2,2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/61
Opiniononolderpeopleinsociety
(94/C34/17)
On23March1993theEconomicandSocialCommittee,actingunderthefourthparagraph
ofArticle20ofitsRulesofProcedure,decidedtodrawupanOpiniononolderpeoplein
society.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon11November1993.
TheRapporteurwasMrRoseingravetandtheCo-Rapporteur wasMrLaur.
Atits310thPlenarySession(meetingof25November1993)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajority,with2dissentingvotesand8
abstentions .
1.Background 1.4.Measuresareenvisagedasfollows:
1.1.Overthepastthreedecades,thenumberofolder
people(60yearsofageandover)intheEuropean
Communityhasrisenfrom46.5to68.6million,an
increaseofalmost50%.Allthesignsarethatthistrend
willcontinueinthefuture,andthatin2020therewill
beapproximately twiceasmanyolderpeopleinthe
Communityastherewerein1960(i.e.between89and
100millionolderpeople,17to22millionofthemaged
80orover)(').
1.1.1.Thistrend,whichaffectstheratioofretired
personstotheactivepopulationcreatesseriousprob­
lems(especiallyinconnectionwithpensionschemes)
whichcannot,however,beexaminedwithinthescope
ofthisOpinion.
1.2.Inviewofthedemandsandopportunitieswhich
thisstructuralchangewillmakeonoursociety(for
exampleintermsofthelabourmarket,pensions,health
care,culture,etc.),thefirstCommunityprogrammefor
olderpeople,1991-1993 (2),culminatedthisyearinthe
organizationoftheEuropeanYearofOlderPeopleand
SolidaritybetweenGenerations^).—measureswithnofinancialimplicationfortheCom­
munitybudget;
—measuresco-financedfromtheCommunitybudget
(conferences ,informationexchange,etc.);
—projectstobefundedfromtheCommunitybudget.
Thelatterseriesofmeasures(projects)wouldinclude
prizesandcompetitions ,informationandpublicity
campaigns,reportsandthefinancingofa'networkof
pilotprojectsbypublicand/orprivatebodiesaimedat
encouragingnewapproachesbothtousingthepotential
representedbytheelderlyandpromotingthecontri­
butionwhichtheycanmake,andforcareofthose
elderlywhocannotmanagealone'.
1.5.TheEconomicandSocialCommitteehastwice
welcomedandendorsedthe'EuropeanYearforthe
Elderly'initsOpinionsof4July1990and22April
1992(4).Inresponsetogrowingcallsforsupportive
strategies,andinparallelwiththeEuropeanParliament,
theCommitteeconsideredthatacleargoalofthe
EuropeanYearshouldbetolaunchaCommunityChar­
teroftheFundamentalRightsofOlderPeople,together
withanaccompanying ActionProgramme .
SuchaCharterandActionProgrammedevelopingout
ofArticles24and25oftheexisting'SocialCharter'
shouldcover:
—-thetrainingandretrainingofolderworkers;
—legalrecourseagainstagediscrimination inthelab­
ourmarket(e.g.earlyredundancy )andelsewhere;1.3.Theobjectivesofthe'Year'are:
—tohighlighttheEC'ssocialdimension;
—toheightenawarenessofthesituationofolder
people;
—topromoteexchangeofinformationontheirsitu­
ationandonwaysofimprovingit;
—topromote'solidarity'betweengenerations ;
—toinvolveolderpeoplemoreintheprocessofEC
integration .—retirementplanning;
—adecentincome,pensionrightsandproperhealth
careforolderpeople;(')Eurostat'RapidReports:populationandsocialconditions,
OlderpeopleintheEuropeanCommunity—populationand
employment'(1993—1).
(2)CouncilDecision91/49/EEC—26.11.1992.
(3)CouncilDecision92/440/EEC—24.6.1992. (4)OJNoC225,10.10.1990;OJNoC169,6.7.1992.

NoC34/62 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2,2.94
—taxrebates;
—freemovementandpensionpayments;
—aEuropeanseniortravelpass;
—housing;geredasocialandpoliticalcrisiswhichmustbetackled
byapplyinginnovativemoral,civilanddemocratic
values,Humanresourcesareoftensquandered :older
peopleaccountforpartofthesewastedresources,a
situationwhichismadeworsebyattitudeswhichhave
becomeconsolidatedtothepointofbeingacceptedas
'anormalmarketeconomylaw'.Olderpeoplearea
repositoryofvalueswhichareofbenefitandshouldbe
putbackintosociety,includingtheeducationalsystem.
Thesevaluesconcernnotonlyasenseofmoralandcivic
responsibility ,butareofdirecteconomicrelevance.In
brief,olderpeopleshouldbeseenasamajorresource
fortheeconomic,socialandculturaldevelopmentof
ourcountries .-—monitoringofresidentialhomes;
—cut-pricepublictransportfaresgearedtoincome;
—theneedsofminorities;
—protectionfromviolence;
—participation insociety;1.8.4.Indeed,theaimshouldbetoenablesucholder
citizenstoapplytheirexperience,exercisetheirpoten­
tial,todeveloptheirrightsanddutiesandtofeelapart
of,ratherthanapartfrom,society.Thisshouldbedone
withatwo-wayconceptof'solidaritybetweenthe
generations'involvingyoungerpeoplehelpingthose
whohavebecomedependent,butalsoinvolvingolder
peopleputtingtogoodusetheirphysical,mentaland
(whereappropriate )financialresources.
1.8.5.TheCommitteeconsidersthatsuchapro­
activeplatformonthedignityandstatusofolderpeople
insociety,bothintermsofneedsandparticipation ,
shouldbesetwithinamorecloselycoordinatedEuro­
peanPolicyframeworkofcommonvalues,goodprac­
ticeandnetworking,primarilypromotedatlocal,
regionalandnationallevels.—homehelpandhelpforinformalcarersandfor
professionsspecializedinassistingolderpeople;
—auniversalinsuranceschemecoveringthetypeof
carerequiredbyolderpeople.
1.6.The1990ESCOpinionfurtherstressedthatthe
EuropeanYearshouldpromotereal'action'through
'pilotprojects'andshouldsetupaneffective'European
NetworkonInnovativeExperiences',basedona'Clear­
ingHouse'model,
1.7.TheCommitteehasalsoputforwardsomeideas
initsOpinionsonsufficientresourcesandsocialassist­
anceinthesocialprotectionsystems,ontheconver­
genceofsocialprotectionobjectivesandpoliciesand
ontheroleofoccupationalpensionschemes.
1.8.ThisOwn-initiative Opinionshouldattemptto
formulateapro-activeplatformonthestatusanddig­
nityofolderpeopleinEuropeansocietybasedonnew
legislationandanactionprogramme .
1.8.1.Inusingtheterm'olderpeople',threebroad
categoriesofpersonsaremeant;
—olderpeople,whoareinthelastyearsoftheir
workinglives,preparingforretirement;
—olderpeoplewhoarefinanciallyandphysically
independentandactive;
—olderpeoplewhoarefinanciallyand/orphysically
dependent.
1.8.2.Theaimshouldbeforolderpeopletobe
viewedbyECandnationalpolicymakersasaresource
tosocietyratherthanasasocialburden,andtodevise
safeguardstopreventtheformationofanentrenched
divisionbetweenretiredandactiveworkers.
1.8.3.Theeconomicandfinancialcrisiscurrently
affectingCommunitycountries,amongothers,hastrig­2,TowardsanECpolicycommitment
2.1.WhyaCharterandActionProgramme ?
2.1.1.Noelderlyperson,whetherinurbanorrural
areas,shouldbeforgottenintheEuropeanCommunity
ofthefuture.Thismustbethegoal;wemustpreventthe
ECconcerningitselfexclusivelywitheconomicaffairs.
2.1.2.TheproposedChartershouldhighlightthe
problems,needsandpotentialoftheelderly,butnot
separatethemfrompoliciesconcerningthebroader
aspectsofsocietyasawhole.Theaimshouldbeto
empowerolderpeopletoplayafullandappropriate
partinEuropeansocietyinaccordancewiththeconcept
ofcitizenship.ThismeansthattheChartershouldnot
segregatebutratheraimatintegratingtheneedsofthe

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/63
b)theneedtostepuppreventivemeasures;
c)developments indiseasesandtreatments;elderlyinthepoliciesforwhichtheEuropeanCom­
munityhas,orwillhave,establishedcompetency
throughtheTreatyonEuropeanUnion:regionalpolicy,
economicandsocialcohesion,theplightofthepoor
elderlyinremoteorperipheralruralareasorurban
'blackspots',theuseofthesocialfundforolderwork­
erswhobecomeunemployedwithnohopeofbeing
integratedintothelabourmarket,theneedtopromote
labourmarketpolicieswhichalsotakeaccountofolder
workersandtheirabilities,theneedtopromotecon­
sumer,environmental ,healthcareandresearchand
developmentprogrammeswhichtakeaccountofthe
needsandrightsoftheelderly.—prioritygiventoorganizingdomiciliarycareand
servicestoenabletheelderlytoremainintheir
familiardomesticsurroundings ;
—participation bydemocratically representative
organizationsatnationalandEuropeanlevelinthe
implementation ofpoliciesonpensionersandthe
elderly.
2.1,3.Inallthis,itisvitalfortheEuropeanCom­
munityasawholetouphold,defendandrefineour
basiccollectiveconceptof'solidarity'andof'citizen­
ship'.InthecontextofthisOpinion,itisessentialto
affirmtheinalienablerightofolderpeopletoproper
pensionandhealth-careprovision.Guaranteed'social
protection'(ratherthanpossiblyarbitrary'socialassist­
ance')canberesourcesalsobyolderpeoplewhohave
anincomewhichsopermits.('Solidarity'shouldapply
irrespectiveofage).Suchjointsocialprotectionshould
include:2.1,4.TheCharterandActionProgramme ,asoutli­
nedaboveandinpoint1.4.,relyononeessential
ingredient :politicalwill.TheCommitteewouldagain
stronglyurgetheCommission inthiscontexttocon­
cludetheEuropeanYearwithaEuropeanpolicycom­
mitment,involvingtheCommunityinstitutionsinlegis­
lativeandactionprogrammeswithinapropertime­
scale.TheECshouldrecommendthatECStatesintro­
ducenationallegislationenablingtheresourcesrep­
resentedbytheelderlytobeharnessed,byrecognizing
activitiesofbenefittotheCommunity .Thesewouldbe
carriedoutinaparticipatoryway(e.g.voluntarybodies
andassociationsresponsibleforwelfareservicesand
establishments )inthespiritoftheDeclarationoncoop­
erationwithcharitableassociations (DeclarationNo.
23oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion),inthefollowing
spheres:—aguaranteedminimumpensionequaltoeitherat
leastthenetminimumwageoratleast40%ofthe
netnationalwage;
—guaranteedminimumresourcesequalto80%ofthe
minimumpensionforanyelderlypersonwhohas
reachedretirementage,basedonArticle25ofthe
CommunityCharterofFundamentalSocialRights
andtheSocialProtocoltotheMaastrichtTreaty;
whichwasapprovedbyallMemberStateswiththe
exceptionoftheUnitedKingdom;—solidarity:help,guidanceand(whereappropriate )
voluntary'pre-pension'andselectedschemesforthe
reorganization ofworkinghoursandthetraining
ofyoungpeopleintermsofcivic,socialandlabour
marketinsertion;
—regularadjustments inpensionsandminimum
resourcesinlinewiththerisinglivingstandardsand
payofworkersasprovidedintheRecommendation
of24June1992;—voluntarysocialsector:supportforpeopleindiffi­
culties,assistance,companionship ,helpindealing
withofficialbodies,home-help,etc.,offeredby
associativegroupingsofindependentolderpeople;
—areadjustmentofpensionsforpensionerswhose
pensionswerecalculatedonbaseswhichweregen­
erallylowerthanthoseoftheexistingsystem;—supportnetworksforprofessionalandinformalcar­
ersandpublicservices,home-help,'meals-on­
wheels',day-care,resthomes,hospices,etc.,many
ofwhicharedifferentlyinterpretedandorganized
amongstMemberStates;—improvedprovisionforolderretiredwomenona
worker'sorwidow'spension;
—accesstohigh-qualityhealthcare,adaptedto:
a)evolvingneeds,especiallythosearisingfromdepen­
denceoftheelderly;—activitiesofsocialbenefitintowns,localneighbour­
hoodsandruralareas:voluntaryassociationscon­
cludeagreementswiththeauthoritiesunderwhich
theyhelpmaintainthequalityofurbanlifesuchas
park-keeping ,lookingafterculturalassets,protect­

NoC34/64 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2.2.94
ingandrecoveringserviceequipment,assistance
tominorsandthehandicapped ,libraries,citizens'
advicecentres,consumerguidance,etc.;ofthewelfarestateandthenationaleconomiesrequired
tosupportit,itwouldbeafundamentalerrortoargue
thatsupportfortheelderlyisnothingmorethanan
economicburdenonsociety.MemberStatesmustthere­
forebepressedtoadoptmeasuresenablingthese
importantresourcesandexperiencestobevaluedand
puttogooduse.Itshouldalsobeunderstoodthatif
olderpeoplearephysicallyandmentallyactive,they
willremainindependentforlonger.—culturalactivitiesfortheelderly;self-administered
openuniversitiesanduniversitiesforolderpeople,
adulteducationcentresgearedtorelaunchingcul­
tureasameansofgivingmeaningtothelifeofthe
elderly,musicanddramacentres,retiredartisans'
associationshandingknow-howontotheyounger
generationsoastoconservevaluesandafeelingof
belonging;
2.2.Towardsacomprehensive ECworkprogramme ?
—travel:notonlyhasthisproven(inSpain,forexam­
ple)tostimulateamoreactivelifestyleamongolder
peopleandtherebyhelppreventillnessandoff­
sethealth-carecostsanddependency,italsohelps
stimulatetheeconomyandmorejobs;2.2.1.Thenumberofolderpeopleisincreasing,due
tofallingbirthratesandadvancesinscienceandmedi­
calcare.Theconsequentneedsofolderpeopleandfor
aEuropeanagendaareintensifying .Wemusthave
acommitmentespeciallytothedevelopmentofnew
services,takingintoaccountthespecialneedsofthe
elderlyinruralenvironments .Therearegroundsfor
hopeandcelebrationhereintheproposalsforResearch
andTechnological Development (1994-1998)which
nowinformusthat:—preventivehealthaction:projectsrunbyvoluntary
bodies(suchastheAuserexperimentinItaly)in
tandemwithlocalinstitutionsforthepreventionof
cancer(orotherdiseases)-distributionofquestion­
naires,massvisits,informationcampaigns,etc.;
'Thecontentsofthe4thframeworkprogramme
weredeterminedinaccordancewithtwomain
objectives :strengthening thecompetitiveposition
ofourindustryatinternational levelandthe
improvementofthequalityoflife.'
2.2.1.1.Thismeansthatnolongershoulddevelop­
mentintheCommunitybedeterminedonlybythe
objectiveofachievingcompetitivity inworldmarkets
—itmustalsobeassessedanddeterminedbyachieving
improvement inthequalityoflifeofallcitizens,particu­
larlythemostdeprivedandtheweakestwhoarevery
oftentheelderly.Thisisespeciallynecessaryinprovid­
ingtheelderlyascitizenswithreadyaccesstoinfor­
mationthroughthesimplification ofadministrative
proceduresand'user-friendly'newtechnologies .—mutualassistancestructures :widespreadformsof
mutualassistanceexistinanumberofCommunity
countries,coveringvarioustypesofassistanceand
formsofsolidarity.Theyoftentaketheformof
mutualfundsakintoinsuranceschemes,providing
financialassistanceinspecifiedcases.Sometimes
membersofdifferentorganizations areinvolved,
particularlyonalocalbasis,inprovidingsupport.
Newformsofassistance,bothintermsofmember­
shiparrangementsandtheactualbenefitsprovided,
arebeingsuggestedbyexperienceinthisfield.
Instancesofolderpeoplelackingfinancialself-suf­
ficiencyarestilltoofrequentandseriousagainst
thecurrentbackdropofdecliningfamilylinksand
theexcessivecostofinstitutionalplacement .This
humanandfinancialproblemcanbetackledeither
byputtingthevoluntaryworkcarriedoutbyindi­
viduals,includingolderpeople,onamutualbasis,
orbysettingupnon-compulsory fundswiththe
widestpossiblemembershipandlowestpossible
ratesofindividualcontribution .2.2.2.ThefirstECprogrammeandEuropeanYear
haveincreasedinterestandraisedawarenessamong
oldercitizensontheroleoftheEuropeanCommunity ;
theyhavemeanttheestablishment ofstructuresfor
consultationandactivitybothatECleveland
nationally,sometimesforthefirsttime.Thereisaclear
neednowtobuildonthisprogress,andtocontinuethe
debateatEClevel.
2.1.5.Directparticipationbyolderpeopleinduties
whichsocietyowestothosewhohaveworkedalltheir
livesiscertainlynotintendedtoabsolvelocal,national
orCommunityinstitutionsoftheirobligationsinthis
area,ortoreducethem.Whileacknowledging thecost2.2.3.FutureECactionforolderpeopleshould
identifyquiteclearlythosecommonchallengeswhich

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/65
needcommonsolutions,i.e.thatcanbestbetackledat
Europeanlevel.TheEChasaclearroleinidentifying
theseissues,indisseminatinggoodpracticeandpromot­
ingexchangeofbothpracticeandpolicy.demiesandwiderdissemination oftheresultsofthe
researchtobothpractitionersandpolicymakers;
—provideamechanismforthecoordinationofexist­
ingnationalresearchprogrammesandprojectsand
theirresults.
2.2.4.Theaimofthefutureprogrammeshouldbe
toraiseEuropeanawarenessonissuesofageingandto
identifyanddisseminateEC-wideexamplesofgood
practiceinbothnationalpolicyandpracticalactions
infavourofolderpeoplewhichwillhelpmeetcommon
challengesandaddresscommonissuesforMember
States.
Theprogrammeshould:2.2.5.2.Practicalexchange:directexchangeofgood
practiceacrossEuropeisanareawheretheEChasa
clearanddistinctrole.Anumberofinnovativenet­
worksofpracticalprojectshavebeenestablishedunder
thefirstprogrammeforolderpeople.Asecondpro­
grammeshouldprovidefordisseminationofgoodprac­
ticeinaverypracticalsense,aimedatbothpractitioners
andpolicymakers:
—establishspecialistthemenetworksinlinewith
themesidentifiedaspriorityfortheprogramme ;
—extendthescopeofinvolvementoftheexisting
innovativenetworksandthedisseminationofgood
practicetoawideraudience;
—provideforthoroughevaluationoftheprojectsand
goodpractice,theresultsofwhichshouldfeedback
totheresearchprogramme ;
—providemechanismfordirectexchangebetween
differentinterestgroups,e.g.practitioners ,older
people'sorganizations ,throughtargetedinfor­
mationexchangeandstudyvisits;
—providecorefundingforpilotprojectstoallow
realinnovation,especiallyincountrieswherethe
practiceiscurrentlynon-existent .
2.2.5.3.Inconnectionwiththethreenetworks -—
CareandHousing,UtilizationofthePotentialand
ExperienceofOlderPeopleandInter-generational Soli­
darityinthespheresofEducationandTraining—
alreadyintroducedaspartoftheEC'songoing
measures,considerationshouldbegiventosettingup
a'EuropeanForumforOlderPeople'.Alongsimilar
linestoHELIOSII,nationalandEuropeangroupings
couldcooperateand,forinstance,takeresponsibility
fororganizingthenecessaryexchangesofviewsto
compareprojects,withouttheneedforinvolvingexist­
ingnationalstructures .—buildonthebasisofthefirstECprogrammefor
olderpeople;
—buildontheworkofthefirstprogrammeinident­
ifyingandevaluatingcommonchallengesforMem­
berStatesandworktowardspracticalresponses;
—ensurecontinuationofactionsandhaveabudget
moreinlinewithotherECactionprogrammes in
thesocialwelfarefield;
—increaseawarenessoftheimportanceoftheissues
amongpolicymakers,professionals ,olderpeople
andtheirorganizations ;
—bevisibletoawiderangeofpartnersincluding
policymakers,professionalsandolderpeoplethem­
selves;
—drawontheexperienceofotherECprogrammes ,
e.g.Poverty3,I4ELIOSandTIDE.
2.2.5.Researchandpracticalexchangearethecore
totheprogrammeandshouldbecomplementary :
2.3.EC-widenetworkingandinnovation:thehome­
helpexample2.2.5.1.Research :buildingontheexistingworkof
theECObservatoryonAgeingandcommonchallenges
alreadyidentified,afutureprogrammeshould:
—extendtoanevaluationofMemberStatenational
policiessoastoidentifyanddisseminateexamples
ofgoodpracticetopolicymakers;
—-identifykeyareasforfurtherresearchwherethere
isaparticularneedforcommonsolutionsbetween
MemberStates;
—involvebroadernetworksofresearchersandaca­Wheneverpractical,olderpeopleshouldbeprovided
withassistanceinordertoremainpartofafamily
unit.Thiswillrequireinnovativerespitecareandhave
(nursing)facilitiestoenablecarerstoliveareasonably
normallife.

NoC34/66 2,2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
accompaniedbystudyoftechnical,legalandadmin­
istrativeaspects;
—examininganumberofexamplesofusefulexperi­
ences,theworkofprofessionalandtradeunion
organizationsandqualifiedagentsinthissphere,
andtheirdegreeofrepresentativeness ;
—highlightingtheprincipalshortcomings inhome­
helpsystems(lackofphysicalandfinancialprotec­
tion,lackofcoordinationbetweentheoperational
bodiesinvolved,etc.);2.3.1.Home-help —Structures toaid
theelderlyandhelpthemtogo
onlivingintheirownhome:
actiontoimprovelivingcon­
ditions (small-scale assistance ,
up-grading ofaccommodation )
2.3.1.1.Mechanismsforcooperationandexchange
betweenthevariousagenciesinvolvedincaringforthe
elderlyshouldbesetupasamatterofurgency.The
EuropeanYearoftheElderlyshouldserveasavehicle
forthepromotionofspecificexchanges.Thequestion
ofdistributionandcommercialoutletsisaparticularly
thornyprobleminthecontextofenablingolderpeople
togoonlivingintheirownhomes.Inresponse,the
variouspublicandprivatesectoroperators(e.g.chari­
tableassociations ,inaccordancewithDeclarationNo.
23oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion)shouldconcen­
trateon:
—establishing,orre-establishing ,localsupplyinfra­
structurestocountertheincreasingrun-downin
eitherservicesforolderpeople;
—ororganizingmajordistributionnetworkssoasto
meettheneedsofolderpeople(homedelivery,
transportandassistanceforolderpeopleatcom­
mercialcentres,etc.)—andsoon.
Olderpeopleshouldbemadefamiliarwiththenew
technologiessothattheycanmastertherangeofappli­
cationstheyoffer.
2.3.1.4.Withthesupportoftheinstrumentssetup
bytheECCouncilofMinistersinNovember1990,the
ECObservatoryonAgeinginparticular,theCommittee
wouldproposethefollowing :
—aregularinformationexchangewithaviewtoset­
tinguphome-helpnetworks,inaccordancewith
oneoftheObservatory'smainthemes:enhancement
ofthestandardoflivingandlifestyleoftheelderly
intheEuropeanCommunity ;
—thattheObservatoryparticipateininformationand
awareness-raising programmesaimedattheelderly,
inconcertwiththeEconomicandSocialCommittee
andtheCommitteeoftheRegions;
—thatrelationsinthisareabetweentheESC,the
CommissionandtheParliamentbeputonamore
definitiveandregularbasis;
—drawingupaEuropeanProtocolonHomeServices
andRepairs,takingaccountofconsumerprotection
rules.2.3.1.2.Theprincipaldataconcerninghousing,liv­
ingconditions (ageofaccommodation ,degreeofcom­
fort,occupationrates,etc.)forCommunityEurope
shouldfirstlybemarshalledmorelogically.Itisessen­
tialthattheaccommodation ,comfortandsecurityof
theelderlybeenhancediftheyaretoremainindepen­
dent.
Insufficientemphasisisplacedonsupportservicesfor
olderpeoplesuchas'meals-on-wheels ',domestichelp,
mobileshopsormorespecificservicesaimedatenhanc­
ingthesafetyoftheelderly.
Healthhomevisitarrangements shouldnotbeover­
lookedinthiscontext.ThereisatrendintheOECD
countriestoencouragethistypeofcare.2.3.2.Theestablishment ofaEuropeannetwork
basedonthehome-helpconceptrepresentsaproposal
forshort-termactionaimedatdeterminingNGOand
MemberStateorCommunitypolicyinthisarea.The
networkshouldbringtogetheranumberofassoci­
ations,NGOs,publicauthorities,privatesectorcom­
paniesandprofessionalorganizations specializingin
homecare.2.3.1.3.Thisinvolves:
—defininghome-helpstructuresandcarryingouta
comparativeanalysis(inanumberofrepresentative
MemberStates)ofcurrentproceduresandinsti­
tutionsinthisfield:
supportofallkinds:
•minordailyassistance;2.3.2.1.Itsmembersshouldoperateonthefollowing
doublebasis:
—withregardtominorassistanceathome,itiswell
knownhowfarthatqualityofdailylifecanbe
damagedbyanaccumulationofsmallproblems.It •up-gradingaccommodation ,etc.

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/67
onlyworkeffectively,ofcourse,ifinformationand
officeautomationtechnologiesareused.isclearthatsuchassistance-particularlytoolder
people—hassometimesbeenopentoabuse;
—withregardtoup-gradingaccommodation :larger­
scaletasks,assistanceforolderpeopleintheirdeal­
ingswiththeauthorities,bothtechnically (seeking
toidentifyoptimumsolutions)andfinancially (seek­
ingloans).—Promotionofnewtechnologiesofusetoolder
people
Exchanginginformationonpastexperiencesandpre­
sentprogrammes ,bothnationalandCommunity,
shouldnowbecomeanetworkpriority.TheTIDE
programmefortheelderlyanddisabled,thelatestof
thiskind,fosterscommunications technologiesand
methodsaswellashelpinginterpersonalcommuni­
cation,Olderpeopleshouldbeabletohandlethese
technologieswithease,soastoimprovetheirdaily
livingconditions.2.3.2.2,Disparitiesinthelevelofsocialprotection
inthevariouscountriesmustofcoursebetakeninto
account.Thenetworkshould,aboveall,enablethebest
andmostreadilytransferableandadaptabletypesof
actiontobeidentified,anddifferentMemberStatesto
benefitfromthemoreadvancedresearchorexperiences
oftheirneighbours .
2.3.2.3.Theaimsaremultiple:
—Technicalsafetyandprotection—Maintenanceandup-gradingofaccommodation
StatisticalcomparisononaEuropeanscaleisrare.
Maintenance/up-gradingofaccommodation rep­
resents,however,between40and50%ofthetotal
buildingmarket.
Thesocialandurbanenvironmental impactofthis
workisofequalimportance :inthefinalanalysis,
buildingrenovationenablespopulations,whicharevul­
nerablebecauseoftheirageand/orlowincome,to
remaininplaceandwhichwouldnotbeabletoresist
thepressuresofacompletelyfreemarket.Thispre­
servessocialdiversity,onwhichurbanharmony
depends.Thenetworkshouldconsistofpublicbodiesandmajor
companieswithcomputerresourcesandparticularly
powerfulsoftwareabletorespondrapidlytotheneeds
ofolderpeople.Forexample,asafetyauditcovering
domesticgas,telephoneandelectricinstallationsmight
beenvisaged,withanyshortcomingsbeingbroughtup
tostandard.Thesetargetedvisitscouldbeusedto
drawupamorecomprehensive assessmentoftheliving
conditionsofaretiredperson,withlogisticalsupport
andtechnologically advancedmethodsconstitutinga
tokenofefficiencyandsuccess. 2.3.3.AEuropeanProtocolonHome
ServicesandRepairs,taking
accountofconsumerprotection
rules
—Apropereconomicandfinancialframework
Thedirectdebitsystemusedformanyyearsbymajor
gas,electricityandtelephonecompanieswouldprovide
aguaranteeforolderpeople.2.3.3.1.Bearinginmindthepositionofthemore
vulnerablesectorsofsociety,inparticularolderpeople,
thispracticalprovisionshouldrespondtothreepressing
requirements :
—preventionofabuseconcerninghomerepairs;
—reinforcement ofnationallegislationandCom­
munityregulationsonprotectionofelderlycon­
sumers;
—safeguardingofelderlyconsumers'physical,techni­
calandfinancialsecurity.—Informationandawareness-raising forolderpeople
Thisisakeyelementinprotectingtheelderly.Avibrant
patchworkofassociationsexiststhroughouttheCom­
munity:itshome-helpcapacityshouldbeboostedby
facilitatinganexchangeofinformation/experiencein
thisarea.InFrance,forexample,aninterestingexperi­
mentinhome-helpfortheelderlyhasbeeninaugurated
by'SecuriteConfortFrance',aimedatincreasingthe
legal,physicalandpsychological securityofolder
people.IntheUnitedKingdom,BritishGashasalso
implementedaninformationpolicytargetingtheeld­
erly,onsafetyandthenewergonomictechnologiesthat
they,andthehandicapped ,need.Suchanetworkcan2.3.3.2.TheEuropeanProtocolwouldnothave
bindingpowersbutwouldaimtoserveasacodeof
conductfordomesticrepaircompanies.Theinitiative
mustcomefromhomerepairprofessionalbodiesand

NoC34/68 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2.2.94
companies,requiringaself-regulatory approachon
theirpart.TheycoulddrawuptheProtocolasfollows:
—thedefinitionofreliableandindisputablecriteria
forthegrantingofaquality/safetylabeltohome
repaircompanies;
—anundertakingbycompaniespartytotheProtocol
toabidebythecodeofconduct,basedontrans­
parencyofworkandconsumerprotection/safety.
2.3.3.3.TheEuropeanProtocolcouldprovideguide­
linesfordrawingupestimatesforservices,acceptance
ofservicescarriedoutandinvoicing.
2.3.3.4.Thisshouldobviouslybecarriedoutinclose
collaboration withthebusinesssectorconcerned,but
alsowitholderpeople'sinterestgroups,coveringboth
socialandconsumerprotectionaspects.
2.3.3.5.AEuropeanProtocolofthiskindshould
expressthecommitmentoftheMemberStatesandthe
Communitytoconsumerprotection,particularlyfor
olderconsumers.TheproposalforaEuropeanProtocol
onhomeserviceandrepairs,inlinewithconsumer
protectionrules,supplementstheDirectiveonunfair
termsincontracts .
2.4.Encouraging thecreationofresidentialinsti­
tutions
2.4.1.Inviewofthegrowingproportionofdepen­
dentindividuals,inparallelwithimprovements inthe
variouswaysofallowingolderpeopletostayathome,
availabilityofaccommodation inresidentialinstitutions
mustreflecttheessentialneedforolderpeoplenotto
beisolatedfromthesocio-economic andenvironmental
settinginwhichtheyhavealwayslived.TheEconomic
andSocialCommittee—inlinewiththeviews
expressedbytheEuropeanObservatory -urgesthat
thedifferentcategoriesofresidentialaccommodation
matchthisobjective.
2.4.2.Residentialinstitutionsshouldbeofastan­
dardsetoutinclearlydefinedcriteriawhichshouldensureagoodstandardofaccommodation ,foodand
careaswellasappropriateprotectionagainstphysical
andmentalabuse.
Theprovisionofresidentialaccommodation forthe
elderlyshouldbelicensedandsubjecttoinspection
andscrutinybyanappropriatebody,e.g.thelocal
authority,toensurethattheprovisionsofthelicence
arebeingmet.
2.4.3.Residentialinstitutions,whetherinruralor
urbanareas,mustbeintegratedintoalivingenviron­
ment;
—institutionsprovidingseparatehousingunitsfor
relativelyindependentpersonsnotrequiringexten­
sivecare,musthaveaccesstoarangeofbasicpublic
services;
—retirementhomeswhereresidentsneedonlylimited
caremustalsobeconnectedtoawiderangeof
availableoutsideservices;
—convalescenthomesorhomesprovidinglong-term
medicalcareforthosewithmajorhealthcare
requirementsmustalsobeintegratedintotheout­
sideworld.
Theyshouldalsoconformtothefollowingcriteria:
—belocatedinthecentreofsmalltowns,orinpleas­
antareasoflargerurbancentres;
—havegoodtransportfacilities:bus,metro,etc.in
ordertofacilitatevisitsbyfamily,friends,etc.;
—beabletoorganizeregularentertainment andmeet­
ingswithnon-residents ,therebyimprovingpersonal
contactsandpreventingtheformationofghettoes;
—beabletoprovidemealsorrefreshmentsforvisitors,
whenrequestedbyresidents.
2.5.Thekeyroleoflocalauthorities,whoprovide
theimpetusforurbanpolicyandactasguarantorsof
theinterestsoftheolderpopulation,shouldalsobe
highlightedinrelationtopolicyforreintegratingthe
elderly.
DoneatBrussels,25November1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/69
APPENDIX
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
Thefollowingamendments ,whichreceivedtheapprovalofatleastone-quarterofthevotesexpressed,were
defeatedduringthedebate.
Point2.1.3
Replace'theinalienablerightofolderpeopletoproperpension...'by:'respectforthedignityofolderpeople
andtopromoteproperpension
Voting
For:18,against:51.
Point2.1.3—sixthindent—point(b)
Toread:'theneedtostepupselfhelpandpreventivemeasures'.
Voting
For:29,against:44,abstentions :5.
Point2.1.3
Addattheendofthelastindent:
'—entitlementtopensionsforallthosemeetingthenecessarycontributionrequirementswhohavereached
statutorypensionage,regardlessofwhethertheyhaveretiredfromemployment.'
Voting
For:30,against:41,abstentions :4.
Point2.2.4
Addthefollowingnewindents:
provideassistanceandadvicetothefamiliesoftheelderlyinrespectofdeterioratingmentalandphysical
capabilitiesandfinancialimplications ;
—encourageselfreliancewiththefamilysoasnottocreatean'elderlysocialdumping'syndrome;
—ensureadignifiedandsecurepolicytoallowthefamiliesoftheelderlytomovefromoneevaluationof
theirelderlydependenttoanother(e.g.homeoccupation,livingwiththefamily,shelteredaccommodation ,
shelteredhome,nursinghomeandfinallyelderlymentallysecureinstitutions).'
Voting
For:15,against:45,abstentions :18.