No C 225/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 9. 90 
Greek Government's original request for an average 
Community participation rate of ± 75 % over the entire 
programme. 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee welcomes the proposal in that it 
represents the first official if limited Community initiative 
to be taken in support of older people. In a Community 
with 100 million people over the age of 50 — almost a third 
of Europe's population, with 20 % of the labour force also 
over 50, and with a rapidly increasing number of very old 
people, this is indeed a matter which concerns us all. The 
Commission was therefore right to announce in the Social 
Action Programme accompanying the Social Charter that, 
whilst Member States at national, regional or local level, 
are primarily and directly responsible for action in this 
area, the Community should also 'indicate the importance 
that it attaches' to the requirements and positive contri­
bution of such a large section of its population (2). 
1.2. In the light of the above statement, the Committee 
would urge the Commission to carry through its own stated 
thinking on the subject, in favour of a proposal more 
ambitious in scope and content, more rigorous in terms of 
political commitment and timescale, and more demonstrat­
ive of the 'importance' which it attaches to the situation of 
older people, which includes those still in work, the retired, 
those who are active and those who are dependent (i.e. 
(!) OJ No C 120, 16. 5. 1990, p. 8. 
(2) Communication from the Commission concerning its Action 
Programme relating to the implementation of the Community 
charter of basic social rights for workers [doc. COM(89) 568 
final of 29 November 1989]. 3.1. It would therefore ask the Council to take account 
of this request and to comply with it as far as possible. 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
physically active but mentally impaired, or physically frail 
but mentally alert). 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. In the first recital of the draft Decision, the 
Commission correctly draws attention to various resol­
utions from the European Parliament regarding the elderly. 
It is also useful in this context to refer to the Economic and 
Social Committee's 'Information report on the de­
mographic situation in the Community' (3), notably the 
sections on birth rates and on the ageing labour force, the 
repercussions for public finances, the volume and structure 
of consumption, savings and investment, etc. 
2.1.1. Likewise, reference should also be made to the 
two recent and positive ESC opinions on the 'Right of 
residence for employees and self-employed persons who 
have ceased their occupational activity' (4) and on 'Basic 
Community social rights' (5), in which the right to proper 
health protection, to proper sickness and social insurance 
cover and to a proper pension was underlined. 
2.1.2. The Directives and final draft Directive on equal 
treatment between men and women as regards occup­
ational and statutory social security and pension schemes 
should also be mentioned. 
(3) Brochure, Brussels 1986. 
(«) OJ No C 329, 30. 12. 1989. 
(5) OJ No C 126, 23. 5. 1989. Opinion on the communication on the elderly (*) 
(90/C 225/07) 
On 7 May 1990 the Council of the European Communities decided to consult the Economic and 
Social Committee, under Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
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 8 June 1990. The 
rapporteur was Mrs Williams. 
At its 278th plenary session (meeting of 4 July 1990) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion by a majority vote in favour, with two votes against and one abstention. 
10. 9. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 225/15 
Article 1 
2.2. Article 1 of the draft Decision states that 'actions' 
will be carried out at Community level. The Committee 
would endorse this approach, especially in the sense of 
active field work and 'action research'. 
Article 2 
2.3. Increased longevity is both inevitable and desirable, 
provided that the means are found to enable people to enjoy 
it: Article 2 should therefore concentrate on the objective 
of supportive strategies for older people rather than on 
'preventive' strategies on the challenges of ageing. Full 
participation and involvement of the elderly population 
and the development of practical means for promoting 
their positive potential should be brought out more clearly, 
for instance on the basis of stimulating programmes, which 
satisfy both physical and mental needs, and through the 
forging of closer links between generations in order to 
encourage social cohesion and prevent discrimination on 
the grounds of the age, particularly on the labour market. 
Article 3 
2.4. The basic purpose of the Commission programme 
is to help promote cross-fertilization of knowledge, ideas 
and experiences throughout the Community on how to 
improve care particularly for the very old and frail and at 
the same time to appraise the positive contribution of older 
people to society. The establishment and development of a 
Community-wide database proposed in Article 3 is 
therefore welcome but nevertheless should provide more 
specifically defined objectives and priorities including data 
on existing barriers to the employment of older workers 
and comparative data on the financial situation of older 
people. Such a database in itself, however, is insufficient. 
The Committee indeed urges a clearer and firmer 
commitment in the resolution to set up an effective 
European network on innovative experiences. This could 
be based on the 'clearing house' model of the Community 
anti-poverty action programme, providing an active and 
hopefully user-friendly interface rather than a simple 
library of ideas. Coordination with existing Helios and 
Handynet information networks would be useful, linking 
up existing efforts on the common problems related to 
disability and old age. 
2.4.1. Such a network or clearing house would require 
the awareness-raising activities and studies outlined in 
Article 3, but would clearly have to be supplemented by 
real 'action' in the field through the promotion and comparison of properly financed pilot projects. The 
Committee is surprised that the resolution does not refer to 
this classic Commission method of 'action', all the more so 
given that pilot projects were to have been provided for 
according to the Social Action Programme (1). 
2.4.2. The range of activities to be covered by such pilot 
projects, and by the accompanying comparative research 
and cross-referencing, should concentrate on supportive 
actions for the elderly and include for example: 
— the training and retraining of older workers or 
unemployed in order further to encourage their access 
to the labour market and to help them to be involved in 
and complement the work of the caring professions, 
— retirement planning and pre-retirement education in 
order to cope with the transition from working life to 
retirement, with new time patterns, changed status, 
different relationships, health, nutrition, pensions, etc., 
and a familiarization throughout life of the problems 
and opportunities inherent in ageing, 
— priority help for informal carers (who have a defined 
relationship with those they care for and who constitute 
the main welfare pillar of society, with consequent 
savings to the State) through group support schemes, 
advice on legal, welfare, medical and financial prob­
lems, attendance allowances, respite care schemes, day 
centres, home-helps, nursing, etc., 
— the role of, and participation in, voluntary community 
services for elderly people, 
— innovative and instructive experiences in the mental, as 
well as physical, health-care field, in the reintegration of 
eldery people with a handicap or emotional problem 
back into their own community and preferably into 
their own homes rather than in institutions, 
— step-by-step transition towards frailty and dependence, 
bearing in mind the need to avoid a sudden and often 
fatal institutionalization of health-care arrangements 
for the very elderly, 
— new, innovative projects as regards access to and design 
of buildings, accommodation for the elderly, transport 
services and the development of products intended to 
make life easier, 
— active participation of older people in cultural, 
educational, spiritual, recreational and sporting ac­
tivities leading to better integration and self-fulfilment. 
(*) Doc. COM(89) final op. cit., p. 51. 
No C 225/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 9. 90 
Article 5 
2.5. Action research around pilot projects would clearly 
necessitate a reorientation of and a substantial boost to the 
preliminary draft budget for 1991/1992 of ECU 2 400 000, 
covered by Article 5 of the resolution. A yearly budget of 
not less than ECU 4 200 000 is necessary, of which 
ECU 3 million must be for pilot projects. The Committee 
considers, moreover, that an on-going four-year budget 
might be more appropriate. 
Article 6 
2.6. Article 6 refers only to the official Advisory 
Committee to be set up, composed as usual of representat­
ives of the Member States (national civil servants). The 
Article should also incorporate into the text the official 
setting up of a liaison group (as outlined in paragraph 63 of 
the introduction). This group should represent the elderly 
and be composed both of representative European 
organizations of the elderly or working on behalf of the 
elderly and of similar national organizations interested in 
the European Community dimension. Its work criteria 
should also be clarified. 
Article 7 
2.7. Article 7 should be modified in order to designate 
1993 as 'European Year for Older People'. The Committee 
believes that there would be greater participation by all 
1. Introduction 
1.1. Casein is the main protein in milk and is produced 
both in the EEC and elsewhere. Imports have been 
increasing and the Commission cannot use tariffs to 
counteract these because the protein is bound under the interested parties of all age groups in this year were the 
Commission to launch an immediate campaign, including 
appropriate legislative proposals (i.e. for older workers) 
and announce its plans and budget more explicitly, and 
present them for approval. 
2.8. Commission reports should be drawn up both at an 
interim stage and at the end of the programme's period of 
activity. Such reports should be referred respectively to the 
European Parliament and to the Economic and Social 
Committee. 
2.9. Given the importance and complexity of the subject 
as a whole, and the tight time limits necessary for the 
drawing up of this opinion, the Committee will prepare an 
own-initiative opinion at an early stage dealing with the 
role and situation of the elderly in the Community, 
especially in view of progress towards a 'People's Europe' 
without frontiers and with much more freedom of 
movement. In its own-initiative opinion the Committee 
also intends to put forward proposals for a Community 
action programme for the elderly. 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
GATT. The Commission has therefore resorted to 
administrative measures, but the ones chosen so far have 
been difficult to police, so much so, that there have even 
been speculative movements in the market. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down additional general rules on 
the common organization of the market in milk and milk products as regards cheese (*) 
(90/C 225/08) 
On 1 June 1990 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 Economic and Social Committee decided to appoint Mr Gardner as rapporteur-general with 
the task of preparing its work on the subject. 
At its 278th plenary session (meeting of 4 July 1990) the Economic and Social Committee adopted 
the following opinion unanimously. 
(!) OJ No C 135, 2. 6. 1990, p. 9. 1.2. The Commission believes that recent increases in 
casein usage are due to its incorporation in Natural cheeses,