Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on Community Support for Actions in favour of Older People () (95/C 236/14)

On 27 April 1995 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Social, Family, Educational and Cultural Affairs, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 11 May 1995. The Rapporteur was Mr Laur.

At its 326th Plenary Session (meeting of 31 May 1995), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously.

1. General comments

1.1. The Evaluation Report on Community actions carried out in connection with the European Year of Older People brings out the fact that an ageing population constitutes a major challenge in all the Member States. As the Commission points out, there were in the European Union, at the end of 1994, 70 million people over the age of 60, that is almost 20 % of the total population. According to certain forecasts this percentage could reach 25 % before 2020.

In accordance with its commitment in the White Paper 'European Social Policy - A Way Forward for the Union', the Commission proposes to help the Member States meet the challenge, particularly by pursuing the following objectives:

- developing the role and potential of the active retired population;

- promoting best practice in relation to:

a) improving the situation of older women;

b) management of an ageing workforce;

c) transition from work to retirement;

d) care and access to care for dependent older people;

- strengthening solidarity between generations and the integration of older people in danger of isolation.

The proposed measures include support for transnational activities and partnerships aiming to facilitate the exchange of information and experience between the Member States and promote best practice to deal with the ageing of the population throughout Europe.

1.2. The Economic and Social Committee endorses the Proposal for a Council Decision on Community support for actions in favour of older people. However, it regrets to note that not all the proposals and suggestions made in its Own-initiative Opinion of 25 November 1993 () have been taken up by the Commission.

Nonetheless, the Commission document follows up some of the recommendations made in the Committee Opinion of 25 November 1993 on older people in society (). Similarly, the 1990 Opinion () stressed that the European Year should promote real 'action' through 'pilot projects' and should set up an effective 'European network on innovative experiences'.

1.3. In view of the criticisms made - partly on matters of principle - of programmes of this kind, particularly as regards the doubts about the legal basis cited (Article 235 of the EC Treaty), the Economic and Social Committee stresses that such programmes are indeed necessary. They provide an excellent opportunity not only to exchange information on social policy developments in the various Member States but also to work towards a European consensus.

1.4. In this context, the Committee stresses that advanced age and the end of occupational activity should in no case become a cause of discrimination, marginalization or suffering. It therefore welcomes the stress placed by the Commission on the participation of older people in society, which should be consistently encouraged, given its importance for the cohesion of the European Union. The Committee stresses that older people are a potential asset to the Member States.

1.5. Despite the merited interest aroused by the action programme under review, the Committee wishes to draw the Commission's attention to other ways of encouraging the participation of older people in the decisions which concern them. In particular, they should be encouraged to participate actively and responsibly in political and social decision-making.

The Committee accordingly urges the Commission to promote the drafting of a 'Community Charter of the Fundamental Rights of Older People'. In line with its 1992 and 1993 Opinions, this should cover, in particular:

- the training and retraining of older workers;

- retirement planning and preparation;

- the questions linked with the participation of older people in society: free movement and transfer of pensions, a decent income, the right to a pension, reduced public transport fares geared to income, solidarity between generations;

- care and an environment suited to older people: the right to appropriate health care, housing, homes and reception structures for older people, home help, protection from violence;

- the special needs of certain older people, sometimes at risk: taking into account the needs and desires of older migrants, ethnic minorities, older people living in a rural environment, older women, and dependent older people.

1.6. The Committee regrets that the Commission focuses on a purely vertical approach. It hopes that other measures to assist older people will be integrated, as far as possible horizontally, with all the activities of the European Union.

1.7. Moreover, the Committee hopes that the Commission, by its supporting measures - particularly for foreign language learning - will help to achieve a true Citizens' Europe from which older citizens are not excluded.

1.8. The Committee would also remind the Commission of the desirability of encouraging the spread of new technologies among older people. Bearing in mind the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies, they must not become a factor contributing to exclusion, but must be used so that they help to improve older people's quality of life.

1.9. Finally, the Committee hopes that the Commission, through the measures which it will take and support, will help to combat all the stereotypes linked with age. To this end, consideration should be given to the role of older people in relation to trends in family structures and models of civilization.

2. Specific comments

Article 1

2.1. The Committee has reservations about, and is critical of, the restricted framework of the planned Community action, and its limits in relation to the scale of the problems facing older people and the requests made in a number of its earlier Opinions. It hopes that the Commission's action relating to older people will be included in other Community programmes, e.g. the public health programme (preventive measures to ensure good health in old age), Community transport programmes (measures to encourage access to transport for older people with reduced mobility), or Community measures to encourage tourism.

Article 2

2.2. The Committee approves the adoption of priority objectives. It hopes that measures in favour of older people will give rise to the creation of a clearly defined framework to promote the exchange of views and information on the various approaches to policy on older people in the Member States, with the aim of achieving a convergence of these policies at Community level in cooperation with older people, their relatives and their representative organizations and associations.

It welcomes the acknowledgment of the role and potential of the active retired population, whose needs it has voiced on a number of occasions (). It is pleased with the aim of promoting best practice in the field of care and access to care for dependent older people. However it regrets that more attention has not been paid to enabling older people to stay in their homes or providing access to suitable housing.

The Committee also regrets that the Commission has not included in its priority objectives the needs and wishes of older people who have become vulnerable and isolated through illness, their ethnic origin and/or an isolated, difficult environment. It further proposes that an additional objective e) be added to the list in Article 2(2), on identifying the initiatives which the Commission could take to improve the quality of life of older people, and a new objective f) on the introduction of policies to encourage older people to participate actively and responsibly in the life of the community.

Finally, the Committee proposes that an additional objective 4 should be added ensuring a gender perspective in all activities within the framework of the decision, particularly as regards the compilation of statistics and the choice of priority themes.

Article 3

2.3. The Committee regards the measures designed to attain the objectives referred to in Article 2 as satisfactory.

However, it feels that the subjects of comparative studies (paragraph b)) should be linked with the priority objectives described in Article 2: it hopes that the Commission will support research measures linked with practice in the field.

It also hopes that suitable funds will be provided, to make possible maximum dissemination at Community and national levels of the results of the studies.

It strongly urges the development of exchange networks on precise themes, as a way of ensuring the spread of best practice at European level and contributing to greater cohesion in our societies.

It wishes to draw the Commission's attention to special needs, particularly those of older people living in a rural environment and of older migrants, and to the essential role of older people in the transmission of knowledge and skills.

The Committee underlines the responsibility of national policies as the first instance to take and enforce appropriate measures in line with the principles expressed in this Opinion.

Article 4

2.4. The Commission should associate the representatives of the various socio-economic categories, and particularly the representatives of older people's organizations and of professional and voluntary organizations in the implementation of the Decision.

Article 5

2.5. It should be ensured that the studies specially commissioned by the Commission do not absorb an excessive proportion of the funds allocated.

Article 6

2.6.1. The Committee would welcome the creation of a 'European Forum of Older People' where European, national, regional and indeed local organizations can discuss the realization of the programme and its priority themes.

Such a Forum should also make it possible to strengthen the role of older people in the development of the European idea and to strengthen cooperation - with a view to greater solidarity between generations - with the organizations representing other categories of the population.

It would also welcome the creation of national and/or transnational structures which would contribute to an exchange of best practice and would facilitate meetings between national, regional and local organizations of the Member States.

2.6.2. The composition of the Committee provided for in Article 6 should make it possible to associate representatives of the various categories of economic and social life, and in particular those of older people's organizations and of professional and voluntary organizations.

Article 7

2.7. The exchange of information provided for in this Article must be as wide-ranging as possible. In particular, it could include the direct provision of information to older people, when possible, covering subjects such as moving to another country of the Union. It could also include information on the development of national policies on older people.

The Committee would also draw the Commission's attention to the importance of the choice of media on which to concentrate: this choice must take account of the cultural habits of older people.

Article 8

2.8. An interim report assessing the implementation and results of the actions should be presented by 30 September 1998 at the latest. Its aims would include preparing for the International Year of Older People in 1999 and identifying priorities for future action.

2.9. The report provided for in this Article should also be addressed to the Economic and Social Committee.

Done at Brussels, 31 May 1995.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Carlos FERRER

() OJ No C 115, 9. 9. 1994, p. 14.

() OJ No C 34, 2. 2. 1994, p. 61.

() OJ No C 225, 10. 9. 1990.

() OJ No C 34, 2. 2. 1994.