EN    EN EN 
EN    EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 6.9.2010 
SEC(2010) 1002 final 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
EX-ANTE EVALUATION 
  
Accompanying document to the 
  
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN P ARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 
 
on the European Year for Active Ageing (2012) 
  
COM(2010) 462  
EN 2   EN 1. INTRODUCTION   
The present ex-ante evaluation follows a call from the Slovenian Presidency in 2008 for a 
European Year on Active Ageing and Inte rgenerational Solidarity (2012). The Council 
reiterated its interest in su ch an initiative in November 2009 when it i nvited the Commission 
to develop awareness-raising activities to prom ote active ageing including a European Year.  
The Commission plans to adopt  a proposal for a Decision by Parliament and Council on 
designating 2012 as European Year on Active Ageing. The Commission opted for the short 
title of active ageing which implies that interg enerational solidarity is to be seen as an 
outcome of active ageing which presents a ke y opportunity for preser ving solidarity between 
generations.  
In preparing the ex-ante evaluation, the Commissi on services have also asked for the views of 
key stakeholders regarding the orientation and implementation of the European Year (see 
below 3.4). In addition, the Commission services  took into account evaluation results of 
previous European Years.  
This ex-ante evaluation considers the different  options for an initiative on promoting active 
ageing. The structure of the document is as follows: definitions and policy context (2), 
problem analysis and needs assessm ent (3), objectives (4), policy options (5), assessment of 
policy options (6), implementation of preferre d option (7), monitoring and evaluation (8). 
2. DEFINITION  AND  POLICY  CONTEXT 
2.1. Definition of active ageing 
Active ageing is defined by the World Health Organization as the process of optimizing 
opportunities for health, part icipation and security in order to  enhance quality of life as people 
age1. It allows people to reali ze their potential for wellbeing throughout their lives and to 
participate in society according to  their needs, desires and capab ilities, while providing them 
with adequate protection, security and care when  they need assistance. While this definition 
includes the notion of continuing activity in the labour force, it also encompasses continuing 
participation of older people in society.  
2.2. The policy context 
In April 2002, the United Nations’ Second World Assembly on Ageing2, adopted the Madrid 
International Action Plan on Ageing, which includes  the recognition that persons, as they age, 
should enjoy active partic ipation in the economic,  social, cultural and pol itical life of their 
societies as a main development objective. The political messages of the Madrid Action Plan 
were supported by the Commission in its Communication of 18 March 20023.  
                                                 
1 World Health Organisation (2002) Active Ageing - A Policy Framework , p. 12. 
2 United Nations Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 
A/CONF.179/9. 
3 Europe’s response to World Ageing - COM(2002) 143, 18 March 2002. 
EN 3   EN In October 2005, the Heads of State and of G overnment stressed at their Hampton Court 
informal summit that demographic ageing is on e of the main challenges that the European 
Union will have to face in the years to come.  
In October 2006, the Commission pr esented its views on the demographic challenges the EU 
faces and on opportunities for tackling them in the Communication "The demographic future 
of Europe — from challenge to opportunity"4. The Communication expressed confidence in 
Europe’s ability to adapt to demographic ch ange and notably population ageing. It identified 
five key policy responses through which Member States can respond in a constructive way to 
demographic change and make population ageing manageable.  
In this context, the Counc il adopted in 2007 a Resolu tion on the "Opportunities and 
challenges of demographic change in Europe: the contribution of older people to economic 
and social development" which emphasized the need to increase the possibilities for active 
participation by older people5.  
In 2008, the Slovenian Presidency organised a conference on "Intergene rational Solidarity for 
Cohesive and Sustainable Societies". The conference conclusions presented to the EPSCO-Council put forward the idea of the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity: "T he year 2012 should be called Year of Intergenerational 
Solidarity as well as European Year of Active Ageing"
6. 
As a follow-up to the Slovenian Presidency conference, a coalition of European NGO 
networks organised for the first time, on 29 April 2009, a European Day on Solidarity 
between Generations.  
On the same day, the Commission issued a Comm unication on dealing with the impact of an 
ageing population7. The Communication presented age-re lated expenditure projections and 
outlined the Commission's views on Europe’s ability  to tackle the challenge of ageing in view 
of the economic crisis. It stated that govern ments have a window of opportunity before the 
baby-boom generation retires to im plement policies that address th e challenge. In this context, 
the Communication stresses the importance of  helping and encouraging the ageing baby-
boomers to stay in the labour ma rket rather than retire early, as previous generations have 
tended to do. Europe's best chance of ensuring that ageing will not be perceived as a threat, 
but as a historic achievement, lies in not wasting the potentia l of these baby-boom 
generations.  
The Council adopted on 8 June  2009 Conclusions on "Equal Opportunities for women and 
men: active and dignified ageing", which reco gnizes that, throughout the EU, older women 
and men face serious challenges as they seek to live active lives and to age with dignity and 
proposes a number of actions to Member St ates and the Commission in the domain.  
The Council adopted on 30 Nove mber 2009 Conclusions on "H ealthy and dignified ageing" 
which invite the Commission to develop awar eness-raising activities to promote active 
                                                 
4 COM (2006) 571, 12 October 2006. 
5 Council conclusions of 22 February 2007. 
6 Information from the Slovenian Presidency on the Conference on Intergen erational Solidarity for 
Cohesive and Sustainable Societies (Brdo pri Kranju, 27–29 April 2008), 10318/08 (SOC 342). 
7 COM (2009) 180, 29 April 2009 
EN 4   EN ageing, including a possible European Year on Ac tive Ageing and Interg enerational Solidarity 
in 20128. 
The Treaty of Lisbon mentions for the first time in Art. 3. 3. solidarity between generations as 
one of the objectives of the European Union.  
The 18-month programme of the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies announced 
that the three Presidencies will focus on sup porting various initiatives in the context of 
population ageing, and thus conduct preparator y work for the European Year on Active 
Ageing and Intergenerati onal Solidarity in 2012.  
The Commission emphasises it its Communication on "Europe 2020 – A strategy or smart, 
sustainable and inclusive growth" the importance of the European Union's ability to meet the 
challenge of promoting a healthy and active ag eing population to allow for social cohesion 
and higher productivity. 
3. PROBLEM  ANALYSIS  AND  NEEDS  ASSESSMENT 
Today, Europeans are living longe r and healthier lives than ever before. Since 1960, life 
expectancy has risen by eight years, and demogr aphic projections forecast a further five-year 
increase over the next forty years. This is a historic achievement that deserves to be 
celebrated.  
Rising life expectancy, combined with low birt h rates, also imply a changing balance between 
younger and older people, a shift that is currently  being accelerated by the fact that the large 
baby boom cohorts are reaching their retirement age.  
The EU population pyramid clearly shows an in crease in cohort size just after the end of 
World War II, marking the start of the baby bo om. This was 60 years ago, and the first of 
these large baby boom cohorts are now beginning to retire. From the year 2012 onwards the 
European working-age population will shrink, wh ile the population aged over 60 years will 
continue to increase by about 2 million people a year, according to a scenario that assumes 
sustained immigration and a s light increase in birth rates9. 
These demographic changes present certain ch allenges and opportunities.  Population ageing 
may increase pressure on public budgets and pe nsion systems, as well as on the staffing of 
social and care services for older people. Old age is still often asso ciated with illness and 
dependency, and older people can feel excluded from employment as well as from family and 
community life. There is a fear that accelerated ageing of Europe's  societies could lead to the 
older generations becoming too heavy a burden on younger, working-age people and that this 
could result in tensions between the generations.  
This view neglects, however,  the significant actual and poten tial contributi on that older 
people and the baby-boom cohorts in particular , can make to society. A key opportunity for 
tackling the challenge of demographic ageing  and preserving intergenerational solidarity 
                                                 
8 Council conclusions of 20 November 2009 on healthy and dignified ageing, 
9 2nd European Demography Report Meeting Social Needs in an Ageing Society. SEC (2008) 2911 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId =en&catId=502&newsId= 419&furtherNews=yes  
EN 5   EN therefore consists in ensuring that the baby-boom cohorts stay  longer on the labour market 
and remain healthy, active and autono mous for longer after retirement.  
3.1. The main challenges 
3.1.1.  Tackling early retirement  
Policies in Member States have reversed the trend to earlier retirement, the EU-27 average 
employment rate for people aged 55-64 years increasing by nearly ab out nine percentage 
points from 36.9 % in 2000 to 46.0% in 200910. This trend is a clear indication that the Lisbon 
strategy, with its objective of promoting empl oyment of older persons, is having an impact. 
Recent projections from Eurostat indicate that the working age population is set to decrease 
by about 50 million people between 2008 and 2060, which could produce a concomitant 
decline in GDP growth11. In great part this decrease will  be caused by members of the large 
baby-boom cohorts (now in their 50s and 60s a nd making up a major share of Europe’s labour 
force) retiring. Encouraging this generation to  stay in employment requires removal of 
obstacles to employment and the introduction of  flexible retirement mechanisms rewarding 
longer working lives. More flexible working time and work organisation is needed, in order to 
encourage, for instance, more part-time worki ng as an alternative to retirement, and to 
improve access to lifelong learning for older wo rkers. Health promotion throughout working 
life, as well as effective and effi cient health services are also im portant because ill health is a 
key factor in early retirement. In the current co ntext of an economic recession, it is also vital 
to ensure that dismissed older workers will be able to return to employment once the labour market situation improves and to fight age discrimination. A recent Eurobarometer showed 
that the economic crisis led to a shift in pub lic opinion about the extent of discrimination 
based on age. Europeans now far more often perceive discrimination on the grounds of age 
(+16 percentage points since 2008)
12. 
Providing more high-quality jobs for older people is a necessary part of a strategy to tackle 
some of the causes of poverty among this age group. Giving older worker s the choice to work 
for longer means that they can benefit from hi gher incomes while still at work, as well as 
from higher levels of savings and pensions at re tirement. This issue is particularly acute for 
older women, a group that faces high relative pove rty rates in the EU ( 22% in 2008) in part 
due to women’s careers being interrupted more fr equently by caring responsibilities, and from 
their lower lifetime levels  of earnings and savings. 
The Lisbon Strategy defines a comprehensive st rategy to promote the employment of older 
workers. Although some progress has been ma de, more needs to be done. In order to 
encourage a process of change it is important: (1) to raise the awareness (among the general 
public, policy makers and other st akeholders) of the pot ential of older work ers which could be 
unlocked: (2) to foster exchange of expe rience among stakeholders on how to implement 
active ageing strategies in employment; (3) to encourage public authorities and stakeholders 
at all levels to develop policies further to reduce early exit from the labour force through 
specific measures.  
                                                 
10 Source. Eurostat, EU Labour Force Survey. 
11 Eurostat (2008) Statistics in Focus: Population and social conditions , 72, p7. 
12 Discrimination in the EU in 2009. Special Eurobarometer 317. 
EN 6   EN In the Commission’s public consultation, respon ses often noted the need  to strengthen the 
opportunities for older people to c ontinue working, in part to help maintain their economic 
and social integration13. Some public authorities and civi l society organisations noted the 
increasing impoverishment of older people, while ot hers feared that the retirement of the baby 
boom generation would generate sh ortages of specialists working in certain sectors, including 
teaching, health professionals a nd leaders of small businesses. 
3.1.2.  Combating the isolation of older people through active participation 
A considerable number of EU citizens experien ce old age as a time of marginalisation and 
poverty, the current socio-economic  crisis creating additional pr essure. Compared to men, 
older women face particular difficulties in  terms of isolation and risk of poverty (22% for 
female vs. 16% for male in 2008 for EU-27) . Active participation in voluntary activities 
following retirement could help reduce the isolat ion of older people as well as help develop 
intergenerational solidarities. 
A recent survey found that older people are willing to participate in volu nteering with nearly 
half of those who had retired sta ting that they had already volunt eered or that they planned to 
(Flash Eurobarometer n° 247, 2008). Equally, nearly  one in four retired people polled stated 
that they had already or planned to enrol in education courses. Encouraging older people to 
acquire new skills will enable them to participate more actively in society. Evidence is growing that promoting social participation in older people through activities such as 
volunteering and education enhances older peopl e’s mental and physical health and reduces 
mortality rates, perhaps through generating social capital and gr eater social support
14. In the 
Commission’s public consultation, respondents described the impor tant task of reducing the 
isolation of older people by developing neighbourhood and local solidarities through 
initiatives such as volunteering.  
After their retirement from the labour market , senior citizens may pursue a wide range of 
other activities. A detailed pictur e on the social partic ipation and activities of older people can 
be obtained from the Survey of Healt h, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE15), 
although it covers only 12 Member States. Data  from the latest wa ve (2006-2007) of SHARE 
show that 19 % of people aged 50 or over were engaged in general soci al activities (in clubs 
and political or community organi sations) in the month prior to  the interview, another 13.5 % 
of respondents provided informal help outside their families, 11 % were involved in voluntary 
or charity work in the month preceding the inte rview, and 6 % provided care to other adults, 
typically to other family members. 
There also appears to be in creasing readiness among policy makers to promote voluntary 
work by older people. Such initiatives need to ta ke into account the fact that new cohorts of 
older volunteers will tend to have higher levels  of educational attainment, and more skilled 
professional backgrounds. This could allow th em to make an effective contribution as 
volunteers, provided the right fr amework for mobilising their potential is put in place. 
                                                 
13 European Commission (2009) Public consultation on a possible designation of 2012 as European Year 
of active ageing and intergenerational solidarity. 
14 Onyx J & Warburton J (2003) Volunteering and health among older people: a review. Australasian 
Journal on Ageing  22 (2) 65-69. 
15 See: http://www.share-project.org/t3/share/index.php?id=73  
EN 7   EN To develop the potential of older people as volun teers it is important: (1) to raise awareness of 
the potential contribution of seni or citizens to society through volunteering; (2) to stimulate 
good practice between Member  States and stakeholders at all levels on how to promote senior 
volunteering; (3) to support Memb ers States and stakeholders to develop specific activities 
and to commit to objectives rela ted to senior volunteering.  
3.1.3.  Tackling ill health in older ages 
Improving population health is vital for indivi dual and societal well-being. While directly 
contributing to individual quality of life, a he althy population is critic al for economic growth 
and prosperity in Europe by enabling people to remain active in society for longer as well as 
by limiting strain on health and social care sy stems. The Commission has recently projected 
an increase in public healthcare expenditure of 1-2 % in most Me mber States as a result of 
population ageing alone; a figure wh ich represents an increase in  the proportion of GDP spent 
on healthcare of up to 25 %16. However, projections also show that if future gains in life 
expectancy were generally ac quired in good health and without disabil ity, the rise in 
healthcare spending due to popul ation ageing would be halved17. 
The prevalence of physical health problems amo ng older people is high, according to surveys 
such as the Survey of Health, Ageing and Re tirement in Europe (SHARE). While there is 
some recent evidence indicating some comp ression of morbidity among the elderly, new 
treatments enabling those with once fatal diseases  to survive may lead to a longer period of 
morbidity in the future18. While life expectancy in Europe is increasing, the trends for the 
number of years people live in good  health (healthy life years) are more divergent, with the 
situation in some countries in the EU15 gettin g worse. Figures from 2006 show that men in 
the EU15 can expect to live a bout 85 % of their lives in good health on average; while women 
may live longer, they spend only abou t 80 % of their lives in good health19.  
Many of the illnesses that cause poor health in ol der age, such as cardiovascular disease, type 
II diabetes and mental illness, are preventabl e. Although these conditions may be the outcome 
of risk factors accumulated over a lifetime, much  health gain can still be achieved at older 
ages. Tackling these chronic illnesses will requ ire a two-fold approach to promote health 
throughout the lifespan and tackle health in equalities linked to social, economic and 
environmental factors.  
In the public consultation, respond ents argued that the concept of  ageing as healthy and active 
needed to be promoted and supported. Policie s encouraging active ageing promote improved 
mental and physical well-bei ng in older people by helping people maintain an active, 
                                                 
16 The impact of ageing on public expenditure: pr ojections for the EU25 Member States on pensions, 
health-care, long term care, education and unemployment transfers (2004-2050), Economic Policy Committee and European Commission (DG ECFIN) 2006, European Economy, Special Report 
no.1/2006. 
17 idem . 
18 Parker MG & Thorslund M (2007) Health trends in the elder population: getting better and getting 
worse. The Gerontologist  47 (2), 150-158; Nolte E & McKee M (2008) Caring for people with chronic 
conditions - A health system perspective. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Series . 
http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91878.pdf ; Jeune B & Brønnum-Hansen H (2008) Health trends 
in health expectancy at age 65 for va rious health indicators, 1987-2005. European Journal of Ageing  5 
(4), 279-85. 
19 European Commission (2007) Discussion Paper “Healthy ageing: keys tone for a sustainable Europe”. 
DG SANCO, DG ECFIN and DG EMPL, p. 5. 
EN 8   EN independent, social and meaningful life as they age. Enhancing active ageing means 
extending life-long learning and facilitating older people to stay in employment and take up 
voluntary work. Tackling illness or disability, wh ich are major causes of retirement, will aid 
active ageing policies in turn. To this end, promoting healthy ageing can help improve labour 
participation and productivity in older people20.  
In order to promote healthy ageing and to s upport the implementation of policies aiming to 
promote mental and physical well-being in ol der age, it is vital: (1) to increase public 
sensitivity and raise the awar eness of policy makers to the possibilities for reducing 
significantly ill-health in olde r age and the quantified benef its of having a healthy older 
population, translated also into the contributions that older people can continue to have in the 
labour market and in society; (2) to stimulate active debate amongst stakeholders at all levels 
in order to develop ini tiatives but also to identify and tr ansfer good practices; (3) to encourage 
Member States and relevant stakeholders to develop specific activities and to commit to 
specific objectives rela ted to healthy ageing.  
3.2. Current initiatives at EU level 
The European Union has already taken vari ous initiatives to promote active ageing. 
3.2.1.  Policies to promote active  ageing in employment 
The elements for a comprehensive strategy to promote the employment of older workers have 
been defined, and are being monitored, within the European Employment Strategy and the 
Lisbon Strategy. They include notably the im provement of working conditions and their 
adaptation to the health status and needs of older workers, be tter access to training and life-
long learning, better access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and the 
review of tax-benefit systems to  ensure that there are sufficient rewards for working longer.  
Through the open method of coordination on social  protection and social inclusion, the EU 
supports, monitors and assesses the implemen tation and impact of national reforms of 
retirement pensions and to en sure the long-term su stainability of pension systems. Prolonging 
working lives by providing effective incentives for later retirement is an important policy to 
unlock the potential for increased employment. Pension reforms in the majority of Member 
States are already rising the labour market exit age,  but much can still be achieved in this area. 
This concerns not only pension schemes, but also  early retirement and social security schemes 
(disability, unemployment, sickness) that are some times used as an exit route from the labour 
market. 
Within the European Social Fund (ESF) 1.01 bill ion euro are being devot ed to measures to 
promote active ageing and a l onger working life for the pr ogramming period 2007-13. Older 
workers can also benefit from active labour ma rket measures which represent 15.3 % of ESF 
resources. 
In addition, activities promoting active ag eing are receiving funding under the Community 
programme for employment and social solidarity – PROGRESS21. PROGRESS’ mission is to 
strengthen the EU contribution supporting Member  States' commitments and efforts to create 
                                                 
20 idem . 
21 Decision of the European Parliament and Council of 24 October 2006 on a Community programme for 
employment and social solidarity – PROGRESS, OJ, L 315 of 15 November 2006. 
EN 9   EN more and better jobs and to build  a more cohesive society. It supports the development of EU 
policies in the following areas: employment,  working conditions, gender equality, social 
protection and social inclusi on, non-discrimination and diversity. Priorities for funding under 
the PROGRESS programme are de fined at the beginning of each  year. Financial support is 
then awarded on the basis of calls for tender a nd calls for proposals. Gender mainstreaming is 
an integral part of these processes. 
3.2.2.  Active ageing through volunteering  
The Grundtvig programme for adult education can finance projects supporting senior 
volunteering. The European Union decided to de signate 2011 as European Year of Voluntary 
Activities Promoting Active Citizenship22, which will also aim to promote voluntary work of 
older people.  
3.2.3.  Healthy ageing 
Supporting healthy ageing means both promoti ng health throughout th e lifespan, aiming to 
prevent health problems and disabilities from an early age, and tackling inequities in health 
linked to social, economic and environmental f actors. The European Union supports healthy 
ageing through its health strategy and through  the open method of coordination on social 
protection and social inclusi on. The 7th Framework Programme for research and development 
is devoting 6.5 billion euro to improving health  over the life cycle and, in particular, to 
resolving the specific health problems of olde r people. The results of  research funded under 
this programme are expected to contribute to  a better prevention of physical and mental 
impairment. Funding is also devoted to ICT solutions promoting independent living and 
mobility of older persons.  
3.2.4.  Age discrimination 
The EU has established a general framework for equal treatment in employment and 
occupation23 (Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 N ovember 2000) which also prohibits 
discrimination on the ground of age. The recent Commission proposal for a directive on equal 
treatment between persons irrespective of re ligion or belief, disa bility, age or sexual 
orientation could potentially c ontribute to better accessibility of goods and services for older 
people24.  
3.2.5.  Infrastructure and autonomous living 
Homes and local environment, including public transport, can be adapted and goods and 
services can be made more accessible so that  older people with health impairments can 
continue to live in their own home as well as to maintain social contacts and activities.  
The Commission's Disability Ac tion plan 2008-2009 (COM (2007) 738)  has defined 
accessibility for all to goods and services as a priority25. The Commission has issued two 
standardisation mandates to the European stan dardisation organisation in order to develop 
                                                 
22 Council Decision of 27 November 2009 on the European Year of Voluntary Activities Promoting 
Active Citizenship (2011), OJ, L 017 of 22 January 2010 
23 Council Directive of 27 November 2000 establis hing a general framework for equal treatment in 
employment and occupation, OJ, L 303 of 02 December 2000. 
24 COM(2008) 426 of 2 July 2008. 
25 COM (2007) 738, 26. November 2007 
EN 10   EN accessibility standards for information and communication technolog ies and the built 
environment to be used in public procurement procedures. 
Furthermore the EU and all the Member Stat es have signed the UN Convention on the Rights 
of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention c ontains very relevant obligations for state 
parties in order for persons with disabilitie s to enjoy all human rights and fundamental 
freedoms. The Convention relevance for older pe rson is evident given the correlation between 
disability and ageing. 
The European Regional Development Fund (ERD F) has provided support and an arena to 
effectively understand and respond to demographi c challenges. In particular, the ERDF has 
addressed26 infrastructure problems caused by populat ion ageing in the framework of active 
ageing policies (e.g. lifelong learning  infrastructure, health infras tructure, ICT infrastructure), 
education infrastructures (schools at all levels, Universities or e-learning for all ages) in the 
framework of human capital enhancement, infras tructure for the provision of key services in 
demographic declining areas or th e restructuring of social serv ice facilities and care services 
for older people. 
Following a public consultation the Commi ssion adopted the "Action Plan on urban 
mobility"27. The Action Plan proposes twenty measures  to encourage and he lp local, regional 
and national authorities achieve their goals for sustainable urban mobility. It also addresses 
the issue of accessibility for disabled people. With the Action Plan, the European Commission is presenting for the first time a comprehensive support package in the field of urban mobility. 
The actions are being launched over the four years following the Action Plan's adoption. The 
European Commission will conduct a review of th e implementation of the Action Plan in the 
year 2012, and will assess the need for further action. 
In 2008 older people represented 20% of road fa talities (40% as pedestrians). The ageing of 
the population is putting an urgent emphasis on th e need to assess the vul nerability of older 
and disabled people in traffic.  Knowledge is still very limited in this field and focused 
research efforts are needed to establish on medi cal criteria for the a ssessment of fitness-to-
drive.  
The Commission adopted a Communication on "Ageing Well in the Information Society"28, 
which presents an action plan to accelerat e the introduction of new technology-based 
solutions for ageing well at home, in the commu nity and at work. The EU supports also the 
Ambient Assisted Living joint research a nd development programme undertaken by a group 
of Member States29.The action plan and research program me will enable a better quality of 
                                                 
26 “ The ERDF intervention areas assessed as relevant (mostly  in an indirect way) to the issues at stake 
were carried out in all the case studies. Indicatively, the analysed ERDF measures indirectly addressing demographic issues account for 23% of the total ERDF budget in the selected regions ”. See 
“Ex post evaluation of cohesion policy programmes 2000-2006 co-financed by the European Fund for 
Regional Development (Objectives 1 and 2): Work package 7: “Effectiveness of the Cohesion Policy: Gender Equality and Demographic Change”. 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/evaluation/expost2006/wp7_en.htm 
27 COM (2009) 490, 30 September 2009 
28 COM (2007 332,  
29 Decision of the European Parliament and the Council of 9 July 2008 on the Community ’s participation 
in a research and development programme undertaken by several Member States aimed at enhancing 
the quality of life of older people through the use of new information and communication technologies, 
OJ, L 201 of 30 July 2008. 
EN 11   EN life for elderly people, make signi ficant cost-savings in health and social care possible, and 
create a strong industrial basis for ICT and ageing in Europe. 
3.3. Need for further action 
Europe's best chance for coping with the challe nges of population ageing lies in not wasting 
the potential of these baby-boom generations, which will require the promotion of active 
ageing. Related policy responses generally fall w ithin the responsibility of the Member States, 
which are stepping up their efforts to mobilise the potential of older persons. However, during the public consultation, responses received from Member State national authorities were overwhelmingly supportive of th e idea of action at European level. Respondents appreciated 
that the European Union can support thei r endeavours by creating a more supportive 
environment through increased awareness am ong policy makers and the general public, 
helping to mobilise policy makers and stakeholde rs at all levels, supporting mutual learning 
across Europe, monitoring progress, and helping to define common objectives and targets.  
While current initiatives at EU level have been described above, more needs to be done given 
the magnitude of the challenge. Current activ ities at EU level seem inappropriate to 
comprehensively respond to the following gaps  identified in section 3.1: (1) to raise 
awareness of the general public, policy makers a nd other stakeholders of  the importance of 
active ageing and of the need to better mobilis e the potential of the baby boom cohorts; (2) to 
foster exchange of information and experience between Member States and stakeholders; (3) 
to give Member States and stakeholders an opportunity to develop policies further through 
specific activities and by committing to specific objectives.  
In order to gain political momentum for activ e ageing policies, broad-based support will be 
required at all levels of society and from a wi de range of stakeholders. The key challenge to 
be overcome is to mobilise stakeholders in a way that will generate significant action at 
national, regional, local levels across the EU . Developing a framework within which action at 
different levels will be developed would be a us eful step, in order to increase consistency 
between actions currently taking place at EU-lev el as well as to enhance opportunities for 
mutual learning between actors at  national, regional, local and company level. With greater 
political momentum and visibili ty for active ageing policies, po licy makers can be encouraged 
to take more ambitious initiatives.  
A European Year for active ageing could provid e an appropriate framework for action to be 
taken at local, regional and nati onal level as well as for transnational projects. It could also 
provide the political momentum and visibility  needed to promote active ageing policies, 
especially those to develop the potential of the baby boom cohorts.  
3.4. Public consultation 
In its commitment to an inclusive approach in  developing and implementing EU policies, the 
Commission consults as widely as possible on major policy initiatives. To this end, it asked 
for the views of relevant stakeholders on th e theme of active ageing and intergenerational 
solidarity as well as on the orientation of a possi ble European Year, in order to obtain input 
for its formal proposal, to enhance transpar ency and to promote early coordination.  
Early consultation was in the form of an on line questionnaire which gave public authorities 
from Member States, social part ners, NGOs, as well as other inte rested parties and experts the 
opportunity to express their views. It was ava ilable on the web page “Your Voice in Europe”, 
the European Commission’s single access point to  a wide variety of consultations, for over 
EN 12   EN two months from June to July 2009. The que stionnaire focussed on the following themes: 
threats and opportunities of agei ng in relation to intergenera tional solidarity, recommended 
policy measures, the specific role of the EU in  promoting the right policy responses, topics 
and activities for a European Year, a nd the involvement of stakeholders.  
132 responses from key stakeholders involved at  European national and regional level were 
received. The results provided va luable input for the preparati on of this ex-ante evaluation 
and for the draft Decision to be adopted, a nd some are also included here. DG EMPL will 
publish a summary analysis of the contri butions received on its Europa website30. About half 
of the responses were from civil society or ganisations, with public authorities making up 
another quarter of the respons es (the breakdown by type of  respondent and by region is 
presented in the annex). This unbalanced distribu tion of stakeholder type reduces the interest 
of analysing whether responses diffe red by category of stakeholder. 
Generally, respondents, includi ng many of those from civil society organizations and public 
authorities, agreed that the contributions of older people to family and community life 
deserved to be recognized, supported and furthe r developed, as part of policies of active 
ageing and intergenerational solidarity. Th e importance of deve loping volunteering and 
extending working lives in this age group was al so accepted. Obstacles to developing active 
ageing policies were mentioned by some respondent s. Resistance to change was seen to be 
linked to a lack of awarene ss among the public and policy makers of the importance of the 
problem, persisting negative stereo types of elderly people and fis cal pressures. One particular 
difficulty is that active ageing is a long-term cross-cutting issue that requires the cooperation of many partners. 
Most respondents, representing a wide range of types of stake holders, supported increased EU 
activity in this area in order to increase the visibility of  the challenge and to support national 
and local activities. They called on the EU to de velop its role in help ing to coordinate and 
mobilise stakeholders, as well as to encourage research on the identification of good practices. 
Respondents noted the wide diversity of the EU’s current projects in the area of active ageing 
and intergenerational solidarity, requesting that these programmes be more closely 
coordinated in order to increase th e visibility of the results of these projects and to encourage 
networking between local and regional actors.  
Contributors generally consid ered a European Year on the theme of active ageing and 
intergenerational solidarity an appropriate pol icy instrument. They appreciated that it would 
raise awareness of those key themes which w ould be touched upon by the year, placing them 
more firmly on political and public policy agendas; it would provide recognition and support for those already working on th ese topics; it would support th e sharing of good practice, and 
that it would generate innovative approaches  as well as new synergies between existing 
actors. More than once, respondents stated thei r desire for a European Year to leave a long-
term legacy, in part by generating long-lastin g initiatives. Respondents of all types (civil 
society organizations, public aut horities, social partners, etc) showed a great willingness to be 
involved in a European Year, i ndicating activities they were planning to hold which could 
feed into such a year as well as  proposing additional projects.  
Responses underlined the importance for the Eur opean Union to provide a coordinating role 
for information pertaining to the European Ye ar, both in terms of generating information 
                                                
 
30 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=699&langId=en&consultId=1&visib=0&furtherConsult=yes 
EN 13   EN campaigns and in centralising information produced  during the year. Out of  some responses to 
the public consultation from a variety of differe nt types of stakeholders came the idea of the 
development, at EU-level, of an online interactive portal, which would detail all the initiatives held at local, national and EU level as part  of the proposed European Year. While supporting 
an EU-wide information campaign, stakeholders fr equently affirmed the role of the European 
Year in supporting a flowering of  local and regi onal initiatives. 
3.5. Previous evaluation results 
Five evaluation exercises for European Year s implemented by DG EMPL have been taken 
into account: the 1993 European Year for Older People, the 1997 European Year against Racism, the 2003 European Year of People with  Disabilities, the 2006 European Year of 
Workers’ Mobility and the 2007 European Year on Equal Opportunities for All. The 
Commission also looked at the evaluation repo rt of the 1999 United Nations Year for Older 
People.  
In addition, the expertise of Commission officials responsible for the organisation of the on-
going 2010 European Year on Social Exclusi on and Poverty and the forthcoming 2011 
European Year of Voluntary Activities Promoting Active Citizenship was utilized. 
According to previous evaluations European  Years have the following potentials. They: 
• can raise general awareness on a specific theme or of a problem; 
• can serve as an effective tool for enlargi ng awareness to more stakeholders and are 
effective in promoting mutual learning betw een organisations. They are designed to 
involve a range of stakehol ders in publicising, debating and exchanging views and 
experience on a specific theme, and ther efore in creating multiplier effects;  
• can be an effective instrument for creati ng political momentum a nd for putting political 
issues on EU agenda. The broad level of partic ipation that can be achieved within a limited 
timeframe has helped to harness political support, to trigger me dia interest, to pave the way 
for broader political commitments a nd to contribute to policy change; 
• can be effective instruments for strengthening the visibility of existing activities and for 
creating synergies between various areas of intervention and at different (EU, Member 
State and regional/local) levels. 
In order to exploit fully this potential, eval uation results point to th e need to organise a 
European Year on the following basis: 
• by encouraging coordination and co-opera tion of stakeholders across Europe; 
• by extending the preparatory ph ase and set up well in advance the coordination structures 
within the Commission and the Member States . A European Year should be planned on a 
3-year timescale: preparation (1 year); impl ementation (1 year) and follow-up (1 year); 
• by collaborating closely with re levant stakeholders at Eur opean, national, regional and 
local levels. 
EN 14   EN 4. OBJECTIVES   
The overall purpose of this  initiative shall be to encourag e and support the efforts of Member 
States, their regional and local au thorities, social partners and civil society to promote active 
ageing and to better mobilise the potential of the of the rapidly growing population in their 
late 50s and above. Active ageing means creat ing better opportunities and working conditions 
for the participation of older workers in th e labour market, comba ting social exclusion 
through fostering active particip ation in society and encouraging healthy ageing. On this 
basis, the objectives of  the initiative should be: 
(1) To raise general awareness of the value of active ageing in or der to highlight the useful 
contribution older people make to society and economy, to promote active ageing and 
to better mobilise the potential of older people; 
(2) To stimulate a debate and develop mutual  learning between Member States and 
stakeholders at all levels in order to pr omote active ageing policies, to disseminate 
good practice and to encourage c ooperation and synergies;  
(3) To offer a framework for commitment and concrete action in order to give an 
opportunity to Member States and stakeholders  at all levels to develop policies further 
through specific activities and to commit to specific objectiv es related to active ageing. 
5. POLICY  OPTIONS   
5.1. Option 1 - Continue curren t activities (status quo) 
The first option is to continue with existing activities to promote ac tive ageing. The activities 
described under see 3.2 would continue to take place, bu t there would be no new EU 
initiatives.  
5.2. Option 2 - Thematic year wi thin the PROGRESS programme 
The second option is to launch a thematic year within the PROGRESS programme by 
focussing its annual work programme on activi ties related to activ e ageing. No formal 
decision of the European Parliament and of  the Council would be needed. The Commission 
and the PROGRESS Committee would decide to finance under each of the five thematic 
strands of PROGRESS some ac tivities related to active ag eing (e.g. conferences, studies, 
exchanges of good practice). However, given the restrictions im posed by the PROGRESS 
decision it could not be presented as a Eu ropean Year in its traditional form.  
5.3. Option 3 – A European Year coordinated and centralised by the Commission  
A European Year without a specific budget co ordinated and centralised by the Commission 
which would bring together activ ities funded under a broad range  of existing EU programmes. 
The European Year of Creativ ity and Innovation (2009) is an  example for this option. A 
formal Decision of the European Parliame nt and of the Council would be needed. 
EN 15   EN 5.4. Option 4 – A European Year launching  calls for proposals for projects at 
national/regional or local level  
A European Year with a specific budget whic h launches calls for proposals for concrete 
projects. These calls would be delegated to the Member States with the Commission only 
coordinating the opening and closing events fo r the European Year. The European Year on 
Equal Opportunities gave prior ity to this approach. A form al Decision of the European 
Parliament and of the Council would be needed.  
6. ASSESSMENT  OF THE  DIFFERENT  POLICY  OPTIONS   
This section examines the four options from th e perspectives of cohe rence and added value, 
effectiveness and efficiency. 
"Coherence" implies consistency with other Comm unity Initiatives that are already in place.  
"Added value" refers to the extent to which the policy contributes to strengthening 
Community efforts and stimulating further national efforts in orde r to achieve the relevant EU 
objectives. 
"Effectiveness" means the extent to which the objectives can be achieved. 
"Efficiency" looks at the relations hip between the resources and effo rt invested in an initiative 
in relation to the (expected) outc omes. In this case, possible risk s concerning the feasibility of 
outcomes are also considered from the perspec tive of efficiency, in addition to that of 
effectiveness. 
6.1. Option 1 - Continue current activities ( status quo ) 
6.1.1.  Coherence and added value 
The absence of any new EU action does not raise any issues in terms of consistency with 
other Commission activities. This option would re strict the scope of pr omoting active ageing 
to the policy areas and programmes already addr essing this issue, not allowing for areas or 
cross-cutting approaches to be explored. Ther efore, this option does not generate any added 
value. 
6.1.2.  Effectiveness  
The absence of any new action cont ains the risk of not giving ad equate attention and political 
visibility to the challenge of  a rapid change in the age st ructure and not having sufficient 
support to meet the objectives  set (raising awareness, s timulating debate, offering a 
framework for commitment and concrete action). This option is therefore weak in terms of 
effectiveness. 
6.1.3.  Efficiency 
The “zero” extra cost for this option does not offs et the risks highlighted above in terms of the 
failure to achieve the objectives. As "no new act ion" in this case could imply negative rather 
than neutral outcomes, this option also  seems weak in terms of efficiency. 
EN 16   EN 6.2. Option 2 - Thematic year within PROGRESS programme 
6.2.1.  Coherence and added value 
In a thematic year within the PROGRESS progr amme, comprising activities coordinated and 
centralised at EU level, the Co mmission would be able to ensu re consistency with other EU 
initiatives and programmes that are directly or  indirectly linked to PROGRESS. A thematic 
year would contribute to the mainstreaming of  active ageing in the different policy areas 
covered by PROGRESS. However, this option risks limiting the scope of promoting active 
ageing to those areas covered by PROGRESS. Hence the added value of this option is 
somewhat limited. 
6.2.2.  Effectiveness  
The objectives set out above are broadly in line with the general objectives of PROGRESS 
and could therefore be achieved under this option. However, this opt ion would probably not 
ensure the visibility that previous European  Years have managed to produce as stand-alone 
initiatives, by also obtaining th e formal commitment of the European Parliament and the 
Council due to their involvement in the prep aration of each European Year through the 
process for a formal decision. This option c ould therefore fail to create much political 
momentum and could have limited effectiveness.  
6.2.3.  Efficiency 
The Commission would use the possibilities o ffered by an existing programme without 
having to create a new instrument requiring th e agreement of Council and Parliament. No 
extra financial or human resources would be necessary. This option would ensure good 
coordination at EU level, in both administrativ e and financial terms as well as on content. 
However, there is a risk of wasting valuable ti me in the preparation of  an option that could 
eventually meet political oppositio n, on the basis of arguments in relation to the legal basis of 
PROGRESS which stipulates th at the programme shall not finance any measures for the 
preparation and implementation of European Y ears. A thematic year might be seen as 
European Year type initiative.  
6.3. Option 3 – A European Year withou t a specific budget coordinated and 
centralised by the Commission  
6.3.1.  Coherence and added value 
In a European Year with activ ities coordinated and centralised  at EU level, the Commission 
would be better able to ensure consistency be tween the activities of a European Year and 
those of other EU initiatives and programmes. This option would ensure that the promotion of active ageing is mainstreamed in the rele vant policy areas covered by other Community 
programmes. Significant added valu e can therefore be expected. 
6.3.2.  Effectiveness  
This option has the potential to achieve all of the objectives. Th e degree of effectiveness will 
ultimately depend on the synergies created wi th other existing activities and programmes 
relevant for active ageing. Overall, this optio n can be expected to be quite effective.  
EN 17   EN 6.3.3.  Efficiency 
The Commission could use funding from existing programmes which cover issues related to 
active ageing. No extra financial or human res ources would be required. Any costs or human 
resources needs related to the coordination of  activities would be covered under existing 
budget lines and with existing human resources. The Commission would not  have to mobilise 
financial resources from the reserve.  
This option would ensure good coor dination at EU level, both in  administrative and financial 
terms as well as on content.  
Although this option could be challenged by political  lobbying from stakeholders arguing that 
the majority of previous European Years had a specific budget, the European Year of 
Creativity and Innovation (2009) has set a good precedence.  
Overall, the efficiency of this  option can be considered high. 
6.4. Option 4 – A European Year launching  calls for proposals for projects at 
national/regional or local level  
6.4.1.  Coherence and added value 
While the substantial differences among Member States offer strong arguments in favour of 
decentralised actions for a European Year, launching calls in a field where various 
programmes could intervene enta ils significant risk for inc onsistencies and duplication of 
efforts. . Although this option would provide some  added value at nationa l, regional and local 
level, this would not always be guarant eed due to the risks mentioned above. 
6.4.2.  Effectiveness  
This option has the potential to achieve all of the objectives, provi ded that the Commission 
offers strategic guidance to Member States on implementation However, it could prove 
difficult to find the budgetary means required for this option. 
6.4.3.  Efficiency 
The efficiency of this approach in terms of  “working on the ground” would be hampered by 
the lack of a link between differe nt actions and different levels of intervention. Activities risk 
being isolated and disconnected from one another with possible inconsistencies and 
duplication of efforts It would be very difficult and, if atte mpted, extremely costly, for the 
Commission to monitor closely national effort s in order to ensure coherence and avoid 
duplication. The cost of mana ging specific calls for proposal s for Member States can be 
expected to be relatively high. The number of  projects likely to be proposed would be 
disproportionate in rela tion to the budgetary res ources available, whic h could lead to the 
rejection of many good propos als and the disappointme nt of stakeholders.  
Overall, this option seems to be pr oblematic in terms of efficiency. 
6.5. Comparing the options 
All four options could help to achieve the objectives to differe nt degrees. However, options 1 
and 2 are expected to have limited effectivenes s and no or very limited added value. They are 
EN 18   EN also very weak in terms of efficiency. Optio n 4 can be effective and has the potential to 
involve national, regional and local stakeholders which would ensure visibility at these levels. 
Although it is expected to generate  some added value at this le vel, there are also important 
risks in terms of coherence and duplication of efforts that can weaken the added value aspect. 
This option also rates poorly on efficiency. Option 3 has the strongest potential from the 
perspectives of coherence and added value, effectiveness and efficiency. This option, “a 
European Year without a specif ic budget coordinated and centra lised by the Commission” is 
therefore the preferred option. 
7. IMPLEMENTATION  OF THE  PREFERRED  OPTION 
The designation of a European Year requires a Decision of the European Parliament and the 
Council.  
7.1. Architecture of the European Year 
The purpose of a European Year would go beyond awareness-raising. It s hould be seen as the 
highlight of a major effort spanning the period 2011-2014 duri ng which the EU would focus 
many of its existing programmes and policies on the issue of active ageing and put in place a framework in which new initiatives and partners hips supporting active ageing at all levels 
(Member State, regional, local, social part ners, civil society) can be encouraged and 
publicised.  
In 2011, public authorities, social partners and ci vil society organisations at all levels would 
be encouraged to commit to achieving specific  goals related to active ageing; the focus would 
be on achievements during the European Year. Th e goals are to be docu mented on a European 
website which would then become the website for the European Year.  
In 2012, the focus of the European Year woul d be on implementing the commitments taken 
during 2011 and publicising these initiatives through media activit ies. Results of projects 
related to active ageing and being funded under existing budge t lines and programmes would 
be presented. 
7.2. Mobilising Member States and Stakeholders 
The European Year would mobilise stakeholders at all levels, including local and regional 
authorities, the social partners and civil society organisations.  
Member States would set up a national coordinator and nati onal 'active agei ng councils' 
including personalities that enjoy wide popu larity and can act as ambassadors for the 
European Year. The national coordi nators could also ensure the coordination at national level 
of activities relating to the Year.  
The Commission envisages the possibility of co nvening meetings of the national coordinators 
in order to coordinate at Eu ropean level the implementation of the Year and to exchange 
information regarding the activities at national level. 
The Commission would establish an adviso ry group composed of a broad range of 
stakeholders, in particular of civil society organisa tions, social partners and networks of 
European regions and cities, which would advise the Commission on the implementation of 
the European Year.  
EN 19   EN 7.3. Building on existing community programmes 
The European Union has already taken variou s initiatives to promote active ageing. These 
activities should benefit fr om an enhanced visibility in th e context of the European Year.  
Many of the existing policies and instruments can be geared towards the goals of the 
Demography Pact and the European Year. To th is end, the Commission would bring together 
the different services working on issues related to active ageing.  
The following budget lines and programm es could potentiall y be utilised: 
DG EMPL 
Autonomous budget lines 
• 04.03.07 Analysis of and studies on the social s ituation, demographics and the family (E1) 
• 04.03.03.01 Industrial relations and social dialogue  
• 04.03.03.02 Information and training measures  for workers' organisations  
ESF  
An immediate priority will be to promote activ e ageing in the form of higher employment 
rates of older workers. This is eligible for support from the European Social Fund which could play a major role in helping regional and local stakeholders pursue ambitious goals with 
regard to active ageing. 
PROGRESS 
It is proposed to boost the effectiveness of PR OGRESS activities related to the challenges of 
ageing through the European Year. Active ageing is being promoted to a different extend 
under all strands of the PROGRESS (employmen t, social protection and inclusion, working 
conditions, non-discrimination, gender equality). 
DG EAC 
• Grundtvig programme for adult education 
• European Year of Voluntary Activities  Promoting Active Citizenship (2011) 
DG SANCO 
• Health programme  
DG INFSO 
• Information and Communication Technologi es Policy Support Programme under the 
Competitiveness and Innovation Programme  
• European Action Plan for "Ageing Well in the Information Society" 
DG REGIO – European Regional Development Fund 
EN 20   EN • Lifelong learning infrastructure 
• Infrastructure for informati on and communicatio n technologies 
• Education infrastructures (school s at all levels, Universities or  e-learning for all ages) in 
the framework of human capital enhancement 
• Infrastructure for the provision of key serv ices in demographic decline areas or the 
restructuring of social service facili ties and care services for older people 
DG MOVE 
• Action Plan on urban mobility 
• Protection of vulnerable road  users including older people and people with disabilities 
• Passenger rights of travelling persons w ith disabilities and reduced mobiity 
DG RTD 
• 7th Framework Programme for research and development 
AGENCIES 
Various agencies can be involved in the Demography Pact and the European Year: 
• The Dublin Foundation for Li ving and Working Conditions 
• CEDEFOP  
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work  
7.4. Type of measures 
Measures to be taken shall include the following  activities at European , national, regional or 
local level linked to the objectiv es and themes of the Europe an Year of Active Ageing:  
– conferences, events and initiatives to pr omote debate and raise awareness of the 
importance of active ageing; 
– information, promotion and educational campaigns; 
– exchange of information, experience and good practices; 
– undertaking of research and surveys on a Community or nationa l scale as well as 
dissemination of results. 
In all these activities due attention will  be paid to gender equality issues.  
In addition, policy makers and stakeholders at  all levels will be invited to present their 
initiatives as contributions to the goals of the European Year . The Commission or the Member 
States may permit the use of the name of the European Year in promoting those activities 
insofar as they contribute to achieving  the objectives of the European Year. 
EN 21   EN 8. ADDED  VALUE  OF EU INVOLVEMENT  AND  OF THE  PREFERRED  
OPTION 
The preferred option would benefit from the added value provided by EU involvement, for the 
objectives set out in this document could not be  achieved only by action at national, regional 
and local levels. This is because action solely  at these levels woul d not benefit from the 
advantage of a common EU fr amework, nor from exchanges of experience and good practice 
between Member States aiming to promote ac tive ageing. Coordination at EU level will 
enhance the impact of action within Member St ates by encouraging transnational exchange of 
ideas and good practices and increasing the visib ility of national initia tives. Programmes can 
generate added value in one or more different ways: through volume effects , scope effects , 
role effects  and process effects .  
The European Year would generate added value: In terms of volume effects , by stimulating further nationa l action through the activities 
organised under the European Year. This could include a greater number of debates as well as 
more activities for the exchange  of good practices than would ot herwise have taken place in 
Member States or at European level. 
In terms of scope effects , by mainstreaming the policy objectives for active ageing in all 
relevant policy areas and programmes, especially  where such considerations were not present 
before. In other words, the European Year co uld broaden existing actio ns or policy areas to 
address an ageing population (e.g. the 55+ age-gr oup as well as specific  sub-groups within 
this group) that would not have  been otherwise addressed.  
In terms of role effects , by influencing the way policy is  developed in different areas 
pertaining to active ageing. The European Year  could promote innovation and transfer of 
good practices from other policy areas or contexts of impleme ntation in order to better 
address the needs the ageing population. 
In terms of process effects , by improving the administration of programmes by Member States 
and other actors through capacity building. Th is may change the way new procedures are 
developed, revised and how policies are implemented in the future.  
9. MONITORING
 AND  EVALUATION 
The design of the monitoring framework will ma inly be the responsibility of the Commission 
in consultation with the Member States. A common monitoring template and specific 
guidance on monitoring will be developed w ith the Member States during 2011, the year 
preceding the launch of the Europ ean Year. The aim will be to en sure that Member States will 
collect information in a systematic way using th e same approach, so as to have comparable 
EU-wide information that can be used in an eval uation exercise, to enable  the identification of 
results and impacts of the year as well as drawing lessons for future initiatives. 
An external evaluation exercise will be launched in 2012 in order to assess the 
implementation of the Year in terms of effectiv eness and efficiency, to assess its results and 
impacts, draw conclusions on its added value, draw lessons and provide recommendations for action within existing policy frameworks of action and for future initiatives. Preliminary work 
on the evaluation methodology wi ll be carried out during th e preparatory year, more 
specifically on defining the indi cators that should be used in  the evaluation exercise for 
EN 22   EN assessing the achievement of the three key objec tives of the European Year. These indicators 
will be defined in line with the proposition in the table below. Moreover, the website documenting the commitments rela ted to active ageing made by public authorities, social 
partners and civil society organisations coul d also be used in th e evaluation exercise. 
Throughout the preparation for the year as well as during the year itself, the website could 
serve as a communication platform with stakehol ders, enabling them to participate in those 
surveys necessary for interim and final reporting.  
The final evaluation results should be availa ble by end of 2013. This arrangement will allow 
the Commission to report to th e EU institutions by mid-2014 on the results achieved. The task 
of this report to EU institutions will be to asse ss the results achieved by the European Year of 
Active Ageing in the light of its objectives. 
The objectives of the European Year will be monitored by specific indicators that will be 
developed with the help of evaluation experts and formally agreed on during the preparatory 
year: 
Objective Proposed monitoring 
tools / methodology Proposed types of 
monitoring indicators 
To raise general awareness of the value of active ageing in order to highlight the useful contribution older persons make to society and economy, to promote active ageing and to better mobilise the potential of older people In-depth interviews 
and focus groups with stakeholders 
  
Monitoring of media coverage  2-3 qualitative indicators 
measuring change in attitudes towards active ageing and older people, that could be attributed to the European Year  
A qualitative indicator 
reflecting the level of media coverage for the European Year (e.g. limited, moderate, high) using specific definitions 
To stimulate a debate and developing mutual learning between Member States and stakeholders at all levels in order to promote active ageing policies, to disseminate good practice and to encourage cooperation and synergies. Establishment of a 
comprehensive European website where stakeholders at all levels can publicise their initiatives; establishment of a typology of initiatives and a common presentation facilitating comparisons. Analysis of the information on the website: collection 2-3 qualitative indicators 
expressing change in levels of mobilisation of key stakeholder groups that can be directly attributed to the EY (e.g. no change, limited, moderate, significant;) using specific definitions 
EN 23   EN of information on 
number of Member States, regions, cities that have put in place various types of measures to promote active ageing 
In-depth interviews 
with main stakeholders  
To offer a framework for commitment and concrete action in order to giving an opportunity to Member States and stakeholders at all levels to develop policies further through specific activities and to commit to specific objectives related to active ageing. Website structured 
to offer each MS, region and major city a place to present their measures related to active ageing. Analysis of the information on the website: collection of information on number of MS, regions, cities that have put in place various types of measures to promote active ageing 
In-depth interviews 
with main stakeholders  2-3 qualitative indicators 
expressing the impact of the European Year on institutions and/or policy, in terms of setting a sustainable framework for commitment and action (e.g. no impact, limited, moderate, high), on the basis of specific definitions 
 
EN 24   EN 10. ANNEX 
The European Commission received 132 responses to the public consultation. In Table 1, the 
responses are itemized by type of stakeholde r, whether public authorities, industry and 
professional associations, trade unions, etc. Near ly half of the responses to the consultation 
came from civil society organisations. Graph 1 shows the locations of the stakeholders: 
contributions were received from stakeholders  in 14 Member States as well as from 
representative bodies at EU  and international level. 
Table 1: Contributions receive d by stakeholder category 
Stakeholder category Number of 
replies Percentage
Public authorities (local, na tional) & other publicly funded 
agencies 32 24%
Industry & professional associations 15 11%
Trade unions 2 2%
Civil society organisations 63 48%
Academic & think tanks 12 9%
Individuals 8 6%
All 132 100%
 
Graph 1: Contributions received by country and region 
Austria; 6
Belgium; 20
Czech Republic; 2
Finland; 1
France; 7
Germany; 18
Portugal; 3Spain; 4Sweden; 2UK; 13Switzerland; 1USA; 1EU-wide; 37International; 6
Ireland; 1
Italy; 3Greece; 3
The Netherlands; 
4