The European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP) which represents European organisations, including pension funds, managed on a split employer/union-employee ba-sis, has inaugarated Germany's Hans-Willhelm von Damm as president.

Von Damm took over the mantle last month from Jean de Santis, who has headed up AEIP for two years.

At the same meeting, three new group members were accepted into AEIP; French semi-public pension organisations AGIRC and ARRCO and the second pillar foundation of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise - a paritarian pension fund.

They join Assoprevidenza, BKK-BV, CTIP and Integrale in the association, which now represents over 40m employees.

AEIP's influence within European pension fund and paritary discussions has greatly increased this year, after being called as an expert on on retirement issues being looked at by the European Commission.