8.4.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 104/123 DECISION No 193 of 29 October 2003 on the processing of pension claims (Text with relevance for the EEA and for the EU/Switzerland Agreement) (2004/325/EQ) THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ON SOCIAL SECURITY FOR MIGRANT WORKERS, Having regard to Article 81(a) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the applica- tion of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community ('), pursuant to which it is the duty of the Administrative Commis- sion on Social Security for Migrant Workers to deal with all administrative matters arising from Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and subsequent regulations, Having regard to Article 81(c), pursuant to which it is the duty of the Administrative Commission to foster and develop cooperation between the Member States in social security matters, Having regard to Articles 35 to 39 and 41 to 43 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 of 21 March 1972 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (3), containing provisions on submission and investigation of pension claims, Whereas: (1) In the interest of the persons concerned, pension claims should be processed expediently without any unnecessary delay; it is the responsibility of the Administrative Commission to take all requisite action to accelerate the settlement of pension claims. (2) By its Decision No 182 of 13 December 2000, the Administrative Commission established a common framework for the collection of data on the settlement of pension claims. (3)  Within this framework, the Technical Commission initiated discussion between the Member States in order to examine the use of good practice to reduce processing times for pension applications. (4 This discussion identified a number of obstacles to the rapid processing of pension claims and also various measures falling under an Administrative Commission decision which could be implemented to overcome these obstacles. (5)  Pursuant to Article 44 of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71, the processing of a pension claim shall have regard to all the legislations to which the employed or self-employed person has been subject, save as otherwise provided for in Article 49 of the Regulation. (6)  According to Article 37 of Regulation (EEC) No 574/72, claims for invalidity, survivor's and old-age pensions must be made on the form provided for by the legislation of the Member State designated as the investigating institution. (7)  According to Article 41(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 574/72, the investigating institution shall forth- with notify claims for benefits to all the institutions concerned on a special form, so that the claim may be investigated simultaneously and without delay by all these institutions. (8)  To process a pension claim in accordance with the requirements of Article 44 of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71, the institutions concerned must have all relevant information and the Member States' national application forms must be designed to meet this need,