EUROPE - ABP's Jaap Maassen has been confirmed as chairman of the European Federation for Retirement Provision, replacing Alan Pickering.

"At its General Assembly Meeting of October 25 2004 in Amsterdam, the EFRP has elected Jaap Maassen, director of pensions and board member of ABP, as its new chairman," the EFRP said in a statement.

"He will succeed Alan Pickering who has chaired the federation in the last three years and ensured that the EFRP played a pivotal role in securing the adoption of the pensions directive."

IPE reported last week that Maassen would be taking over from Watson Wyatt partner Pickering, who has served as chairman of the EFRP for three years.

Vice chairmen Peter Lindblad and Angel Martinez-Aldama were re-elected.

"The really important work now starts as member states seek to implement the directive hopefully, as a platform upon which we can build rather than as a straitjacket within which we must operate," Pickering said today.

Maassen joined Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP, the Dutch civil service scheme and the largest pension fund in Europe, in 1996 as a director with responsibilities for pensions, insurance & mortgage divisions and IT.

He joined the EFRP board in 2000 and was vice-chairman from 2001 to 2003. He is a former chairman of the European Association of Public Sector Pensions Institutions.