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
Date: 2004-09-29
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU employment policy, labour market, older worker, population ageing, working population

18.2.2005

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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 Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions: Increasing the employment of older workers and delaying the exit from the
labour market

the European Parliament,

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

(2005/C 43/03)

having regard to the Communication to the Commission, the Council, the European Parliament, the Euro-
pean 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.

2.

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;

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;

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

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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;

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

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;

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

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;

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

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

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

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

2. Recommendations by the Committee of the Regions

agrees with the analysis of

1.2
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 improve-
ment 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;

regards as important the attention given to the need to
1.4
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;

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

stresses that the employment of older people should be
2.1
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 manage-
ment 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
expected decline in the population of working age;

the available workforce in the light of

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;

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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, improve-
ment in the quality of work, and active labour market policies
to ensure employability at any stage of active life;

believes, however, that to encourage older women to
2.5
remain in work, postpone their retirement or facilitate their re-
entry into the world of work and increase the female employ-
ment 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
facing
employment within organisations
management skills shortages in the local labour market;

to secure

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 poli-
cies in terms of welfare and social cohesion, and in promoting
the participation of older people in socially active life;

in the context of these strategies, the Committee of the
2.9
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
nise the functions of

underlines in particular that it is essential to recog-
in

local and regional governments

Brussels, 29 September 2004

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 arrange-
ments for gradual withdrawal from the labour market or can
guarantee forms of re-employment for those who have left it;

that

families

points out

the objective of

2.9.2
increasing the
employment rate of women aged between 55 and 64 must
necessarily involve a central role for local and regional govern-
ments in providing care and assistance services for dependent
(children or non-self-sufficient
members of
their
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 docu-
ment envisages permanent training and flexible work arrange-
ments throughout people's working life, the CoR recommends
that equal attention should be paid to training and organisa-
tional 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;

regards as fundamental the promotion not only of
2.9.3
national social security and pension strategies, but also of terri-
torial 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 prac-
tice 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.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB