Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the topic: ‘Towards the seventh Framework Programme for Research: Research needs in the area of demographic change — quality of life of elderly persons and technological requirements’
Date: 2004-09-15
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU programme, EU research policy, elderly person, gerontology, population ageing, quality of life

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The Committee calls on the Commission to create a specific
budget heading for women's civil society organisations in ACP
countries.

7.9 More generally, it is important to create fast-track chan-
nels for women's groups, both with regard to the eligibility of
non-state actors and for access to funds.

Training courses aimed at promoting the activities of
7.10
women's groups that operate at grass roots level could, in the
context of the Cotonou Agreement, prove to be a useful tool in
implementing that agreement.

7.11
tion of seminars to identify and look in depth at

The Committee undertakes to promote the organisa-
themes

relating to the status and participation of women in ACP coun-
tries.

The Committee will call

for equal participation of
7.12
women's delegations in those seminars and will promote meet-
ings with women and associations from ACP countries and
with third countries in general.

The Committee undertakes to hold, by the first half of
7.13
2005, a conference with the above-mentioned players. The
objectives of this would be to promote the role of women in
decision-making processes, to identify obstacles, and to define
strategies based on the outlook of development process actors
themselves.

Brussels, 15 September 2004.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the topic:
‘Towards the seventh
Framework Programme for Research: Research needs in the area of demographic change — quality
of life of elderly persons and technological requirements’

(2005/C 74/09)

On 29 January 2004, the European Economic and Social Committee, acting under Rule 29(2) of its Rules
of Procedure, decided to draw up an opinion on the topic: ‘Towards the seventh Framework Programme
for Research: Research needs in the area of demographic change — quality of life of elderly persons and
technological requirements’.

The Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 14 July 2004. The rapporteur was Ms Heinisch.

At its 411th plenary session of 15 and 16 September 2004 (meeting of 15 September), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 144 votes to one, with two abstentions:

1. Summary

Reason

1.1
In the light of demographic change and the opportu-
nities and risks involved for the quality of life of the growing
numbers of older people in Europe, the Committee calls for:

(a) the inclusion of a key action in this field in the seventh

Framework Programme for Research and

(b) flanking measures to establish a sound basis for timely
policy planning, decision-making and action at both Euro-
pean and national level.

There are close links between the biological, psychological,
social, cultural, technological, economic and structural aspects
of ageing. Also, people always age within a specific physical
In Europe, this environment varies
and social environment.
terms.
widely in geographical, cultural and socio-structural
Neither fact – the fact
the ageing process has many
that
different dimensions and the fact that it takes place under a
variety of conditions – is adequately reflected in current
research programmes. However, given the changes in the popu-
lation age structure, only such broad and long-term research
can provide the sound basis for planning and decision-making
needed in the many different areas of society involved and at
all tiers of decision-making.

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With regard to point (a), research is needed in particular in the
following fields:

— to boost Europe's economic development and competitive-
ness, given the potential offered by demographic change.

— economic and financial policy (4.1)

— work and employment (4.2)

— elderly people's everyday lives (4.3)

— the social and spatial environment (4.4)

— lifelong learning (4.5)

— maintaining a healthy life and care requirements (4.6)

— new technologies (4.7)

— processing, collating and adding to existing knowledge

(4.8).

The fact that the ageing process has many different dimensions
and involves different cultural, economic and structural disci-
plines necessitates
and interdisciplinary
long-term multi-
research.

With regard to point (b), the following flanking measures are in
particular deemed necessary to ensure compliance with Article
85 of the Fundamental Rights Charter, which guarantees all
older EU citizens the right to live in dignity and to participate
actively as citizens and in decision-making processes:

— the application of the open method of coordination to
adopt a uniform approach to – and classification of – indi-
cators of older people's quality of life in European coun-
tries: to facilitate exchanges of experiences, inter-European
comparisons and mutual
to promote dialogue
between representatives of organised civil society and the
appropriate European Commission directorates-general; and
to agree on common values in relation to the ageing
society;

learning;

— the establishment of a joint European observatory to build
a European Agency on Ageing and database to generate,
concentrate and disseminate knowledge to improve the
open method of coordination and draw practical policy
conclusions;

— the establishment of an ‘Ageing Society’ category in the

EESC; and

— workshops and conferences to boost knowledge about
demographic change; highlight the urgent need for preven-
tive and flanking measures; sharpen awareness; spread
information about research findings as widely as possible;
and foster exchanges between the old and the new Member
States.

Purpose:

To establish a comprehensive knowledge base:

— for policies to maintain and,

increase the
quality of life for present and future generations of older
people; and

if necessary,

2. Introduction

Demographic change is one of

2.1
the key historical
successes of our time. It is also an ongoing challenge. Never
before have entire generations been in the position where they
can legitimately hope and expect to live out many years of old
age. This new phase of life offers a wide range of opportunities,
but also involves completely new tasks for individuals and
society. In most European countries, many older people enjoy
an adequate income and have the requisite physical and cogni-
tive skills to live out their extra years in contented indepen-
dence. This opens up new opportunities for economic and
social development. As they grow older, however, people's
physical, sensory and cognitive faculties are also liable to
decline and they risk becoming functionally restricted. More-
over, some groups in society do not have the requisite material,
social and personal resources to be able to grow old with
dignity. This applies in particular to many older women living
alone. The different European countries also vary widely in this
regard. Moreover, the shift in the age structure in all countries
necessitates a redistribution of existing resources and adjust-
ments to health and social security systems. Population ageing
affects every EU country, albeit at rather differing speeds. As
the EESC president wrote in his report on the European
Economic and Social Committee's activities in the period 2000-
2002 (page 37):

2.2
‘The Committee also drew attention to worrying demo-
graphic forecasts with particular impact in the fields of jobs,
public health and pensions’.

its

two

related

closely

separate,

starting point,

Taking this development as

2.3
the
present own-initiative opinion on research needs in the area of
demographic change – quality of life of elderly persons and technolo-
gical requirements calls for the inclusion of a key action in this
field in the seventh Framework Programme for Research. This
involves
aspects:
but
(i) demographic change as such, which is the result of the
declining birth rate and the concomitant changes in family
structures on the one hand, and rising life expectancy on the
other; and (ii) ageing and old age as an autonomous phase of
life with a high potential for social, cultural, organisational,
technological and economic innovation, but which also brings
with it certain risks. Research is required in both these fields,
not only at macro level into their impact on society as a whole
and the requisite political action, but at micro level as well, in
other words their implications in terms of safeguarding older
people's quality of life and the action needed on that front.
Account must, however, always be taken of
the different
circumstances of men and women.

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3. Background and case for an own-initiative opinion

3.1
Given that demographic change – and related modifica-
tions in the structure of the population and society – is a
recent phenomenon, further knowledge is needed in order to
be able to gauge the impact on overall social development and
establish a sound basis for timely policy planning decision-
making and action at both national and European level. EESC
opinions and Commission communications on issues such as
employment policy (1), social integration (2), health care, lifelong
learning (3) etc. also point in this direction.

3.2
A knowledge base of this kind is also the sine qua non
for social, cultural, organisational, economic and technological
innovations that make it possible not only to maintain elderly
people's quality of life, but also to help take some of the strain
off health and social security systems. The rapidly growing
numbers of very old people in particular and – to some extent
as a consequence of that – the fact that several generations of
older people are alive at the same time also necessitates entirely
new services and occupations.

3.3
Some important findings have already been made on
this front thanks to projects supported as part of the fifth
Framework Programme for Research (FP5) (key action 6 The
ageing population under the thematic programme Quality of Life
and Management of Living Resources). DG Research has recently
published a mid-term assessment on findings and experience in
this multidisciplinary key action. Implementing the findings of
the telematics programme can also help improve the quality of
life of older people and people with a disability. The holistic
approach pursued under the telematics programme in the late
1990s has yet, however, to be universally taken up.

Under the sixth Framework Programme for Research
3.4
(FP6), support
for research into population ageing and its
impact on individuals and society is only being pursued in a
few subsidiary areas of the key actions Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health (Priority 1), Information society technologies
(Priority 2), Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society
(Priority 7) and RTD supporting policies and anticipating scientific
and technological needs (Priority 8), as well as ERA-NET.

3.4.1
Key policy findings are to be expected particularly
from current Priority 8 projects on demographic perspectives

(1) COM(2004) 146 final; Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27
November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treat-
ment in employment and occupation; Communication from the
Commission: Strengthening the implementation of the European
Employment Strategy, Annex 1, 26 March 2004, COM(2004) 239
final; http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/fundamental_-
rights/legis/legln_en.htm.

(2) Council Decision 2000/750/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing
a Community action programme to combat discrimination (2001-
2006), http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/fundamental_-
rights/index_en.htm; EESC opinion, OJ C 284, 14.9.1998; Booklet
EESC-2000-018 Jobs, Learning and Social
inclusion: The work of the
European EESC

(3) Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 (2002/C 163/01), OJ C 163,
.also

(November 2001);

cf

9.7.2002; COM(2002) 678 final
COM(2004) 156 final

and on health costs and expenditure against the backdrop of an
ageing society. The IST programme's particular strategic objec-
tive is to promote the integration of older and disabled people
into the information society. In this area too, there are a range
of useful
findings and promising projects involving major
consortia and industry. That said, considerable efforts are still
required to bridge the remaining gaps. The ageing population,
however, is no longer included as a key action in its own right
within the thematic priorities.

3.5
The medical and biological projects supported under
FP5 and FP6 are expected to greatly enhance our knowledge of
the physiological and biological ageing processes, disease
control and health promotion and preservation.

Findings on this front are undoubtedly important, but
3.6
they cannot resolve the problems of elderly people or, in the
short term, help get to grips with the social challenges facing
Europe as a whole as numbers of older – and particularly very
old people – continue to rise. Because of the relatively low
birth rate, the percentage of young people (under 20) in the
population of the EU as a whole dropped from 32 % in 1960
to 23 % in 2001, while the percentage of older people (aged
60 and over) rose from 16 % to 22 % over the same period.
The old-age dependency ratio – i.e. the percentage of the popu-
lation aged 60 and over in relation to the percentage aged
between 20 and 59 – rose from 29.5 % to 38.9 % over this
period. In the next few years, the percentage of older people is
set to rise further as the birth deficit of the last thirty years
kicks in. In 2020, older people will make up 27 % of the popu-
lation. In other words, more than a quarter of all Europeans
will then be aged 60 or over. (4) Numbers of very old people
are rising particularly rapidly (see also point 4.5.1 below).
Research must be conducted on a much broader field, given
the sheer scope of population ageing - and its as yet unforesee-
able impact - in so many different spheres of society. Ageing
itself is not simply a biological process but involves many
different facets over a period of many years, and by the same
token research into old age and ageing must adopt a long-term,
multi- and interdisciplinary approach. Research cannot seek
only to improve health and extend life expectancy, but must
also work to help improve people's quality of life in the extra
years given to them.

(4) European Communities (2002), European social statistics: popula-
tion, Eurostat, theme 3: population and social conditions, Luxem-
bourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

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3.7
The seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7)
should therefore include a key action on the challenges of
demographic change. This will supplement the largely medical
and biological research that has been conducted up to now, by
also looking at the social, behavioural, cultural, socio-economic
and preventive aspects throughout a person's life. Such a
holistic approach to research must include both fundamental
research and practical R&D. (1) The most representative Euro-
pean older people's organisations should also be involved, as
recommended in the second International Plan of Action on
Ageing adopted at the second World Assembly on Ageing in
Madrid in April 2002 and in the strategy adopted by UNECE at
the ministerial conference in Berlin in September 2002.
Promoting research of this kind is of the utmost urgency given
the
long and complex political decision-making process
involved. Research needs in a number of fields are set out in
more detail below.

4. Individual research needs

This own-initiative opinion focuses on areas where research is
needed so that the people of Europe can lead a life worth living
- including as they grow older - in an environment of demo-
include the ageing
graphic change.
processes and living conditions of older people themselves,
which can vary widely across Europe, and also the general
conditions obtaining in society as a whole, which also differ
considerably in individual countries.

Issues to be looked at

ment Survey [HRS]). For research,
questions:

this raises the following

— There is a great deal of uncertainty about demographic
forecasts, but policymakers have to make practical plans for
healthcare, social provision and pensions. What data are
required and need to be collected to back up policies of this
kind?

— How important is demographic change for consumption
and savings? How are people likely to behave and what
behaviour is appropriate given longer life expectancy?

— What kind of link exists between an ageing population and
productivity? What is the impact on productivity, innova-
tion and entrepreneurship?

— What can be done to exploit the potential advantages of
demographic change – in terms of new products and
services – so as to benefit older people both today and in
the future and boost Europe's economic development
(under the watchword of the ‘knowledge economy’)?

— How are the older people of the future likely to behave
economically, given that they will to a large extent be heal-
thier, better educated and more mobile than the present
generation of older people but are likely to be worse off,
particularly when they come from the more disadvantaged
groups in society? (cf. also points 4.2.1 and 4.3.6).

Demographic change has many facets, but
this opinion
addresses only those areas in which there is a particularly
strong need for innovation, and thus for more interdisciplinary
research.

4.2 Research needs in work and employment

4.1 Research needs in economic and financial policy

4.1.1
One initial key aspect that is not given due attention
in the sixth Framework Programme for Research is the socio-
economic outlook in the wake of what the European Commis-
sion Directorate-General
for Economic and Financial Affairs
believes will be the serious impact of demographic change. A
solid knowledge base is therefore needed that makes it possible
to link income and employment data with data on health and
social behaviour. Sound forecasts require the consistent gath-
ering of statistics over relatively long periods. (Good examples
include the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing [ELSA],
which also looks at heath issues, and the US Health and Retire-

In future, the shift in the population age structure and
4.2.1
the resultant need to redistribute scarce resources which cannot
be increased in proportion to the demand will make it neces-
sary for businesses and social security systems – and for the
ageing population itself – to rely longer than at present on
older people's working skills and knowledge (2). It is a known
fact that older people are generally no less productive than
younger people, although some skills decline while others
increase. The following issues thus require research:

— In which fields are older workers able to put their skills to

particularly good use, even with increasing age?

— What alternative job opportunities and structures need to
be put in place to keep employment an attractive option
for older people too? Would, for instance, temporary work
be a feasible way forward?

(1) COM(2004) 9 final.; cf also COM(2002) 565 final, especially points

(2) Cf. also point 4.7 of the EESC opinion on innovation policy, OJ C

3.3 and 4.2

10, 14.1.2004. (COM(2003) 112 final)

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— How can health and safety in the workplace be improved
so that workers can play an active part in working life for
longer?

4.3 Research needs in elderly people's everyday lives

— What arrangements are needed in the workplace and the
working environment and for patterns and organisation of
work to give older people the best possible environment in
which to work? How can applied technology help?

— What in particular can be done to get the long-term unem-
ployed back to work, and those who have not been in
gainful employment for some time for other reasons (e.g.
parenting or family care commitments)?

— Why do firms let older workers go? Why is unemployment

rising among older women in particular?

— What obstacles stand in the way of older people working
longer or taking up new employment and how can these
obstacles be removed?

— With regard to the transition from full-time employment to
retirement, how flexible can and must the arrangements be
to ensure that they are of benefit to older workers, busi-
nesses and social security systems alike?

— What schemes can and must be devised for knowledge
transfer so that older workers' skills and wide experience
over many years can be passed on in such a way that
younger people are happy to take ‘old’ knowledge on board
and make it a part of their ‘new’ body of knowledge, both
for their own benefit and the benefit of their company?

— For continuing education, see point 4.5.

The growing percentage of older people among the population
at large also makes it necessary to expand existing occupations
and create new ones. Information is lacking, however, as to the
areas in which it is particularly urgent to broaden occupational
skills to meet the demands and needs of older people, and the
areas in which new activities are necessary and where these
offer new employment opportunities.

These developments should be considered

— in terms of changes to income and consumption patterns
linked to demographic change (cf. also points 4.1.1 and
4.3.6);

— in terms of older people's declining mobility: possible
options
for consideration here include new domestic
services such as home-visit hairdressing or chiropody and
remote services such as teleshopping, teleconsultation and
the like;

4.3.1
Ageing is not only a biological process, but also – and
in particular – a social one. Social conditions vary greatly both
within and between the various European countries. This
applies both to the macro level – the political and social
systems that have grown up historically over time – and also to
the micro level – people's individual life histories and resources.
Hence, the environment for ageing and old age also varies
among individual social groups. These differences – whether
they relate to gender,
life history and/or professional experi-
ence, material
living conditions etc. – must be taken into
account when researching the everyday realities of older
people's lives.

European countries differ widely in terms of climate,
4.3.2
topography, population density and types of settlement, trans-
port infrastructure, welfare provisions and many other aspects
that influence a person's capacity to lead an independent life
and play an active part of society. Some countries have
minimum pensions that provide an adequate financial basis for
older people to live a contented life. In others, pensions fail
even to meet basic needs. Major differences exist both between
and within individual countries and within the large group
formed by older people.

— What

impact do European countries' various welfare

systems have on their older citizens' quality of life?

— What preventive measures can be taken to compensate for
the disadvantages that make it harder for older people to
access reasonably priced accommodation, decent transport,
cultural resources, healthy food and/or new technologies,
and thus impair their quality of life?

life of

— Given the cutbacks in social security benefits and health
care, what in particular can be done to maintain the quality
those older people whose existence – both
of
physical and social – is threatened by poverty, chronic
illness, poor education, inadequate linguistic knowledge or
lack of other resources?

— How do people live who cannot – or can no longer – main-
tain an independent lifestyle under their own steam? What
arrangements are in place for such people in the EU
Member States and what action is needed to safeguard their
interests?

— For specific health- and care-related employment issues, see

point 4.6.

— What is the situation regarding older people's living condi-
tions in homes and institutions? In what ways are their
interests represented?

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— What is done in terms of prevention, treatment and care
environment in the EU Member States for patients with
Alzheimer's disease and people suffering from other forms
of dementia? What options are available and what experi-
ence has been gained with different kinds of accommoda-
tion?

— What can be done to provide activities, training facilities,
involvement opportunities and meeting places to help each
individual turn the potential advantages of these years to
good account in a way that both gives meaning to his or
her life and benefits society?

4.3.3
integra-
Independence, self-determination and social
tion are key personal and socio-political goals. A number of
in particular,
factors compromise the ability of older – and,
very old people – to achieve these goals. For one thing, as
people grow older, they are increasingly susceptible to health
problems. When that happens, poor environmental conditions
and financial constraints make it more difficult for older people
to keep their independence and continue to play a part in
society. Social norms and preconceptions – for instance, the
discriminating perceptions people have of the elderly – may
also act as barriers and exclude older people from key areas of
society. A counter to the negative picture of ageing, however,
is the fact that the vast majority of older people are able to live
independent and autonomous lives for many years. They also
play a key role in families and society through intergenerational
support (both social and financial) and unpaid work in political,
trade union and church bodies.

4.3.4
Older people have many of the psychological skills
needed to cope with many difficulties beyond their control and
the health constraints they face. However, there is a risk of this
inner equilibrium being upset when problems accumulate.

— What action is needed – and when – to prevent older
people being put under too much of a strain and to help
them cope with life's critical situations?

— To what extent do the interests, experiences, needs and
skills of older men and women differ? How can and must
these differences be factored in?

— How can older people become involved at

representative organisations

the various
national and European levels – either directly or through
their
in decision-making
processes that impact their right to lead a life of dignity and
independence and to participate in social and cultural life in
order
the Fundamental Rights
Charter a reality?

to make Article 25 of

-

— To what extent is there a need among older people – and
older migrants in particular – for interregional and cross-
border mobility and what can be done, as in the case of
workers, to help meet such needs?

Discussions about

4.3.6
the ageing society focus almost
exclusively on the issue as a problem and a burden, against the
backdrop of burgeoning social security and health costs. The
positive aspects, however, are rarely considered and little infor-
mation is available on them. These include, for instance, the
fact that older people no longer put a strain on the labour
market but, as consumers, continue to play a role in economic
development.

— How do income and consumption patterns differ between

older and younger people?

— What changes in consumer behaviour are to be expected

from new generations?

— What measures are required to cover more than the bare
necessities, such as the psychological need for security, for
family and other interpersonal relations and for social inclu-
sion?

— Which areas have particular potential for innovation so
that, in future, better account can be taken of older peoples'
specific needs?

— On this point, cf. also points 4.1.1 and 4.2.1.

4.3.5
The vast majority of older people can lead a relatively
healthy and active life in old age for some 20 to 30 years. As
this is a recent phenomenon, there are, as yet, few precedents
on which to draw for shaping this phase of life. There are
virtually no reliable figures, comparable across Europe,
for
those areas in which older people are currently active and
make a key contribution to society and the economy. These
areas include taking on paid and/or unpaid work in political,
trade union and church organisations and providing support,
education and training for younger people.

4.3.7
The current debate about health care problems,
pension financing and – in some countries – euthanasia is
making many older people feel they are more of a burden than
a valued member of society.

— What can be done overall to make older people's contribu-
tion – both material and non-material – to so many
different sectors of society more visible and more valued?

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— What social policy measures are needed so that older
people no longer have any cause to feel they are little more
than a ‘liability’?

— What overall considerations should be borne in mind when
modernising housing so that people can continue for as
long as possible to live in their own homes?

— What can be done to change negative attitudes to ageing so
that old age is better accepted, making for a positive culture
of ageing? How can younger people be encouraged to
develop a greater understanding of older people and what
can be done to promote dialogue both within and between
the generations? (cf. also point 4.5.2)

— What architectural or technical measures may be brought
in to help maintain the independence of older people
suffering specific impairments such as hearing and sight
problems, restricted mobility or dementia?

— What can be done to present a more nuanced picture of

old age in the media?

— How in particular can innovative ‘intelligent living’ concepts
help make it possible for people to live independently and
run their own homes for longer?

— Death and dying are largely taboo subjects but are nonethe-
less a significant economic factor. What can be done to
prevent death from simply becoming commercialised and,
instead,
to develop an ethically responsible culture of
dying?

4.4 Research needs in the social and spatial environment

Older people's social environment is set to change
4.4.1
dramatically over the next few years. Low birth rates,
later
parenthood and high divorce rates are eroding the traditional
network of family relationships. Also,
longer life expectancy
makes it increasingly common for up to five generations of a
single family to be alive at the same time (‘beanpole families’).

— How do these changes impact older people's integration

and participation in society?

— Will future generations increasingly be able to fall back on
relationships outside the family and can these be relied
upon even when support is needed?

— What social policy measures and/or organisational and
technical
innovations can help support networks both
inside and outside the family in order to make them more
resilient and longer lasting?

4.4.2
Time-budget and mobility studies show that, as people
get older, they spend increasing amounts of time at home and
devote correspondingly less time to outside activities.

— What can be done, at minimum cost, to adapt housing –
particularly rented flats in large older buildings, but also
family homes as well – so that older people can continue to
live independently and, if necessary, be cared for at home
even if
sensory and cognitive faculties
decline?

their physical,

— What positive experience does Europe already have in these

areas? What lessons can be learnt from it?

4.4.3
As they become increasingly frail, most elderly people
are horrified by the thought of having to move into a nursing
home.

— What attractive but nonetheless affordable alternatives are
on offer if an older person's own home becomes a burden
and leading an independent life is no longer possible?

— What experience has so far been gained with new patterns
of living such as sheltered accommodation? What basic
conditions contribute to the success or failure of these and
similar alternatives?

4.4.4
Technical devices, systems and services can be a major
asset for older people in dealing with day-to-day problems, but
often they are not adapted to older people's needs. Appliances
may be modelled on the ‘design for all’ principle and should be
readily adaptable to various user groups. It is vital, therefore,
that future users should be involved in their development in
order to boost the quality of products and services. In this case,
the Committee would recommend the consultation and active
involvement of the most representative European older people's
organisations – and of older people themselves – so that there
is constant interaction (‘social audit’) about what older people
actually need.

— What do producers and designers need to know about the
‘Design for All’ approach and methodology and about the
skills,
limitations, needs and attitudes of older people so
that technical appliances are properly adapted and can be
accepted and better used by older people?

— What changes occur as people grow older and what
changes might occur in new generations of older people?

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— How can older people's changing skills and needs be more
effectively factored into the design of mainstream technolo-
gies than has been the case up to now? What appropriate
policies can be put in place to ensure the closer involve-
ment of trade and industry in achieving the ‘Design for All’
objective?

4.4.6
Frequently, lack of social and financial resources and/
or physical or sensory impairments prevent people from acces-
sing and becoming involved in activities outside their homes.
Involvement in social and cultural activities, however, would be
particularly important for such people – often older women
living alone – to prevent them becoming isolated.

— What can be done to involve users effectively in the devel-

opment of technical appliances?

More detailed research is also required to establish which tech-
nical aids are really needed and the conditions that must be in
place so that such aids can help improve older people's quality
of life.

— How can such aids help older people meet everyday
requirements? How can they give support to formal and
informal carers and service providers in cases where older
people are care-dependent or suffer from dementia-related
illnesses?

— What ethical aspects must be borne in mind (e.g. where
older people become confused) so that privacy is not
infringed, for instance, by technical monitoring devices?

— What innovations do new technologies offer and what is
the long-term impact of their use? What social back-up
measures are needed so that
such technologies help
improve quality of life and keep older people involved in
society, rather than making them socially isolated and
disadvantaged?

4.4.5
Physical, social and cultural activities are known to
promote healthy and happy ageing. Often, however, obstacles
in the natural and/or built environment – or a lack of transport
– block access to the requisite facilities. The problems are
broadly known (1) but implementation is often lacking.

— What can and should be done with particular urgency in
the fields of social, urban and transport planning so that
residential areas, road infrastructure, transport, service facil-
ities etc. meet the needs of the increasing numbers of older
people and are conducive to helping them stay indepen-
dent?

— How in particular can the quality of the living environment
help integrate older people into society – for instance by
providing meeting places and appropriate transport facil-
ities?

— Which countries have already gained good experience on
this front, and in which specific fields, and how can that be
transferred to other countries and other fields?

— What social policy and/or organisational and technical
innovations might help needy older people to become
involved in community life?

4.5 Research needs with regard to lifelong learning

In a society of rapid social, cultural and technical
4.5.1
change,
lifelong learning is becoming ever more important.
This applies in particular to older workers whose skills acquired
in the past no longer meet modern employment requirements.
The aim of making a European area of lifelong learning a
reality has already been highlighted in a joint communication
from DG Education and Culture and DG Employment and
Social Affairs, and in a Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 (2).
On this front too, there is still an urgent need for research:

— What kind of further training is most effective for older

workers in terms of both content and approach?

— What can be done so that all workers benefit equally from

appropriate measures regardless of age or sex?

However, the need for lifelong learning also affects
4.5.2
people no longer in employment. They too need to have the
opportunity for further development both for their own sake
and that of society:

— How is knowledge generated and disseminated in the

knowledge society?

regardless of whether

— What can be done to better promote lifelong learning
among older people
they are
employed or not? What arrangements are already in place
in the Member States today for involvement in education
and information programmes on job-related issues or
cultural themes and what experience has been gained, for
instance, with third-age universities or symposia on various
issues?

(1) European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT).

(2002).
Transport and ageing of the population. Paris Cedex: OECD Publica-
tions.

(2) COM(2001) 678 final; Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 (2002/C

163/01), OJ C 163, 9.7.2002

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— Is there a link between a person's occupation earlier in life
and later further education? Can conclusions be drawn
from training undertaken during active working life as to
learning, education and
how older people's desire for
culture can be maintained?

— What can be done to make learning opportunities more
accessible, also for groups that have so far been underrepre-
sented, and to secure cultural diversity?

— What role can be played by public service media, new tech-
nologies and e-learning in keeping people involved in
society, disseminating knowledge and information and
promoting further education for older people?

— What basic skills are particularly important in old age? (cf.

also point 4.6.1)

— Conversely, what basic knowledge should people and orga-
nisations dealing with older people have about old age and
ageing? What kinds of education initiatives help younger
people better understand older people? (cf. also point 4.3.7)

— How can implementation of previously adopted measures

be monitored and positive experience passed on?

— What else can be done to preserve physical, sensory, cogni-

tive and social skills?

— There is a particular need for research into the epide-
miology and aetiology of age-related illnesses in order to
improve preventive measures (e.g. with regard madness,
especially to Alzheimer's disease, or to prevent falls that
may result in hip fractures).

— There is an urgent need for

research into preventive
measures and health maintenance at the workplace (see also
point 4.2.1).

— Research is also needed into treatment options for older
people, both in terms of general illnesses with age-specific
characteristics and of specifically age-related diseases. The
therapeutic base for this is often lacking as clinical trials
and pharmaceutical tests are largely carried out on younger
adults only. Older people's state of health is not comparable
as, often, they do not suffer from one specific illness, but
may have functional impairments of varying severity in a
number of different areas at the same time.

4.6 Research needs with regard to maintaining a healthy life and

care requirements

— Cf. also point 4.6.3.

4.6.1
One particularly serious consequence of demographic
change is the additional costs charged to social security and
health systems as a result of the rapid growth in the numbers
of very old people. Over the next fifteen years, the number of
80-year-olds is expected to increase by 50 % across Europe to
over 20 million. (1) Numbers of centenarians are rising expo-
nentially. (2) Research is thus of key importance, particularly in
the area of prevention, and with regard to maintaining and
restoring elderly people's mobility and independence.

— What is the long-term impact of certain lifestyles on health
in general and specific illnesses in particular? How can
sound habits be promoted?

— How are older people to be encouraged to maintain healthy
lifestyles (e.g. by engaging in sports and artistic/aesthetic
pursuits, or eating healthily)?

(1) Eurostat (2002), The Social Situation in the European Union 2002,
the European

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of
Communities

(2) Cf. J.M Robine and J. Vaupel (2001): Emergence of supercentenar-
ians in low mortality countries. The Gerontologist, 41 (special issue
II), 212

Care requirements are set to rocket in the next few
4.6.2
years as the numbers of very old people rise, and the strain on
the public and private purse increases. A number of areas here
also require research.

— What can and must be done to improve the skills and
working conditions of care staff so that caring remains an
attractive profession in the long term?

— What must be done in the wider context and in staffing
terms to ensure that the relationship between carer and the
person being cared for develops to the satisfaction of all
concerned?

— How can care provision be better adapted to the needs and
requirements of care-dependent older people and what can
be done to give more support than hitherto to care in the
home?

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— How can technical solutions help relieve the strain on
carers – both family members and professionals – without
impinging on the integrity and dignity of the person being
cared for?

in the national
language concerned. Because of different
sampling techniques and tools used, the research results are
often incompatible with the findings of other studies.

— What economic support and social recognition are needed
to relieve the strain on carers – both family members and
professionals? What in particular can be done to support
family carers by, for instance, making sure they have their
own pension cover?

— What can be done in terms of general care, pain therapy

and palliative care so that life ends with dignity?

4.6.3
Europe has no harmonised definitions of care concepts
(such as ‘dependent’ or ‘domestic carer’), no uniform structures
within the various services involved and no directives on the
skills required of staff.

— What action can be taken to harmonise the terms used in
this area and thus make the care field more transparent?

— What programmatic, technical, geriatric and socio-psycho-
logical knowledge and skills are desirable for the qualifica-
tions of medical and care staff across Europe?

4.7 Research needs and new technologies

4.7.1
The acknowledged rapid and ongoing spread of tech-
nology, and especially the use of new information and commu-
nication technologies (ICTs), impacts on all the areas mentioned
in points 4.1 to 4.6 above. On the jobs front, for instance,
these technologies often serve as a reason for excluding older
workers. Yet studies have shown that adapting to such new
conditions may even make older workers more productive.
This factor must therefore be incorporated into all fields of
research. Consideration must be given in particular to ethical
aspects and to the question of integrating older people who
cannot or will not take technical innovations on board.

4.8 Processing, collating and adding to existing knowledge

— An advantage would be gained by processing these bodies
of knowledge in such a way that they could be readily
merged, systematically compared and assessed, and, ulti-
mately, made available across the board.

— The next steps would be to undertake secondary analyses of
material processed in this way and to coordinate study
methods and tools
interdisciplinary
research. The new tools provided under the sixth Frame-
work Programme for Research – i.e. ‘Centres of Excellence’,
‘Networks of Excellence’
and ‘Thematic Coordination
Actions’ – are good ways to help generate, integrate and
further develop knowledge of this kind. (1)

further

joint

for

— It would also be desirable to adopt a uniform approach to –
and classification of – indicators of older people's quality of
life in European countries and to monitor and document
these indicators in the long term in a European database. It
is vital
to differentiate between men and women and
between age groups, income brackets and regions, as indi-
cators used to date to determine older people's living condi-
tions are inadequate. Additional
indicators are needed,
including health and impairment data, and information on
care systems and requirements specific to a particular
country. Consideration should be given to working together
with EUROSTAT.

relevant

— It is essential to bring together and collate the statistics and
information often currently available at
other
national and European level. Research findings from the
various areas of the fifth and sixth Framework Programmes
for Research also need to be looked at in their entirety in
order to be able to draw practical policy conclusions. It is
vital to disseminate information collated and processed in
this way at the earliest possible stage.

— In order to undertake research and make policies not only
for, but also with older people, senior citizen organisations
should be more involved in future projects than they have
been to date.

5. Aims and recommendations

This own-initiative opinion makes

5.1
for
including, in the seventh Framework Programme for Research,
a key action on Demographic change – quality of life of elderly
persons and technological requirements.

case

the

Research supported at national and European level has
4.8.1
already produced a wide-ranging body of knowledge. However,
this knowledge relates mainly to individual aspects and indivi-
dual disciplines. It is widely dispersed and often available only

(1) Cf. Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on
the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the Euro-
pean Parliament,
the Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions - Towards a European research area, OJ
C 204, 18.7.2000

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5.2
The goal is to promote multi- and inter-disciplinary and
socially participatory research into a wide range of ageing
issues needed.

a) to establish the knowledge base required for political plan-
ning and action to deal with the impact of Europe's chan-
ging age structure in an innovative, socially just and cost-
effective way; and

b) to provide the bases and tools required to achieve a more
appropriate understanding and appreciation of older people
in society.

5.3
As the research fields outlined above – and the examples
of related questions – have hopefully shown, there are close
links between the biological, psychological, social, cultural,
technological, economic and structural aspects of old age and
ageing. People always age within a specific spatial and social
environment.
In geographical, cultural and socio-structural
terms, this environment varies widely both between and within
individual European countries. Both these factors – the fact that
the ageing process has many different dimensions and involves
many different disciplines – make a multi- and interdisciplinary
approach to gerontological research essential. Such research
must also take the long-term view in order to identify changes
and incorporate them accordingly. (1)

5.4
Given the changes in the population age structure, this
broad and long-term research is the only way to provide the
sound basis for planning and decision-making needed in the
many different areas of society involved and at all tiers of deci-
sion-making. Ageing is not only a biological, medical, technical
and economic issue, but a social and cultural task as well.

In addition to the research activities outlined above, the

5.5
Committee also calls for the following flanking measures:

— to set up a joint, pro-active and forward-looking Agency on
Ageing (European observatory) to bring together indicators
on older people's quality of life in European countries and
to monitor and document these indicators in the long term
in a European database; to draw up empirically-based fore-
casts of this kind; to collate and disseminate knowledge;
and to draw practical policy conclusions;

— to stage workshops und conferences to increase knowledge
of demographic change; highlight
the urgent need for
preventive and flanking measures; raise awareness of the
positive potential of ageing; combat age-discrimination;
spread information about research findings as widely as
possible; and foster exchanges between the old and the new
Member States;

— to press ahead in this area via the open method of coordi-
nation; given the complexity and the importance of popula-
tion ageing and the differing opportunities and challenges
involved, the Committee feels this method is a good way to
launch exchanges of experiences, make inter-European
comparisons and foster mutual learning;

— to promote dialogue between representatives of orga-
nised civil society and the appropriate Commission
DGs; (2)

— to lay down joint goals;

— to monitor implementation of the second International
Plan of Action on Ageing (adopted in Madrid in April
2002) and the UNECE implementing strategy (adopted
at the ministerial conference in Berlin in September
2002), and

— to establish an area of common values in relation to the

ageing society.

— to stage a hearing at the EESC on demographic change and
older people's quality of life, in order, among other things,
to propose a feasibility study for an appropriate agency and
for any other initiative that might prove necessary;

5.6
The ultimate aim is to MAKE LIFE IN EUROPE WORTH
LIVING — NOT LEAST FOR OLDER PEOPLE. This includes
not only those who are elderly or very old today, but also
future generations, both young and old.

Brussels, 15 September 2004.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

(1) Cf. again EESC opinions OJ C 95, 23.4.2003 (COM(2002) 565

final.

(2) Communication from the Commission COM(2002) 277 final