of the older population. It is incredibly interesting to see how similar the situation is across Europe – and beyond – and how similar the instruments and discussions are. This is despite the fact that there is great diversity in pension landscapes and the competence for change lies predominantly with the Member States. I think there is no doubt that retirement provision will and must be funded from several sources, especially for internationally mobile citizens.

At the same time, this interplay between the pension pillars makes dealing with pensions very complicated. The connection between demographic and democratic developments is also obvious, and I hope, not least for my own children, that we will succeed in mastering the challenges of demographics while strengthening social cohesion rather than undermining it. In my view, pension tracking systems are a very important and useful tool for greater transparency and education. Not least, they help citizens to better assess their own situation.

Looking ahead to 2026 what are your personal goals, and can you share the ambition of ETS in 2026?
Aside from the typical so-called New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier life and pay more attention to work–life balance, I would like to take some time in the coming year, in connection with our evaluation of the FYP platform, to continue exploring and understanding the concerns and perspectives of our users so that we can design the site’s content accordingly.

Furthermore, Richard, the entire ETS Board, and I are working to strengthen our collaboration as the ETS association. Building on the financial support provided through European funding, we aim to ensure that, together with our new and future members, we will establish a stable and reliable ETS.