By Anne-Sophie Parent - 31st January 2012
The European year offers us a unique opportunity to address demographic change as an opportunity
Anne-Sophie Parent
Anne-Sophie Parent argues that strong political commitment is essential if we want to have an age-friendly EU by 2020.
The 2012 European year for active ageing and solidarity between generations (EY2012) is starting in a very difficult economic context. This unprecedented crisis makes it more urgent than ever to fundamentally review the way our society functions. We need to stop the vicious circle, and do our utmost to empower everyone, young and old, to contribute actively in the labour market and in their communities and to live independently for as long as possible.
Listening to the call from the EY2012 stakeholders’ coalition for the European year to deliver a strong political commitment to create an age-friendly EU by 2020, MEPs Claude Moraes, Kinga Göncz, Martin Kastler, Jean Lambert and Cecilia Wikström have tabled a written declaration calling on the commission and member states to support the creation of an EU age-friendly environment network. This network would provide support to local, regional and national actors seeking to foster active and healthy ageing using the participatory methodology developed by the World Health Organisation. The declaration also asks the commission to launch a European covenant of mayors on active and healthy ageing to support the exchange of experiences and good practices at local and regional levels, and calls for a ‘seniors in action – invest in silver innovation’ programme to train older volunteers to map the needs of older people in their communities. Finally, the declaration calls on the member states to develop national action plans on active and healthy ageing within their national reform plans. All these initiatives are needed to adapt our society to our ageing population, as well as to help create new jobs and new business opportunities for the EU industry. This written declaration is open for signature by MEPs until 15 March 2012. AGE and the EY2012 coalition strongly encourage MEPs to sign it and to mobilise other MEPs in their political groups to support it.
Another important dossier on which AGE and the EY2012 coalition would like the support of the European parliament is the upcoming accessibility act which will propose binding instruments to improve accessibility of transport, the built environment and ICT for persons with disabilities and older people. Setting accessibility requirements across the EU will not only ensure that the European Union fulfil its legal obligation with regard to the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities it ratified a year ago, but it will also help create an age-friendly EU where all citizens, including persons with disabilities and older people will be empowered to enjoy their fundamental freedoms like any other citizen. It will allow EU industry to access a market of half a billion consumers.
The European year offers us a unique opportunity to address demographic change as an opportunity and to consider innovative solutions to the current economic and social challenges facing our ageing. We need the European parliament’s support to help us find solutions that will be fair and sustainable for all generations. If the European parliament endorses the written declaration, this will help set up the necessary tools to mobilise the wide range of stakeholders who have a role to play in achieving an age-friendly EU by 2020 through the creation of a EU age-friendly environment network, the launch of a covenant of mayors on demographic change and an EU programme to support seniors in action. We count on your support.
Anne-Sophie Parent is secretary general of AGE Platform Europe
