The rules for pension worked well for years. But that is changing. People are work for the same employer all their lives. The current rules do not properly reflect this situation, and even if the economy is performing well, pensions cannot always be increased. That feels unfair. That is why the pension system is being renewed, while keeping what is good.
What will remain the same?
Not everything will change. Our current pension system is one of the best in the world and we would like to keep it that way, which is why some important principles of the current pension system will remain unchanged.
AOW and the supplementary pension
We arrange our pension together: employers, employees, and also the government. Everyone will continue to accrue their AOW and a large proportion of employed people will accrue a supplementary pension through their employer. So there will still be the AOW and the supplementary pension. You receive the AOW from the state, and after you retire you receive it for the rest of your life.
We arrange our pension together
At Bpf Koopvaardij we will continue to arrange our pension together. We share the risks of higher life expectancy, death, and occupational disability. We will keep the costs down by building up pensions together and investing collectively.
Participation through your employer
Participation in the pension scheme through your employer will remain mandatory. Your employer will continue to contribute to your pension.
These are the most important new rules
The new rules apply to everyone, even if you are already receiving a pension. Together with the social partners (the employees' and employers' organisations) in the merchant navy, we are carefully preparing the switch for our members. By 1 January 2026, Bpf Koopvaardij will transfer to the new pension rules.
The basic rules are included in the Dutch Future Pensions Act (Wet Toekomst Pensioenen), which came into force on 1 July 2023. These are the 3 main changes:
1. Your pension is more personal and transparent
Under the new rules, everyone will build up a pension through a ‘defined contribution scheme’, i.e. agreements are made on how much money you and your employer will contribute to your pension. This money goes into your personal pension . This allows you to see more clearly , what the investment yields and how much pension you can expect. When you retire, you will receive a monthly pension from your personal pension pot.
2. Your pension will move in line with the economy
The new rules will ensure that your pension will increase more quickly if the economy is performing well. It can also decrease in less favourable times. They do ensure that the movements become less significant when you (almost) retire. This is because there is little or no time to absorb setbacks in investments. Younger workers still have that time and this is why their pension amount changes more quickly. . Good to know: we can cover any deficits in less favourable years with reserves from better years. In this way, we ensure that the pensions of pensioners remain as stable as possible.
3. Simpler and better rules for surviving dependants’ pension
The rules for surviving dependants’ pension will be the same for everyone. This will make it clearer what your partner or children can expect to receive. Do you pass away after you already have retired? Then the surviving dependants’ pension will still depend on what you have built up and how many years you have worked. If you pass away while you are employed, your dependants will receive a percentage of your final salary, even if you have only just entered into service. In this case, it does not matter how many years you have worked. Partners and children of working people often get a higher surviving dependants’ pension as a result.
Details increasingly clear
Nothing will change for you for the time being. The social partners are currently agreeing on how to implement the new rules. We expect them to reach final agreement soon, meaning that the details of the new rules for the merchant navy will become increasingly clear. Bpf Koopvaardij can then start working on the basis of the new rules. We expect the new pension rules to apply to the Bpf Koopvaardij members with effect from 1 January 2026.
In the meantime, we will keep you informed via this page, newsletters and Op Koers magazine.