Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Green Paper  Confronting demographic change: a new solidarity between the generations
Date: 2005-11-17
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU employment policy, European social policy, care for the elderly, labour market, population ageing, vocational training

16.5.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 115/61

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Green Paper ‘Confronting demographic change: a
new solidarity between the generations’

(2006/C 115/13)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the Communication from the European Commission on Green Paper Confronting demo-
graphic change: a new solidarity between the generations, COM(2005) 94 final;

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 16 March 2005 to consult it on the
subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision of its President of 10 January 2005 to instruct its Commission for
Economic and Social Policy to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission Towards a Europe for All Ages: Promoting
Prosperity and Intergenerational Solidarity, COM(1999) 221 final;

Having regard to its Opinion on the Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parlia-
ment, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Report requested by Stock-
holm European Council: Increasing labour force participating and promoting active ageing, COM(2002) 9
final (CdR 94/2002 fin) (1);

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission Europe's response to World Ageing:
Promoting economic and social progress in an ageing world, A contribution of the European Commission
to the 2nd World Assembly on Ageing, COM(2002) 143 final;

Having regard to its Opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European
Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee of the Regions on immigration, integration and employ-
ment, COM(2003) 336 final (CdR 223/2003 fin) (2);

Having regard to its Opinion 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, COM(2004) 146 final
(CdR 151/2004 fin) (3);

Having regard to its Opinion on the Green Paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration,
COM(2004) 811 final (CdR 82/2005 fin);

Having regard to its Draft Opinion CdR 152/2005 rev. 1 adopted on 23 September 2005 by its Commis-
sion for Economic and Social Policy (Rapporteur: Mr Roman Línek, Vice-governor of Pardubice Region
(CS/EPP);

adopted the following opinion at its 62nd plenary session, held on 16/17 November 2005 (meeting
of 17 November)

1. The Committee of the Regions' comments

The Committee of the Regions

takes the view that

the discussion of demographic
1.2
trends and managing their impact must take place at European
and national levels as well as regional and local levels, that this
debate is part of the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy and
that it should respond to the questions of how to:

with regard to some of the key issues raised in the Green
Paper:

The challenges of European demography

— strengthen intergenerational

solidarity through greater
social integration of young people and retired and elderly
persons;

considers that public policies at

1.1
the European and
national levels as well as regional and local levels must take
into account the current demographic changes in Europe;

— promote quality of life, good health for all as well as life-

long learning even after retirement;

(1) OJ C 287 of 22.11.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 109 of 30.4.2004, p. 46.
(3) OJ C 43 of 18.2.2005, p. 7.

— ensure that the production and social welfare systems meet

the requirements of ageing societies;

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Official Journal of the European Union

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— ensure that the issue of ageing is taken into account in all

policy areas;

— promote the social status of families and single parents;

considers that a more favourable social climate and conditions
should be created for families,
for the children and their
parents or parental guardians and dependent persons and their
relatives in all areas, allowing people to pursue their own life
strategies for fulfilling their plans as partners and parents while
respecting the various interests and needs of different types of
families and individual family members. This requires, above
all, safeguarding the economic security of families and giving
them prospects for the future.
In this sense, economic and
labour market policies are the sine qua non for a successful
policy on families;

1.3
considers that a better work/life balance could help
improve child-rearing and care for dependent persons, e.g. by
providing services for families and by introducing new parental
leave measures to benefit both parents;

the right

for a better quality of working life,
to lifelong
learning, increased flexibility in choices of retirement options,
integrating those who are socially disadvantaged or discrimi-
nated against into the labour market and, if necessary, gradual
incentives for increasing the number of years in active employ-
ment.
It takes the view that a broad discussion should be
started on the universal right to a reasonable pension, including
for workers in atypical professions or people in high risk
groups;

considers that,

1.9
in view of the declining number of
active people, needs analyses of the labour market and closer
cooperation between all social groups will be required to
provide the next generation of skilled workers. As well as busi-
ness taking responsibility by providing training tailored to
requirements, the greatest need is for a) targeted recruiting, b)
flanking measures such as training arrangements that stress
practice rather than theory, c) increasing the number of people
eligible for higher education, and d) measures that enable more
graduates to remain in economically weaker regions;

1.4
believes that public and private sector services could
contribute to a more balanced division of domestic and family
responsibilities between the genders, while keeping both part-
ners involved according to their possibilities and mutual agree-
ment and respecting gender equality;

1.10
Stresses that information is a fundamental tool for
ensuring that the immigrant population is aware not only of
the resources that are available but also of the particular char-
acteristics of the society in which they have decided to live;

suggests that women's participation in the labour
1.5
market should be promoted. Effective measures to achieve this
objective should be developed and promoted, including correc-
tive ones,
to prevent discrimination against single parent
families;

1.6
considers that the development of social and educa-
tional services for children under 3 and care facilities for the
elderly and dependent persons in both the public and private
sectors could be improved by setting up — where this has not
already been done — a legislative framework encouraging the
private sector to get involved in this area, for instance through
benefits for providers and users of these services;

stresses

that access

for parents,

1.7
especially young
couples, to the labour market and the possibility of having the
career and the number of children that they want must be
mainly a matter of their own initiative, assuming that any
discrimination against families with children has been removed;

notes that

immigration alone cannot solve all

the
1.11
problems resulting from the ageing of the population nor can
it replace economic reforms or the need for a more flexible
labour market, although it could be a complementary factor in
solving the current demographic trend in Europe;

considers that immigration should be regarded as a
1.12
resource for European societies, but that it cannot be the only
solution to the problem of the ageing European population.
The policies for integration of immigrants, especially young
people and elderly migrants, fundamental for ensuring social
cohesion in an increasingly multicultural area such as 21st
century Europe,
the economic, community,
cultural and social, spheres. There is a risk, however, that the
insufficient integration of immigrants could, in the short term,
result in an increase in public expenditure on social matters.
The CoR thinks that efforts to combat discrimination (linked
mainly to minorities) should be stepped up and Member States
and local and regional authorities should be encouraged to
exchange information about best practices;

should cover

1.8
takes the view that the current demographic changes
in Europe are putting pressure on the labour market and the
social security system. It stresses the urgent need for positive
measures to improve the position of older workers in the
labour market and for appropriate policy initiatives which
would not only reverse this trend, but bring new opportunities

considers that Community instruments, especially the
1.13
legislative framework to combat discrimination,
structural
funds and employment strategy could actively bolster the inte-
gration of immigrants into the European values system;

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1.14
considers that an appropriate EU migration policy
could significantly help states to face the challenges posed by
immigration, could help to integrate immigrants
residing
legally in the Union and could also constitute a considerable
step forward in combating illegal immigration and in meeting
the needs of any foreign workers in Member State labour
markets;

1.20
is convinced that the target agreed upon by the Stock-
holm European Council on 23 and 24 March 2001 of a 50 %
increase by 2010 in the number of men and women in the 55
to 64 age bracket in employment can only be achieved if
raising the average age of workers is accompanied by a better
organisation of work, particularly as regards lifelong learning;

New solidarity between the generations

1.15
stresses that each child must receive a rounded educa-
tion allowing the development of a values-oriented individual
who is socially and culturally aware and capable of leading a
full life and reacting to different situations in life without losing
sight of his own ideas. A stable family environment enables the
healthy physical and psychological development of children
and thereby the functioning of society's economic and social
systems;

1.21
considers that more should be done to involve senior
citizens in work in the community. This could take the form of
looking after children and young people or the elderly, cultural
work or caring for and looking after the very old. By looking
after and taking a neighbourly interest in one another, senior
citizens will avoid loneliness, improve their health and continue
to be involved in society;

considers that older people can be involved in
1.22
life by creating conditions in the work
economic and social
place so that they can work to their full abilities. Older people
are not necessarily less productive in their work than younger
people. In social terms, older people need to be motivated to
support their children by passing on their personal knowledge
and experience;

1.16
emphasises the need to view minors as active, partici-
patory and creative individuals, who are capable of changing
their own personal and social environment, of being involved
in discovering and meeting their own needs and in meeting the
needs of others, and points out
the basic content of
minors' rights must not be affected by a lack of basic social
resources;

that

believes that the mobility of retired people between
1.23
the Member States requires a legislative instruments to deal
with social protection and health care issues connected with
internal migration in the EU;

considers that there should be an assessment of the
1.17
role played by local and regional authorities in education in
numerous Member States. Stresses that changes in initial
training are due to the new concept of lifelong learning, which
aims primarily to ensure equal opportunities in education and
integration into society. Adult education must be
allow full
linked to this initial
training while respecting the different
educational needs of particular groups;

that

considers

1.18
the education system can ensure
favourable conditions for young people to make the transition
from education to working life by linking initial training with
work and further studies, by combining education and work
experience, and by having a well organised information and
advisory system, particularly at the regional and local level;

believes a distinction should be drawn between retire-

1.24
ment pensions and disability allowances;

the inequalities between retired men and women stem
1.25
from a significant gender wage gap, occupational segregation,
the lack of training opportunities for women, the lack of poli-
cies on achieving a work/life balance, and the lack of social
services — a feature of most EU countries. A true gender
equality policy, together with the promotion of parental leave
for men so that they may care for children or elderly people,
may help to improve women's retirement provision. Govern-
ments must become involved in the fight against poverty of
elderly women;

1.19
considers that opportunities for men and women to
switch at short notice between full- and part-time work, flexible
working hours and new forms of employment such as home-
working could contribute to accommodating the specific needs
of each age group and lead to the modernisation of work orga-
nisation;

considers that support for senior citizens should be
1.26
drawn from the principles of traditional education and modern
life-long learning (e.g. in the form of e-learning). Working from
home, the use of the Internet and other modern technologies
should be supported as part of the introduction of new forms
of work activities. Older people should play a greater role in
public life and their continued presence in the labour market
should be supported, which would bring society considerable
professional and economic resources.

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2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

The Committee of the Regions

agrees that

the EU employment and social policy
2.1
should systematically integrate a life course approach to
support
the Lisbon
agenda;

the reform and the implementation of

recommends that,

in the spheres for which they are
2.2
competent, regional and local administrations draw up inte-
grated policies to help minors to achieve their potential by
ensuring that they have the appropriate resources, in particular
as regards the rights set out in each Member State's legislation
and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, in the section on the
rights of minors;

2.3
is convinced that the EU should increase the awareness
of political and private actors of life course effects by intro-
ducing an impact assessment of policy initiatives on quality of
work, work-life balance, working time, lifelong learning, care
for children and other dependents, quality of life, equal oppor-
tunities,
social
security provisions;

inclusion and the modernisation of

social

Brussels, 17 November 2005.

emphasises that the EU should initiate further discus-
2.4
sions, as a follow-up of
the Green Paper on demographic
change, on the importance of life course policies in the various
policy arenas: Council of Ministers, Social and Civil Dialogue,
relevant EU-agencies etc.;

2.5
is convinced that the EU should sponsor more research
to enlarge the knowledge base on changing working life biogra-
phies and their effect over the life course on income, employ-
ment, social security provision and work-life-balance;

2.6
urges both the EU and Member States to promote a
more favourable social climate and to create better conditions
for families — the children and their parents or parental guar-
dians;

2.7
stresses that the promotion of the family is a crucial
factor in reversing the demographic changes in the EU, which
are endangering the future viability of the economy and social
stability. Effective family policy must be implemented on the
basis of the principle of subsidiarity and by cooperation with a
wide spectrum of civil society organisations at regional and
local level.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB