A4-0160/99

Resolution on senior citizens in the 21st century - a new lease of life

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the motions for resolutions pursuant to Rule 45(2) of the Rules of Procedure by the following Members:

a) Fernandez Albor on the Community programme for promoting and developing homes for the aged (B4-0536/95),

b) Fernandez Albor on legislation concerning old people's homes (B4-1324/95),

c) Larive and Boogerd-Quaak on the European Year of the single person (B4-0304/96),

d) Killilea on family carers of older dependent people (B4-0895/97),

e) Cassidy on family carers of older dependent people (B4-0919/97),

f) Cushnahan on carers for older dependent people (B4-0003/99),

- having regard to the EC Treaty and in particular Articles 2, 3, 8 (future Article 17), 8a (future Article 18), 48 (future Article 39), 49 (future Article 40), 51 (future Article 42), 117 (future Article 136), 118 (future Article 137), 118a (future Article 138), 123 (future Article 146), 126 (future Article 149), 127 (future Article 150) and 129 (future Article 152) thereof,

- having regard to the future Articles 13 and 127 of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to the Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights for Workers and in particular Articles 24 and 25 thereof,

- having regard to the petitions addressed to it on freedom of movement and the recognition of pension arrangements,

- having regard to the Council recommendation of 24 June 1992 on common criteria concerning sufficient resources and social assistance in social protection schemes ((OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 46.)),

- having regard to the Council recommendation of 27 July 1992 on the convergence of social protection objectives and policies ((OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 49.)),

- having regard to the Council resolution of 30 June 1993 on flexible retirement arrangements ((OJ C 188, 10.7.1993, p. 1.)),

- having regard to the declaration of principles of the Council of the European Union and the Ministers for Social Affairs, meeting within the Council of 6 December 1993, to mark the end of the European Year of the Elderly and of solidarity between generations (1993) ((OJ C 343, 21.12.1993, p. 1.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 24 February 1994 on measures for the elderly ((OJ C 77, 14.3.1994, p. 24.)),

- having regard to the resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 29 June 1995, on the employment of older workers ((OJ C 228, 2.9.1995, p. 1.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 12 March 1998 ((OJ C 104, 6.4.1998, p. 222.)) on the Commission report on the demographic situation in 1997 (COM(97)0361 - C4-0505/97),

- having regard to its resolution of 3 December 1998 ((OJ C 398, 21.12.1998, p. 42.)) on the Commission Green Paper on supplementary pensions in the single market (COM(97)0283 - C4-0392/97),

- having regard to the UN General Assembly resolution of 16 October 1992 ((Resolution 47/5/1992.)) proclaiming 1999 the International Year of the Elderly (Year of Older Persons),

- having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A4-0160/99),

A. whereas 75 million EU citizens are 60 years of age or older and constitute over 20% of the Union's total population, and whereas current demographic trends would increase these numbers still further,

B. whereas the continual increase in life expectancy is one of the greatest achievements of modern society and whereas older persons in our countries are an irreplaceable repository of experience, knowledge, culture and values,

C. whereas older persons are not a homogenous group but differ, in particular, in wealth, social status and physical capacity,

D. whereas the vast majority of older persons reach retirement age in full possession of their mental and physical faculties, and retain them into old age; whereas this development calls for a general reappraisal of established attitudes towards older persons and the traditional roles ascribed to them, laying emphasis on support for active old age and participation by older persons,

E. whereas demographic change calls for new approaches to the labour market, employment, the transition between working life and retirement, the financing and structure of social security, health and care, mobility, town and country planning and housing in particular,

F. whereas particular attention must be paid to the specific situation of older women,

G. whereas the European Union has an important role to play in matters relating to old age, in promoting and organising the exchange of information supporting, supplementing and coordinating national, political and legislative action, and taking the demographic situation into account in its policies,

1. Notes with concern that the unemployment rate amongst older workers is on the increase; notes also that the official statistics do not adequately reflect the extent of unemployment amongst older workers; points out at the same time that demographic change will necessitate considerable efforts in the future to prevent the exclusion of older workers from the labour market;

2. Notes with concern that older persons are subject to everyday discrimination and that everything possible must be done at all levels to combat discrimination and social marginalisation outside working life as well;

3. Points out that better use must be made of the experience and knowledge of older people for the benefit of and as an innovation for the economy and society;

4. Notes with satisfaction that the material living conditions of older people have improved significantly within the European Union in recent decades; notes with concern, however, that older people, and in particular older women, are still disproportionately affected by poverty;

5. Reaffirms its support for the European model of social security based on solidarity as the guarantee for preserving social peace; takes the view that any reform of social security systems should not undermine the fundamental principles on which they are based, in particular the principle of social solidarity;

6. Takes the view that if the Member States encourage their citizens to make provision for additional personal insurance in order to cover social risks this must be voluntary and must not lead to the creation of different levels of social security or to an impairment of existing schemes based on the principle of solidarity; warns against the privatisation of social risks, in particular in the health service;

7. Calls therefore on the European Union, the Member States and business, and the social partners as far as it lies within their spheres of responsibility:

- to launch a process of social rethinking with a view to preventing discrimination against older workers;

- to create rights, enforceable in law, against discrimination on the labour market, with particular reference to job seeking, further training and reductions in staff numbers;

- to promote lifelong learning and to tailor training, further training and retraining schemes to the needs of older workers and to open educational systems up to persons no longer in work;

- to promote innovative forms of transition between work and retirement, for example the model of part-time working for older persons;

- in the medium term to seek to coordinate pension systems and remove discrepancies between the provisions of labour law and social security legislation; for example, raising the retirement age while at the same time promoting early retirement, and doing away with a statutory retirement age and fiscal disincentives to continuing to work after retirement age;

- to adapt the working environment and modernise the organisation of work to meet the needs of older workers;

- to devote particular attention to the position of older women on the labour market;

8. Calls on the Commission, with reference to the situation of older workers on the labour market, in particular to:

- promote, within the context of the European Social Fund, the further training of older workers and to combat their marginalisation;

- submit, on the basis of Article 118 (future Article 137) of the EC Treaty, legislative proposals for integrating older workers at work and improving the working environment to take account of the specific needs of older workers;

9. Calls on the European Union and the Member States, within the context of the European Employment Strategy, to include in the employment policy guidelines specific and verifiable European and national objectives for combating unemployment amongst older workers;

10. Calls for the older segment of the population to have an appropriate share in the increase in economic productivity and prosperity, and calls on the European Union and the Member States to make greater efforts to abolish the social marginalisation of older people;

11. Calls therefore on the Commission, on the basis of future Articles 13 and 137 (former Article 118) of the EC Treaty, to submit legislative proposals for combating discrimination and social marginalisation based on age;

12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue their work to ensure the mutual recognition of pension systems and the equal treatment of men and women in the field of social security by implementing existing legislation and submitting new legislative proposals which do not inadvertently place older people at greater disadvantage;

13. Takes the view that maintaining mobility is an important precondition for an independent lifestyle for older people; calls therefore on the Member States to

- develop (local) public transport systems and increase their user-friendliness;

- prohibit discrimination against older people in respect of driving tests;

14. Calls on the Member States to guarantee, within their social security systems, the crediting of time spent raising children and caring for older or disabled relatives, both to safeguard the pension entitlement of the carers - who are predominantly women - and to encourage older and infirm people to remain within the family circle;

15. Calls, in view of the likely increase in the number of older people requiring care, on the Commission to propose studies of care financing with a view to submission of a framework for Europe-wide care insurance which takes account of this trend; calls on the Member States to include care insurance in their social protection systems;

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to conduct national and European campaigns to inform young people of the value of solidarity systems, and in particular pensions;

17. Reaffirms the right of older people to exercise their own choice of living environment and takes the view that promoting an independent lifestyle and preventing social isolation are the fundamental principles of a housing policy geared towards older persons; calls on the Member States, when planning care establishments and other residential establishments designed specifically for older persons, to respect the principles of transparency, involvement of those concerned, standardisation and social integration and to tailor their support accordingly;

18. Calls on the Member States to ensure that the provision of services involves maximum individual freedom of choice and that in developing services the needs of older people as individuals are taken into account;

19. Calls on the Member States to develop policies which coordinate the provision of health care and social services to ensure the self-reliance, self-determination and dignity of older people;

20. Calls on the Commission to bring forward proposals under Article 129 (future Article 152) of the EC Treaty for protecting and improving the health of older people;

21. Calls on the Member States to exchange research and examples of best practice in relation to the care of those suffering from Alzheimer¨s disease or other confusion disorders and on the Commission to create possibilities for the exchange of good practice;

22. Calls further on the European Union and the Member States, when promoting the everyday independence of older people and supporting an active old age, in particular to encourage the exercise and appreciation of honorary activities by older people;

23. Calls on the Member States to give encouragement for residential facilities to be redesigned in a way that suits old people, either through financial incentives, or by imposing building standards or, for example, by issuing quality marks for accommodation tailored to needs;

24. Takes the view that the everyday use of new technology can make a major contribution towards facilitating an independent lifestyle and enhancing the quality of life of older people; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to give further encouragement to the development of new technology and the use of modern IT for older people under the fifth framework programme for research and development; notes, however, that technical facilities should neither replace human contact nor demean older people;

25. Calls on the Member States and the Commission actively to promote the participation of older people in the decision-making process in the economic, political and cultural fields at regional, national and European level and advocates the abolition of the remaining age limits for political office;

26. Calls on the social partners at national and European level to work closely with other organisations representing older people in defending their rights in society and in ensuring that they are actively involved in the political process;

27. Calls on NGOs representing older people at regional, national and European level to coordinate their activities and to develop an information network, coordinated by the European Union, on issues and policies affecting older people throughout Europe;

28. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the associations representing the interests of older people and to help them promote a realistic and positive image;

29. Requests the Commission to bring forward its Communication on Ageing in the first half of 1999;

30. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European social partners, the participants at the Senior Citizens Conference and the United Nations.