EN Official Journal of the European Union C 43/7

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Increasing the employment of older workers and delaying the exit from the labour market

(2005/C 43/03)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication to the Commission, the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Increasing the employment of older workers and delaying the exit from the labour market (COM(2004) 146 final);

having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 3 March 2004 to consult the Committee on this text under Article 265(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

having regard to the decision taken by the CoR President on 27 January 2004 to instruct the Commission for Economic and Social Policy to draw up an opinion on the subject;

having regard to the Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (report requested by the Stockholm European Council): Increasing labour force participation and promoting active ageing (COM(2002) 9 final);

having regard to the CoR opinion on the Commission Report entitled Increasing labour force participation and promoting active ageing (CdR 94/2002 fin) (1);

having regard to the Commission communication: Supporting national strategies for safe and sustainable pensions through an integrated approach (COM(2001) 362 final);

having regard to the conclusions of the Stockholm European Council, 2001;

having regard to the conclusions of the Barcelona European Council, 2002;

having regard to the Report from the Commission to the Council: Delivering Lisbon-reforms for the enlarged Union (COM(2004) 29 final/2);

having regard to the Commission's working document on The Stockholm and Barcelona targets: Increasing employment of older workers and delaying the exit from the labour market (SEC(2003) 429);

having regard to the report by the Employment Taskforce chaired by Wim Kok: Jobs, jobs, jobs: creating more employment in Europe, November 2003;

having regard to the Joint report 2003-2004, Employment policies in the EU and in the Member States, 2004;

having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 151/2004 rev.1) adopted by the Commission for Economic and Social Policy on 6 July 2004 (rapporteur: Alvaro Ancisi, member of the municipal council of Ravenna (IT/EPP));

Whereas:

1. active ageing and the participation of older workers in the labour market are priorities for action to achieve the objectives of sustainable economic growth and social cohesion laid down by the Lisbon strategy of 2000;

2. the Stockholm European Council of 2001 laid down a Community objective for 2010 of raising to 50 % the average employment rate in the 55-64 age group;

3. the Barcelona European Council of 2002 concluded that there is a need gradually to increase by about five years the average age at which workers retire in the European Union;

4. despite the positive trend of the last few years, the EU is still very far from achieving the two objectives it set itself, and it runs the risk of failing to meet the 70 % employment rate objective laid down in Lisbon;

5. there are still considerable disparities between one country and another, despite the fact that a growing number of Member States are implementing their own national strategies, in particular for reform of the pension system;

6. the gender difference in participation in the labour market is a critical point, and the female employment rate in the 55-64 age group is about 30 % on average;

7. the ageing of the European population means that the over 50s tend to account for the highest percentage of the potential labour force and that a lower percentage of young people is entering the labour market;

8. an increase in labour market participation by older workers is essential to maintain economic growth and the social protection systems;

9. the increase in life expectancy offers greater opportunities to realise one's potential throughout one's life, and the prolongation of active life can make possible greater development of human potential;

adopted the following opinion at its 56th plenary session on 29 and 30 September 2004 (session of 29 September)

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.1 shares the Commission's concern that, without drastic action on employment of the older population, the employment objectives of the EU may not be met;

1.2 agrees with the analysis of the specific conditions which must prevail on the labour market to make possible a lengthening of working life, such as appropriate financial incentives, good health and safety conditions at work, flexible forms of work organisation, permanent access to training, effective pro-active policies for the labour market and improvement in the quality of work;

1.3 appreciates the fact that the Commission thinks the Member States should adopt radical measures and define in the context of active ageing an overall policy which would not merely tackle the reform of pension schemes but would promote access for all to training and active labour market policies, independently of age, and increasingly bring in working conditions throughout working life which would encourage people to remain employed;

1.4 regards as important the attention given to the need to increase, through specific strategies, the employment rate of women aged between 55 and 64;

1.5 is convinced that the social partners play a decisive role in adopting active ageing strategies and in helping to improve the quality of working life;

1.6 is convinced that policies and actions at Community level can help to maintain and popularise active ageing strategies.

2. Recommendations by the Committee of the Regions

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

2.1 stresses that the employment of older people should be treated as a normal part of the world of work. Therefore, in strategic human resource management, it is better to speak of the management of different age groups or diversity management rather than single out older workers as a special group. All people in employment must be allowed the opportunity to reconcile work commitments with family commitments at all stages of their working life;

2.2 agrees with the priority strategies proposed by the Commission to encourage a profound cultural transformation which would make the most of human capital throughout life, promote active ageing, avoid the exclusion of older people and increase the employment rate of older workers, an essential component of the available workforce in the light of the expected decline in the population of working age;

2.3 believes, however, that this is not enough to make the most of the potential of the older population, but that it is also necessary to recognise the significant contribution by older people to voluntary and informal activities which are socially useful; it is therefore desirable to acknowledge the importance of all working activities, whether of economic or social significance, for the economy, individual welfare and social cohesion at local level;

2.4 confirms, in agreement with the Commission, that to encourage the employment of older people it is essential to promote strategies, throughout the active life cycle, to ensure good health and safety conditions at work, flexible forms of work organisation, and permanent access to training, improvement in the quality of work, and active labour market policies to ensure employability at any stage of active life;

2.5 believes, however, that to encourage older women to remain in work, postpone their retirement or facilitate their re-entry into the world of work and increase the female employment rate, specific measures are not enough, and that it is necessary to implement strategies enabling women, throughout their active life cycle, to reconcile working time with time spent looking after their families;

2.6 hopes, in view of the question put by the Commission about the fact that there is no empirical proof that young and older workers are interchangeable, that in the context of the strategies developed inter-generational solidarity pacts will be tried out as part of flexible work organisation, which would encourage the gradual withdrawal of older people from the world of work and make full use of their experience and occupational skills to assist young people;

2.7 reiterates the Commission's point that older workers can also benefit from their reintegration into the labour market through valuable ESF funded projects. Best practice has shown that older ex-managers are enabled to develop and update their skills to secure employment within organisations facing management skills shortages in the local labour market;

2.8 emphasises the importance of implementing territorial plans for employment involving the social partners in supporting opportunities for lifelong access to education and training, in strengthening active labour-market policies particularly as regards guidance and re-employment of unemployed older people, in identifying measures likely to enhance labour policies in terms of welfare and social cohesion, and in promoting the participation of older people in socially active life;

2.9 in the context of these strategies, the Committee of the Regions underlines the central role of local and regional authorities, pointing out in particular the need to give greater attention to activities and programmes falling within their specific competence or interest which make it possible to avoid a dangerous dichotomy developing between active and economically productive older workers and socially excluded older people;

2.9.1 underlines in particular that it is essential to recognise the functions of local and regional governments in proposing older people's socially useful work initiatives (unpaid or partially paid voluntary work carried out by older people for the community to which they belong, community service for older people, etc.). This classification of work of considerable social importance, apart from its great significance in terms of solidarity, strengthening of inclusiveness and stimulation of the active citizenship of older people, encouragement of inter-generation relations etc., can also be accompanied by arrangements for gradual withdrawal from the labour market or can guarantee forms of re-employment for those who have left it;

2.9.2 points out that the objective of increasing the employment rate of women aged between 55 and 64 must necessarily involve a central role for local and regional governments in providing care and assistance services for dependent members of their families (children or non-self-sufficient adults), bearing in mind also that this age group still has considerable family care responsibilities given the current demographic trends. Moreover, just as the Commission document envisages permanent training and flexible work arrangements throughout people's working life, the CoR recommends that equal attention should be paid to training and organisational strategies and to educational, social and welfare services which could enable women to reconcile their professional work commitments with their family commitments throughout their active lives;

2.9.3 regards as fundamental the promotion not only of national social security and pension strategies, but also of territorial plans for employment which give responsibilities to local and regional authorities to make it possible to adopt strategies involving the social partners. Such plans should potentially involve innovative policies with the objectives of avoiding the exclusion of older people, increasing their employment rate, and making full economic and social use of their potential. Indeed, only at the level of territorial plans, which must also be supported by EU experimental and funding resources, is it possible to cover all the economic and social aspects raised by the gradual ageing of the population on the one hand and by the decline in the active population on the other.

FINALLY, THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

2.10 confirms the importance of the exchange of best practice between Member States, and particularly of the exchange of local and regional experience and of the extension of the Community initiatives and action plans aiming not only to encourage Member States' policies on reform of pension and social welfare schemes, but also to support social and economic policies at local level aiming to increase the employment of older workers.

Brussels, 29 September 2004 The President of the Committee of the Regions Peter STRAUB

(1) OJ C 287 of 22.11.2002, p.1