Active ageing: closing ceremony of European Year 2012 looks to the future

The European Year 2012 has mobilised a wide range of stakeholders  across Europe to take action with the aim of creating better  opportunities for active ageing and strengthening solidarity between  generations. It has given rise to hundreds of new initiatives and  events at European, national, regional or local level dealing with  employment, social participation and independent living of older  people, many of which will be of long-term benefit. A review of these  activities is taking place at the closing event of the European Year  for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 10th December.

In addition, the EU Member States have developed together with the  Commission the "Guiding Principles for Active Ageing and Solidarity  between Generations" which were endorsed by the EU's Council of  Ministers on 6 December 2012. The Guiding Principles are addressed to  Member States, regions and cities, companies and other relevant  organisations which have a role to play in further improving the  conditions for active ageing over the coming years.

Commissioner Andor said in his opening address: "The Year has given us  a fresh perspective on the ageing of the population. Once we saw the  growing numbers of older people as a problem. Today we have started to  recognise them as part of the solution - if they can achieve their  potential and we can take advantage of it. We need to continue  investing in our human capital - our greatest asset. I intend looking  at these issues in an ambitious social policy initiative we are calling  the social investment package, to be presented early next year."

At the closing conference, a new Active Ageing Index (AAI) was  presented for the first time to the public. The AAI was developed in a  joint project between the European Commission and the United Nations  Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the European Centre for  Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna. The index will help the  EU Member States to identify challenges and unrealised potentials and  to monitor progress in the area of active ageing.  

Background Population ageing is seen by many as an issue for concern. However, it  also gives rise to new opportunities. Recognising and enhancing the  contribution of older people to the economy and to society will help  address the challenges of population ageing in terms of sustainability  of our welfare systems.

The European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between  Generations has aimed at raising awareness of these issues and promoted  measures that create more and better opportunities for older people to  remain active and independent and to ensure genuine two-way solidarity  between generations.

Many Member States used the political momentum created by the European  Year 2012 for launching important policy initiatives. These are  examples of some of these initiatives:

Austria presented a Federal Plan for Senior Citizens in January 2012. The plan was developed by the Austrian Ministry of  Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection in cooperation with the  national Senior Citizens Council. It describes recent developments and  main challenges in different policy areas which are important for the  quality of life of older people. It also presents a set of  recommendations aiming to enable older people to ensure their active  involvement and participation in all spheres of life.

Ireland has decided that every local authority area in Ireland will  have its own Age-Friendly County Programme by the end of 2013. The Age Friendly Counties  programme aims to improve the health and well-being of older people and  increase their participation and influence in the social, economic and  cultural life of the communities. Each Age Friendly County initiative  establishes a local Older People's Forum, a series of public  consultations with older people at town and village level. The findings  from these consultations allow identifying opportunities for  improvement.

Germany ran an awareness campaign. The German Anti-discrimination  Agency has declared 2012 the Year Against Age Discrimination. Under the slogan "Im besten  Alter. Immer" (Always in the best age) the agency aims to raise awareness  among citizens about the use of attributes such as "too young" or "too  old", which result from prejudice, such as the idea that young people  have little work experience or seniors are not very flexible. The  federal agency has also designated special ambassadors for the year.

Poland adopted in August 2012 a Government Programme for Senior  Citizens Social Activity for the years 2012-2013. The aim of this comprehensive programme is to  improve the quality of life of older people through social activity and  allow Polish society to benefit from the potential of the elderly. With  a total budget of approximately 14.5 million Euros, non-governmental  organisations, social cooperatives, sports clubs and associations of  local governments can apply for funding under this programme.

Belgium has established in November 2012 a new federal advisory council  for the elderly. It can issue opinions to the government in areas such  as pensions, equal opportunities, social integration and health care.  The government has to reply within a period of three months.

For more information:

SPEECH/12/928:  http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-12-928_en.htm

Website of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations: http://europa.eu/ey2012/ey2012.jsp?langId=en

European Guiding Principles on Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations:  http://europa.eu/ey2012/ey2012main.jsp?langId=en&catId=970&newsId=1743& fur therNews=yes

Active Ageing Index: http://europa.eu/ey2012/ey2012main.jsp?langId=en&catId=970&newsId=1749& fur therNews=yes

Publications:  The EU Contribution to active ageing and solidarity between Generations: http://www.ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=8710&langId=en

Eurostat brochure - Active ageing and solidarity between generations -  a statistical portrait of the European Union 2012: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-EP-11-001/EN/KS-EP -11 -001-EN.PDF

How to promote active ageing in Europe - EU support to local and  regional actors: http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=7005&langId=en

European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012: http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6773&langId=en

László Andor's website: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/andor/

Subscribe to the European Commission's free e-mail newsletter on  employment, social affairs and inclusion: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=371&langId=en

Follow László Andor on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LaszloAndorEU

Contacts:

Jonathan Todd, [email protected] (+32 2 299 41 07)

Nadège Defrère, [email protected] (+32 2 296 45 44)

 Andrea Ricciarelli, ICWE GmbH Tel: +49 (0)30 310 18 18 43 Fax: +49 (0)30 324 98 33 E-mail: [email protected]

Join the European Year's Media Network: http://registration.eyaa-medianetwork.eu