Europe 2020: Recommendation to include a Flagship initiative on Active ageing

On 25 and 26 February 2010, the College of Commissioners met in a retreat to discuss the Commisson’s proposals for the Europe 2020 Strategy. Given the potential impact of demographic change on the EU capacity to recover from the present crisis and the urgent need to find sustainable social models for the future, we sent to the Commission a recommandation to include a flagship initiative on Active Ageing under the Inclusive Growth objective.

The aim would be to mobilise the growing numbers of citizens aged 50+ to contribute to the recovery of the European social market economy and to develop a fairer and more sustainable social contract based on greater solidarity between generations.

At EU level priorities should include:

• To develop a European Active Ageing Strategy to address all aspects linked to demographic ageing and activation of the 50+: this Strategy should include the proposal explored by the European Commisson to have 2012 declared European year of Active ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity and should be used to set up ambitious yet realistic targets with regard to active ageing.

• To develop innovative measures in support of employment of older workers, paying due attention to the specific challenges that older female workers face to remain or re-integrate the labour market. To agree achievable targets for the employment rate of older workers broken down per age groups and gender, for example:

• To propose country specific targets for access to training and life long learning for older workers broken down per age groups and gender, for example:

Rational: older workers in general and women in particular have very limited access to training when they are aged over 50; it is necessary to devote more efforts to their training to develop their employability if they are expected to remain in employment until retirement age;

• To propose specific targets to reduce poverty broken down per age groups and gender; Legislative proposal: a European Directive on minimum income in old age as a tool to address the growing risk of poverty in old age;

• To include demographic change in the challenges that have to be addressed by the European Research Area; demographic change is at least as important a challenge as is climate change for the long term sustainability of our economic and social models;

• To promote new forms of work life balance adapted to the specific needs of the 50+, in particular women, who care for the elderly dependent; Legislative proposal: a European Directive on carer’s leave (based on the directive on parental leave) for those who need to care for an elderly dependent relative;

• To promote access for the 50+to information society, fighting the digital divide and ensure accessibility for all; legislative proposal: directive on accessibility of new ICT productsbased on the concept of Design for All;

At national level, Member States should agree:

• To promote longer working lives by developing common principles on a more flexible approach to retirement banning non justified mandatory ages to enable individuals to choose freely to continue to work, to phase their retirement, to work part-time or to stop working when they have reached pensionable age.

• To adapt social protection and pension systems to ensure access to an adequate incomeand quality health and long term care to all our ageing population;

• To promote smart solutions to help older people remain healthy and active and lead an independent life in old age