The new chairman of the European Federation for Retirement Provision (EFRP) is Kees van Rees, head of the Shell Pension Fund in the Netherlands.

He was elected at the federation's international conference in Malaga last month in succession to Alan Broxon.

The immediate task in hand for him is the Monti pensions green paper. "Our short-term priority is to ensure that the EFRP responds in a constructive manner to the questions and analysis of the commission's green paper."

The appointment of Chris Verhaegen as the body's full time repesentative in Brussels and the opening and staffing of an office in the city has brought financial pressures on the EFRP, van Rees recognises. "For an organisation that tries to bring together and channel the forces in European countries, it is not always feasible to find the right resources to do this."

The involvement of others, such as actuaries and investment managers, in addition to the national pensions associations in the work of the EFRP, is welcomed by him.

Two vice chairman were also elected at the meeting: Ray Martin of the Zeneca Group Pension Fund in London and Ulrich Jürgens of the Hamburger 1905 Pensionskassen.

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