beneficiary — a person receiving retirement benefits (f)

biometrical risks — risks linked to death, disability and longevity Article 6

competent authorities — the national authorities designated to carry out the duties provided for in this Directive (g)

home Member State — the Member State in which the institution has its registered office and its main administration or, if it does not have a registered office, its main administration (i)

host Member State — the Member State whose social and labour law relevant to the field of occupational pension schemes is applicable to the relationship between the sponsoring undertaking and members (j)

member — a person whose occupational activities entitle or will entitle him/her to retirement benefits in accordance with the provisions of a pension scheme (e)

pension scheme — a contract, an agreement, a trust deed or rules stipulating which retirement benefits are granted and under which conditions (b)

retirement benefits — benefits paid by reference to reaching, or the expectation of reaching, retirement or, where they are supplementary to those benefits and provided on an ancillary basis, in the form of payments on death, disability, or cessation of employment or in the form of support payments or services in case of sickness, indigence or death. In order to facilitate financial security in retirement, these benefits usually take the form of payments for life. They may, however, also be payments made for a temporary period or as a lump sum (d)

sponsoring undertaking — any undertaking or other body, regardless of whether it includes or consists of one or more legal or natural persons, which acts as an employer or in a self-employed capacity or any combination thereof and which pays contributions into an institution for occupational retirement provision (c)