6.7.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC169/49
Thissectionshouldalsoincludeaprovisionforproper
ventilationwhereverpracticable .—walkietalkie,
—radio.
3.9.2.InthisAnnex,asectiononmaintenance is
missing.3.9.AnnexIII(Emergencyescapeandsurvivalequip­
ment)
3.10.AnnexIV(PersonalProtectiveEquipment )3.9.1.Section3:liferaftsandlifeboats
Tothelistofequipmentthefollowingelementsshould
beadded:
—flares,3.10.1.Lightweightlife-jacketsshouldbewornby
allfishermenworkingondeck.
DoneatBrussels,29April1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionontheorganizationoftheEuropeanYear
oftheElderlyandofSolidaritybetweenGenerations1993(M
92/C169/16)
On29January1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon22April1992.The
RapporteurwasMrRoseingrave .
Atits296thPlenarySession(meetingof29April1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionbyaunanimousvote.
portivestrategiesenablingolderpeopletoparticipate
asfull'citizens'ofaEuropeanUnionandassuringthem
basicrightsandpropercare.1.Generalremarks
1.1.InitsOpinionof4July1990(2),theCommittee
welcomedboththeCommunityActionProgrammefor
theelderlyandendorsedtheideaofdesignating1993
as'EuropeanYearforOlderPeople'.
1.2.Thecurrentspecificproposalcanthereforebe
supportedandshouldbeenhanced,inkeepingwiththe
commitments madeintheSocialCharterandAction
Programme,andinresponsetogrowingcallsforsup­1.3.TheCommitteewouldsuggestthatacleargoal
oftheEuropeanYearshouldbetolaunchaCommunity
CharteroftheFundamentalRightsofOlderPeople,
togetherwithanActionProgrammeincludingmeasures
topromoteinter-generational solidarityforits
implementation whichwouldtesttheeffectivenessof
theobjectivesoftheYear.Obviouslyitwouldbeof
littleuseiftheobjectivesweretoremainasmere
aspirations.SuchaCharterandProgrammecouldbuild
outofArticles24and25oftheexistingSocialCharter(!)OJNoCIS,1.2.1992,p.5.
(2)OJNoC225,10.9.1990.

NoC169/50 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 6.7.92
dealingwithsufficientresourcesatretirementage,and
expandfurthertodealwithfundamentalquestionssuch
astherighttodignityandthebanningofdiscrimination
againstolderpeople.Thiswouldalsobeconsistent
withtheobjectiveofEuropeancitizenshipassetoutin
theMaastrichtTreaty.
1.3.1.The'Charter'andActionProgrammeshould,
amongotherthings,coverthefollowingrights:—theneedforthelegalsystemtoprovidethemgreater
protectionfromviolenceinbothruralandurban
areas(theActionProgrammeshouldsetoutedu­
cationandpublicinformationservicestohelpthem
intheinterestsoftheirpersonalsecurityandprotec­
tion),
—theneedtofosterpublicopiniontowardstherecog­
nitionofthepositivecontributionofolderpeople
tosocietyandthedevelopmentofrepresentative
organizations andparticipatory meansof
expressionindecision-making ,
—financialandsocialpromotioninfavourofpro­
fessionsspecializedinassistanceactivitiesforelderly
people,1.3.1.1.Forolderworkers:
—accesstonewtrainingandretraining,
—legalrecourseagainstdiscrimination onthelabour
marketonthegroundsofage,
—retirementplanningthroughpre-retirement edu­
cationandretirementadvicecentres.—
1.3.2.Thesebasicsocialrightsforolderpeople
shouldbeaccompaniedbyamajorEC-wideeffortto
helpandappreciatetheroleofinformalcarerssuchas
spousesandfamilymembers(i.e.personswhohavea
definedrelationshipwiththoseforwhomtheycare
andwhoconstituteoneofthemainwelfarepillarsof
society).Suchhelptocarersshouldbethroughmore
groupsupportschemes,adviceonlegal,welfare,medi­
calandfinancialproblems,attendanceallowances,res­
pitecareschemes,daycentres,home-helps,nursing,etc.
TheEuropeanYearshouldgiveproperconsiderationin
suchwaystothevitalsupportiveroleofcarers.Member
Statesmustaccepttheirresponsibilities toprovidefull
andprofessionalservicesunderagreedidentifiedstan­
dards.1.3.1.2.Forpensioners :
—guaranteedsufficientresourcesandhealthand
socialassistanceaccordingtoneedandnotdepen­
dentonincomewiththeaimofpromotinggood
healthandsecurityinoldage,
—possibletaxrebatesforpensioners,
—freemovementandresidencythroughouttheCom­
munityandentitlementtopropercareandassist­
ance,
—paymentbothoftheirattainedstatutoryandoccu­
pationalpensionsintheMemberStateinwhich
theyhavechosentostayorreside,withoutany
additionalfiscal,bureaucraticorfluctuatingmonet­
aryimpediments .2.Specificremarksconcerningthedraftdecision
2.1.Article1(decision)canbeapproved.
2.2.Article2(objectives)
Twonewindentsshouldbeaddedasfollows:
'—tolaunchaCommunityCharterandActionPro­
grammeoftheFundamentalSocialRightsofOlder
People'(summarisedinpoint1.3.1),
'—togivepriorityhelptosupportivestrategiesfor
olderpeople,notablyhelptoinformalcarers'(point
1.3.2).1.3.1.3.Fortheelderly:
—aEuropeanseniorpassandentitlementtothesame
pricereductionsasenjoyedbytheseniorcitizensof
the'host'MemberStateasregardspublictransport,
culturalactivities,sportsandleisure,etc.,
—properhousingfacilities,
—therightofthephysicallyfrailormentallyimpaired
tobetreatedandcaredforwithdignity,under
sanitaryandsocialconditionsrigorouslymonitored,
withrightsoflegalrecourseandwiththerightto
retainaproperdegreeoffinancialindependence
(onthesematters,particularattentionintermsof
standardsandmanagementmustbegiventoolder
peoplelivinginresidentialhomes),
—theneedsofminorities,especiallytheireconomic
andsocio-culturalrequirements ,2.2.1.Artic1e2(measures)
AsinitsearlierOpinion,theCommitteewouldstress
theneedforproperlyfinanced'pilotprojects'andnet­
workingbasedoninnovativeexperiencesandgood
practiceinthefield.AnEC-widehandbookmightbe
usefulinthiscontext.

6.7.92 NoC169/51 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
2.3.Article3(budget)
TheCommitteeconsiderstheproposedbudgetentirely
inadequatetocarryoutfullytheobjectivesandpro­
grammesoftheYear.Itfurtherconsiders,viathe
CouncilofMinisters,MemberStatesshouldprovide
back-upsupportfundingtogetherwithadviceandstat­
isticstomakethisventureasuccess.
2.4.Article4(advisorycommittee)
AsisthecaseforthecurrentEuropeanYearofSafety,
HygieneandHealthProtectionatWork(1992),theEconomicandSocialCommitteeshouldbedirectly
associatedwiththeworkofthedirectingoradvisory
committee .
2.5.Article5(financialsupport)
Asinpoint2.3.
2.6.Article6(report)
TheCommitteeconsidersthatitshouldalsobean
officialrecipientoftheenvisagedprogressreport.
DoneatBrussels,29April1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH