WRITTEN QUESTION E-3397/98

by Guido Podestà (PPE) to the Commission

(17 November 1998)

Subject: The new role of the Third Age

There are now many studies, both Community-wide and within individual Member States, showing the exponential increase in the number of elderly people and the consequent ageing of the Union's population; the statistics indicate that in the first decade of the next century there will be the same number of elderly people and young people and, if the trend is not reversed, ten years later one person in three will be over the age of 60.

In the light of this demographic trend, and bearing in mind Article 13 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, which explicitly states the intention of the Community institutions to combat discrimination based on age, and also Article 137 of the same treaty, which provides for the adoption of measures intended to encourage cooperation among the Member States with the aim of combating social exclusion, and also recalling the call made by the President of the European Parliament, Mr José María Gil-Robles, at the Senior Citizens' Conference on 1 and 2 October this year, for Europe to take note of these circumstances:

1. Does the Commission not consider that the Community institutions have a duty to draw up a more wide-ranging programme than the policies which have been implemented to date, one that will give the Member States the opportunity to set up a system for cooperation in implementing optimum social policies, thereby also making it possible to improve the services provided?

2. Does it not consider that active steps should be taken towards promoting and spreading a new social perception of the elderly which includes their integration as active, rather than passive, members of society and which, by combating the "cultural ghettoisation" of weaker social groups, will restore their freedom of choice and right of autonomy, thus transforming what is currently regarded as a problem into a resource for European society of the next century?

3. Does it not consider that, in connection with the management of the Structural Funds and of other Community resources, more attention should be given at both the planning and implementation stages to the requirements of those belonging to the Third and Fourth Ages?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 1999)

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member's view that the demographic trend resulting in increasing numbers of older people and the ageing of the population is a matter of great importance to the Community.

In recent years the Commission has produced a number of reports examining various aspects of the demographic situation and also organised, jointly with the Austrian Presidency, a symposium in Vienna on 12-13 October 1998 entitled "A society for all ages". Furthermore, the Commission has ensured that full account has been taken of these issues in key economic, social and employment policy areas, notably through the communication on modernising and improving social protection(1) and the employment guidelines(2).

The Commission also shares the Honourable Member's view that older people represent a considerable untapped resource and that measures to combat the negative stereotyping of older people should be encouraged. In this context, the Commission is currently preparing a communication for adoption early in 1999. This will contain a short analysis of the character of the demographic challenge facing the Community and outline a strategy of active ageing that is a coherent framework for how to age well in ageing societies by, for example adoption of healthy life styles, by maintaining the employability of older workers and boosting this participation in work and by ensuring that they can remain active after retirement. This communication is intended as the official contribution from the Commission to the United Nations international year for older people and will serve as an important tool to raise and focus attention on ageing and older peoples' issues in 1999.

In its social action programme 1998-2000(3), the Commission stated its intention of exploring the new scope for action opened up by Articles 13 and 137 of the Amsterdam Treaty. The Commission is currently examining options in this regard and will ensure that whatever proposals are put forward take proper account of relevant issues related to older people.

As regards the structural funds, the Commission's proposal for the revision of the European social fund (ESF) Regulation(4) makes no discrimination as to age, but encourages (amongst other elements) a "life-long learning" approach to human resources development. This enables full account to be taken not only of the needs of older workers, but of the ways in which their potential can be enhanced and realised.

(1) COM(97) 102 final.

(2) COM(98) 574 final.

(3) COM(98) 259 final.

(4) COM(98) 131 final.