Key information for CERN members
Key information for ESO members
The purpose of the Fund is to insure its members and beneficiaries as well as the members of their families against the economic consequences of disability, old age and death.
The Fund is a defined-benefit scheme. Both contributions and benefits are based on your monthly reference salary (6 367 CHF for fellows, 5 748 CHF for graduates and basic salary multiplied by C factor for staff).
As an employed member of the CERN personnel (fellow, graduate or staff) or ESO personnel (fellow or staff, subject to the conditions specified in the CERN/ESO Agreement), affiliation with the Fund is compulsory.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions are deducted from your monthly salary and calculated according to the following rates:
- Member : 12.64% (of your reference salary)
- Organisation : 18.96% (of your reference salary)
TRANSFERS FROM OTHER SCHEMES
Transfers in accepted from employer pension schemes allowing you to purchase additional pension benefits to:
- modify your effective date of entry into the Fund to an earlier date (however do not give rise to retroactive rights that existed only under editions of the Rules in force before you joined the Fund)
- may provide you with entitlement to a pension (provided that you have accumulated at least five years of service)
Transfers from other pension schemes can be made at any time during your contract but must be completed before your contract end date.
END OF CONTRACT OPTIONS
Transfer value
You can request the payment of the transfer value (paid, in Swiss francs, during the month following the end of your contract):
- into your personal bank account (if you have less than 10 years of service) in a CERN/ESO Member State or Associate Member State, provided that operational requirements are met (standard international IBAN payments must be supported). Any bank or transfer fees would be at your expense
- into another private pension scheme
The amount of your transfer value is calculated as follows:
- 14.7% of your reference salary for each of the first 10 years of pensionable service
- 22% of your reference salary for each further year
Deferred retirement pension
You can opt for a deferred retirement pension (provided you have at least five years of service), calculated as follows:
1.85% of the average of your last 36 months' reference salaries, per year of membership
Retirement pension
If you joined the Fund on or after 01.01.2012:
- the entitlement to a pension begins after a minimum of five years of service
- the official retirement age is 67
- the retirement pension amount is equal to 1.85% of the average of the last 36 months' reference salaries, at the time of the end of your contract, per year of membership (maximum: 70% for 37 years and 10 months)
DISABILITY PENSION
A disability pension is paid to a member whose disability (partial or total) is recognised by the Organisation.
Such a pension is equal to the retirement pension the member would have received at the applicable retirement age (regardless of the contract duration).
IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF A MEMBER
Surviving spouse’s pension
If the marriage lasts for at least a year, a surviving spouse’s pension is payable to the spouse of a member from the first day following the member’s death and until the death of the spouse.
A surviving spouse’s pension is equal to 1.1% of the final reference salary per year of membership until the applicable retirement age (regardless of the contract duration).
Orphan’s pension
An orphan’s pension is payable to unemployed and unmarried children until they are 20 years old, or 25 if they are in full-time education.
An orphan’s pension is calculated based on the member’s final reference salary and using the following rates:
- 24% for one orphan
- 34% for two orphans
- 40% for three orphans, etc.