Title and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the European Parliamentary (United Kingdom Representatives) Pensions (Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2004 and shall come into force on 8th October 2004 but shall have effect from 19th July 2004.

Interpretation

2. In this Order—

“the AVC Order” means the European Parliamentary (United Kingdom Representatives) Pensions (Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme) (No. 2) Order 1995( 3 );

and other expressions shall have the same meaning as in the AVC Order.

Benefits which may be provided

3. In article 7 of the AVC Order—

(a) in paragraph (3), at the beginning, for the words “Permitted retirement benefits are” there shall be substituted “Benefits which may be chosen by the contributor at or after retirement are”.

(b) in paragraphs (3)(b)(i) and (3)(b)(ii), for “after retirement” there shall be substituted “after the pension commences”; and

(c) after paragraph (4), there shall be inserted—

“ (5) A pension payable at or after the contributor’s retirement shall come into payment—

(a) not later than whichever is the later of—

(i) the date of the contributor’s 75th birthday; and

(ii) the date on which the contributor’s pension under the principal scheme commences; and

(b) not earlier than the date on which the contributor’s pension under the principal scheme commences. ”

Purchase of pensions

4. In article 9 of the AVC Order—

(a) there shall be deleted from the heading “on retirement”; and

(b) in paragraph (1), for “At or before the date of his retirement” there shall be substituted “At least three months before the date on which he would like a pension to come into payment,”.