WRITTEN QUESTION E-1830/99

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 October 1999)

Subject: The ageing population of Europe

The media is constantly producing surveys warning about the danger of a declining birth rate and the demographic ageing of the population of Europe. Recently an American Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Samuel Preston, forecast that in the year 2050 Europe would have 25 % less inhabitants than today and that in Greece in particular the population would decline from its present level of 10,2 million to 8,23 million. The composition of the population will also change due to an increase in the number of economic refugees who, as young people, will gradually replace the indigenous population.

According to one study, demographic ageing will lead, inter alia, to perceptible changes in consumer behaviour in Europe, cause a decline in entrepreneurial activity and innovation in the production of goods and inevitably lead to the collapse of the weakest social security systems, which will cause a conflict of interests between young people who will pay contributions without any hope of benefiting from them and the elderly who will take up almost all the funds.

What specific measures has the Commission drawn up and when and how does it intend to push ahead with implementation of these measures in order to reverse this phenomenon which is so alarming for the very survival of Europe?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 1999)

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that the magnitude of demographic change requires rethinking and changing outmoded practices and policies. Over the last five years, the Commission has developed several initiatives aimed at stimulating debate between and with Member States on this issue.

Following the publication of its demographic reports in 1994, 1995 and 1997, the Commission adopted, earlier this year, a communication entitled Towards a Europe for all ages promoting prosperity and intergenerational solidarity(1) which sets out the implications of the ageing of the population for employment, social protection, health and social services and proposes a strategy for effective policy responses in these fields. The Commission has also recently adopted a communication on A concerted strategy for modernising social protection(2) proposing a new process of cooperation between the Commission and Member States in the field.

In the context of the European employment strategy, the low employment rate of older workers has been identified as an important issue and Member States have been invited to develop policy measures promoting life-long learning and flexible working arrangements.

Concerning health policies, old age care and research instruments, the Commission will give special attention to medical and social research related to ageing in the fifth framework programme for Community research covering a wide range of research activities.

The Commission is committed to stimulating debate on the societal aspects of demographic change and providing support to the Member States in their search for good strategies.

(1) COM(1999) 221 final.

(2) COM(1999) 347 final.