Aged, not ”old”

"The rapid ageing of European population in the coming decades and the pension-age of the baby-boom generation are the challenges that lie ahead". László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, launched a cry of alarm on the occasion of the presentation of a brochure on "The EU Contribution to Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, theme of the European Year 2012. The overall aim, expressed by the Executive, is to inspire more determined efforts in all Member States "to prepare society to demographic changes which carry social, economic, and budgetary changes". The program for the Year 2012 was marked by a busy agenda, rich with initiatives and events, in order to raise public awareness on the theme. The awarding of prizes for initiatives in Member States, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein falls within the program of the 2012 European Year.Demographic trends. According to the Commission, "two trends are particularly noticeable. Firstly, the total working-age population (15-64 year-olds) is set to fall by 20.8 million from 2005 to 2030 as the baby-boom cohorts retire". This has "tremendous implications for the future of jobs and growth in the EU", as well as for the sustainability of social protection and health systems. Secondly, The number of people aged 80+ is set to increase by 57.1 % between 2010 and 2030. Which are the directions to address this ongoing change? In the brochure, realized by the European Commission we read:" Enabling both women and men to remain in employment longer – by overcoming structural barriers and offering appropriate incentives, many older people can be helped to remain active in the labour market, facilitating active citizenship". Finally, "a life-course approach to healthy ageing combined with adapted housing and local environments that allow elderly people to remain in their own homes as long as possible".EU-States cooperation. The main tools for active ageing are in the hands of Member States’ policymakers. Moreover, the EU is capable of activating range of political tools to support these efforts. The EU strategy for growth, employment and social inclusion, named Europe 2020, is aimed at achieving intelligent, sustainable growth, with high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. It has set five specific targets for the EU to meet by 2020, including an employment rate of 75 % for all 20-64 year-olds and at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Active ageing is an essential part of the Europe 2020 strategy – enshrined in Article 3 of the Lisbon Treaty. The brochure highlights EU contribution to encourage active ageing: "through European legislation; EU funding through the Structural and Cohesion Funds; European research and innovation initiatives; Numerous EU-level strategies, programmes, processes and initiatives designed to facilitate mutual learning between Member States and regions". It covers existing measures at EU level, but also looks at others that are still being discussed, such as legislation in the pipeline and proposals for funding programmes in the new 2014-20 budget cycle.Direct participation. Success largely depends on the participation and contribution of old people to the job market. Old people should remain active as workers, consumers, assistants, volunteers, and citizens. It shouldn’t be forgotten that "active ageing the is the basis for solidarity between generations". A Eurobarometer survey shows that a third of all Europeans would like to continue working even after retirement age, although not necessarily in full-time jobs. "But not many Europeans currently get the chance to do so. t means changing our attitudes to what it means to be older, shifting upwards the borderline between ‘young’ and ‘old’", Commissioner Andor said. The European Year provides the opportunity to all Member States to reflect on what we can do to make active ageing a reality and to commit to new initiatives in the years to come, "to promote active ageing, thereby ensuring that solidarity between generations can withstand the test of population ageing".