Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Relations between the generations’
Date: 2004-12-16
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU policy, economic analysis, employment policy, population ageing, social analysis, social policy

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Relations between the generations’

(2005/C 157/28)

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 ‘Relations between the generations’.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 25 November 2004. The rapporteur was
Mr Bloch-Lainé.

At its 413th plenary session, held on 15 and 16 December 2004 (meeting of 16 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 143 votes to two with nine absten-
tions:

1. Preamble

Relations between the generations (1) are clearly one of
1.1
the major factors which determine the degree of cohesion of all
societies, our own in particular, and, therefore, of the evolving
geopolitical entity formed by their UNION.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the European
1.2
nations is their ageing populations. This phenomenon is having
an extensive impact on their societies and presenting them
with complex challenges which they have a responsibility to
weigh up and address in as coordinated and far-sighted a way
as possible. They have a responsibility to draw up and imple-
ment what could be called a ‘generations policy’ (2) in the field,
consisting not of short-lived, fragmented, isolated measures but
of a comprehensive, global, consistent strategy encouraging
understanding and solidarity in the long-term between the
growing number of generations which are now living side by
side.

Taking stock of

the situation — irrespective of

the
1.3
different or specific circumstances in the different countries —
it would appear that there is still a long way to go. The Euro-
pean Economic and Social Committee feels that the issue is
crucial for Europe's future and intends to make it an ongoing
priority in its future discussions and work programme.

Hence the need for this opinion, the aim of which is:

— having set out a few key facts and observations (2);

— to propose some guidelines and recommendations (3).

2. Facts and observations

2.1
It is fair to say that our countries and their joint institu-
tions have not fully exploited the unprecedented range of fore-

casting tools and techniques which have been available to them
over the last 50 years to define and implement policies in the
field in question; they have not employed the most appropriate
means of addressing these different issues and factors.

2.1.1
sing an opinion of this kind.

There are three extremes to be avoided when expres-

2.1.1.1
Firstly, to say that it should have been a very simple
matter to make an accurate forecast would be wrong. Although
the tried and tested methods of demographic research do allow
meaningful predictions of medium- and long-term trends to be
made, it is clear that such predictions can change according to
economic, sociological and political factors which are quite
random. Thus, for example, although birth rates, death rates
and migration flows fluctuate according to their own rhythm,
they are also affected by external, extraneous factors such as
economic growth and slowdowns, poor welfare provision,
changing customs, the political environment and the degree of
public confidence in the future. Furthermore, the experts base
their key forecasts, made using demographic data, on averages,
and the averages chosen differ according to the expert.

long-term programmes

Another extreme would be to underestimate enligh-
2.1.1.2
implemented and success
tened,
achieved over the past 50 years in areas such as health, social
protection, solidarity,
training, amenities and infrastructure,
land-use planning, social dialogue and community life.

(1) Relations between the generations are discussed here from the

economic, social, cultural and political perspectives.

(2) This is an expression taken from a report by Mr Jean Billet,
in 2004

presented to the French Economic and Social Council
(unofficial translation).

A third extreme would be to play down the impor-
2.1.1.3
tance of
innovative forecasting initiatives
the promising,
completed or launched by the Council, the European Parlia-
ment and the Commission in many fields.

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2.1.2
However, since the end of the Second World War,
there has been a clear lack of discernment and far-sightedness
when dealing with a number of consequences, harmful
to
society, of the ageing of our countries' populations. This demo-
graphic phenomenon has been brought about by the combina-
tion of two foreseeable and long-foreseen trends: greater life
expectancy and falling birth rates. Despite any discrepancies or
subtle differences in the diagnoses of forecasting experts, the
fact that it is inevitable has never been called into question.

2.1.3
One would have to be blind to reality to deny that
there have been a number of instances of neglect, error and
omission in planning for a situation that
immediate,
increasingly
ongoing,
frequent coexistence in EU countries of three or even four
generations, rather than just two.

sustained, and requires action:

is
the

2.1.4
adapt are numerous, for example:

Regrettably,

the areas affected by these failures to

— the funding of pensions: in several Member States, the least
that can be said is that there was too long a delay in addres-
sing the issue, that it was addressed belatedly, under pres-
sure, and in difficult conditions that could have been
avoided;

respective contributions thereto:

— the respective roles of the increased number of active age
groups in the running of businesses and administrations
and their
the ad hoc
measures taken to resolve staffing issues and reduce oper-
ating costs did not take into sufficient account the ‘collateral
damage’ and harmful consequences of short-term expedi-
ents;

— lifelong learning: concerns relating to prolonging working
life have, in some cases, too often been overlooked where
‘older’ workers are concerned;

— town planning, housing and the siting of community and
commercial facilities: prevailing approaches in these areas
have frequently overlooked the specific needs of the very
young, the very old, and families, whether living together
or not;

— the inheritance of material goods: there has been no revi-
sion or adjustment of legal and fiscal provisions to take
into account demographic change;

— relations between the education sector and the world of
work: here, a few countries only have made progress, while
many more are lagging behind;

— the preservation, enhancement, use and sharing of experi-
ence gained and memories: advances in technology, innova-
tion in the field of management and a certain idolisation of
the cult of youth have served to divert attention away from
the danger of wasting knowledge, ability, experience and
memory;

— culture:

there has, perhaps, at times been an excessive,
complacent focus on emerging cultures (1) and a failure to
discern adequately between fashion and inventions repre-
senting lasting progress; the different generations have been
allowed to forget, despise, fear and reject each other and
have thus become divided.

the refinement of previous definitions) of

2.1.5
Validity of welfare indicators: The EESC welcomes
the work carried out by the Indicators sub-committee of the
Coordinating Committee for Welfare and, specifically, the defi-
nition (or
the
proposed indicators. This now makes it possible to break down
by age group a series of
indicators relating, among other
things, to the risk of poverty. It emphasises the need for this
work to continue, not least in order to complete and consoli-
date a range of indicators that will make it possible to evaluate
ever more accurately the condition of different age groups,
both from a qualitative and a quantitative point of view.

3. Guidelines and recommendations

3.1 Why have genuine, crucial issues such as these been all
too often overlooked in recent decades? That is a huge, key
subject for sociological and political debate, and this opinion is
not the place for a superficial exposition of the issue. Be that as
it may, the EESC stands firm in its belief: the Committee is a
consultative body and, as such, is less subject to the constraints
and pressures of the immediate present than decision-makers.
The diversity of its members, the way they work freely together
over long periods of
time, compare experiences, exchange
knowledge,
information and concerns and share ideas and
evaluations, their ability to propose methods, the way they are
rooted and actively involved in what is known as participatory
democracy: potential assets and abilities which open up to the
Committee areas in which it has both the freedom and the
responsibility to be more active than it is at present. Relations
between the generations is one such area.

3.1.1
needs to be prudent and clear:

In order to speak on such a complex matter, one

3.1.1.1
The EESC must stay within its remit and avoid
setting itself goals that are disproportionate to its resources or
incompatible with its mandate.

(1) In some cases not without ulterior motives of a commercial nature.

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3.1.1.2
with planning or futurology.

Foresight — or forecasting — must not be confused

3.1.1.3
The most conscientious scientists willingly admit
that their knowledge is no more than a set of theories waiting
to be superseded. Economics is not an exact science, and
sociology even less so, so there is no reason why socioeco-
nomic forecasts should be free from the risk of error.

— intergenerational

contracts and solidarity between the
generations: how to find fair solutions socially and politi-
cally — solutions which respect the future — given the
constraints and pressures of the present and the fact that
future stakeholders are not here to claim their rights;

— town-planning and housing models and relations between
the generations: the approaches to and models of town
planning and housing adopted in recent years have often
overlooked the emergence of substantial requirements of
specific generations, particularly the problems posed by:

3.1.1.4 Work is being carried out in numerous areas in the
field of relations between the generations. Some of these relate
to remedial measures; some, to a shift in direction; while others
call for a significant capacity for research and invention. It is
important to identify these areas properly, to distinguish accu-
rately between them and, in all cases, not to place trust in pipe
dreams which might prove risky or fruitless.

3.1.2
In seeking to achieve its goal in this area the EESC has
decided to work as closely as possible with the EU institutions
— the Council, the Parliament and the Commission. It was
guided in this decision by the arguments set out in points
2.1.1.3 and 3.1.2 above, by the desire to adhere to both the
letter and the spirit of the institutional texts and, quite simply,
by common sense.

3.1.2.1
Relations between the generations is an extremely
It was not possible to attempt to do
wide-ranging subject.
anything more than give a very general overview in this initial
study of the matter.

The Committee has decided to use this

3.1.2.2
initial
opinion to draw the attention of the EU institutions to a list of
subjects for reflection which the Committee could address
together with those institutions, if they so wished, by means of
mutually-agreed procedures which will allow for coordination
of work in these areas. The list is as follows (not in order of
priority):

— the extent, burden and limits of roles and responsibilities
that will fall to families in the future social order: children,
adults, parents, grandparents;

— access for women to the job market and communal child-

care facilities;

— the (welcome) development of

facilities allowing the
elderly to live independently and of their relations with
younger generations, children and adolescents;

— young single adults (students and young workers) being
forced to share family accommodation not intended for
this purpose;

— the need to house ‘difficult’ families in permanent, non-

segregated accommodation.

— what useful roles can participatory democracy play in rela-

tions between the generations?

3.2
For the time being, the Committee has decided to focus,
in the form of suggestions, on two aspects of the general topic
that would also lend themselves to cooperation with the EU
institutions, if these institutions so desire.

3.2.1
Length of working life: this issue is one of the best
illustrations of the European countries' failure to take a clear-
headed, far-sighted approach to the challenges posed by the
ageing of their populations, despite the fact that this had long
been foreseen.

3.2.1.1
Earlier retirement leads to a loss of economic, social
and cultural potential. It has not produced the expected effects
job-sharing and increasing employment among
in terms of
young people but has,
in many countries, been viewed and
used as a short-term expedient.

— isolation and loneliness in European societies: the elderly (1),

disadvantaged young people; child poverty;

(1) C.f. EESC opinion entitled Towards the seventh Framework Programme
for Research: Research needs in the area of demographic change – quality
of life of elderly persons and technological requirements. Rapporteur Ms
Heinisch. CESE 1206/2004 of 15 September 2004.

3.2.1.2
Prejudices and preconceptions wrongly led decision-
makers in politics, business and society alike to believe that
older workers were less able to adapt to changes in production
techniques and management methods and held back progress
in productivity.

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However,

3.2.1.3
for a number of years, useful studies,
strong warnings and sensible recommendations have been
being produced. In this regard, the clear-sightedness, consis-
tency and high quality of the Commission's work on this diffi-
cult subject must be stressed. The helpful work carried out by
the OECD and by many research institutes, professional organi-
sations and economic and social councils in various countries
also deserves to be mentioned.

3.2.2
The Committee urges the EU political decision-
makers — i.e. the Parliament and the Council — to work
more unequivocally, specifically and actively,
in the Member
States which have elected or appointed them, to bring about
greater consistency between words and deeds. This should spur
them, in the common interest of a European Union which has
set itself the goal of becoming one of the world's leading
economies, to:

The range of measures that can be implemented to
3.2.1.4
reverse the trend is now well established and well-known:
making the oldest workers more employable by fine-tuning life-
long learning methods;
jobs and
making working hours more flexible in order to allow a better
in
work-life balance; developing mixed age-group teams
companies and administrations; boosting the self-confidence of
the oldest workers; increasing health protection measures for
the oldest workers; improving career planning; creating incen-
tives using the tax and pension system, etc.

improving the quality of

The Council of

the European Union, at Lisbon,
3.2.1.5
Stockholm and elsewhere, has called for measures to encourage
the European public to work longer on a voluntary basis.

3.2.1.6
countries:

However, apart from in a very small number of

— there are aspects of taxation and social security systems,
collective bargaining agreements and company-level agree-
ments which, either explicitly or implicitly, greatly encou-
rage early retirement;

— the declarations made and intentions expressed at Council
in practice, properly passed on in the

meetings are not,
Member States themselves.

3.2.1.7
There is general agreement that a reversal of the
trend and a change in current practices will not occur as the
result of a miraculous, overnight conversion.

Indeed, force of habit, the different types, sizes and cultures of
businesses and administrations and the natural and legitimate
problems of social dialogue mean that, in a matter such as this,
where simply abolishing the social ‘acquis’ could not be advo-
cated — as it would lead straight to disaster — the desired
changes require the implementation of quite complex global
strategies. The transition will
inevitably take some time, and
that is one more reason for not wasting time and drawing up
and applying these strategies without further delay.

— pinpoint measures in the legal or contractual systems in use
in their respective countries which are explicit or implicit
barriers to the voluntary extension of working life;

— to pass on more effectively and to a greater extent than is
the case today the Commission's sound recommendations
and to implement its directives more rapidly and more
resolutely;

— to run campaigns to inform, encourage and persuade
economic and social partners and decision makers, and to
improve communication with the media of their respective
countries.

Restoring the balance in the age structure of
3.2.3
Europe's population: here, one need only recall
the very
alarming forecasts set out in a great number of reports of the
effects that the drop in fertility and the birth rate will have on
the demography of
the European Union: an insufficient
renewal of
the generations, which will certainly not be
compensated for by immigration, can only diminish Europe's
position in the world and, within Europe, cause economic and
financial difficulties and the risk of undesirable divisions and
conflicts between the generations.

If we believe that rebalancing the age structures of
3.2.3.1
European countries needs to be a long-term goal,
it follows
that the European Union should set itself the task of doing
more to boost the birth rate in its constituent countries, and, to
this end, to pay more attention to those countries' family poli-
cies. No one could accuse the Union of not being interested in
family matters: the Council of Ministers has, on numerous
occasions, made proposals concerning families. However, the
guidelines set out at EU level remain fragmented, and aim at
targets that are certainly justified and interesting, but very
limited (1).

about

greater

Obviously, bringing

3.2.3.2
and better
commitment in an area such as this will not be easy. Member
States' policies are extremely diverse; pro-birth policies are
expensive; and finally, on top of all that, there are significant
differences of opinion among both experts and decision-makers
about just how effective these policies are. However, the EESC
does not believe that these difficulties, however great they may
be, are an excuse for the EU institutions to continue avoiding
the issue to a great extent.

(1) Families in difficulty; childcare; maternity and parental leave, etc.

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The Committee considers it desirable that

3.2.3.3
those
institutions should set out a proper strategy on the subject,
taking into account the numerous aspects of the issue; and,
they encourage Member States to pursue
specifically,
family policies with the long-term aim of rebalancing the age
structures in the countries of the Union.

that

3.2.3.4
The EESC wishes only to cooperate — actively and
as far as its resources permit — with the work that such a step,
were it to be taken, would make necessary.

4. CONCLUSION

4.1
The societies of Europe, and the European society they
are committed to building together, are and will continue to be
subject to ongoing risks of social, political, ethnic and cultural
It is important that we do everything possible to
division.
these divisions are not compounded by inter-
ensure that
generational divisions.

4.2
By their very nature, the problems posed by relations
between the generations are long-term problems. Therefore, in
seeking solutions to them, we must also look to the long term.

4.3
The large number and complexity of the sectoral aspects
that need to be taken into consideration are no excuse for not
developing a forward-looking, holistic and systematic approach;
in this area, as in others, the issues are neither separate nor
separable. Moreover, it must be stressed that proper manage-
ment of the problems of relations between the generations
would have an extremely positive impact on the economy.

Brussels, 16 December 2004.

4.4
Although we should not rush things, nor, of course,
violate the subsidiarity principle, neither the European Union
nor its Member States should adopt a wait-and-see or minim-
alist attitude.

The

European

4.5
Social Committee
considers this area of discussion to be very important. It clearly
warrants increasing attention but the Member States and the
EU have yet to give it the political consideration it deserves.

Economic

and

4.6
This opinion is a response to a challenge: the challenge
of facilitating the development in the future of more consulta-
tion on a major issue, where coordinated, ongoing action from
a wide range of players and the continuity of a constructive
plan are necessary and short-term interests must not be
allowed to prevail. A new pact between the generations
needs to take shape step by step across the EU. (1)

This opinion is in no way a final document. It does not
4.7
claim to provide ready-made solutions but proposes that a
long-term project be undertaken which will continue for some
time.

At this juncture, the Committee calls for a public debate
4.8
to be held on this huge subject as soon as is realistically
possible. Participants at this conference would include political
decision-makers,
EU institutions,
members of civil society and experts. The Committee would be
willing to launch and organise an initiative of this kind.

representatives

the

of

Throughout

4.9
in this huge area of
involvement
concern, the Committee can and must constantly act in close
cooperation with the EU institutions.

its

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

(1) In this regard, the May 2004 report of the High level group on the
is of

future of social policy in the enlarged European Union.
interest.