To contribute to the 2012 European Year of Active Ageing at the request of the Danish Presidency of the European Council.
The opinion calls, inter alia, on the European Commission "to launch a European Covenant of Mayors on Demographic Change as a legacy to the European Year 2012 to gather LRAs interested to promote innovation, smart health and better lives solutions in support of active and healthy ageing and to provide administrative and financial support to the Covenant". The Covenant on Demographic Change was launched at the Committee of the Regions on 7 December 2015, with the support of the European Commission and the AFE-INNOVNET Thematic Network.
In its resolution of 9 September 2015 on the Report on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (2014/2255(INI)), the European Parliament welcomes the forthcoming EU Covenant on Demographic Change as a major outcome of EY 2012 and of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. It asks the Commission to identify areas within the EU budget where savings and efficiencies can be made in order to provide funding for the covenant. It also highlights the need to intensify the coordination triangle made up of the decision-making level (including the EU, national, regional and local levels), civil society and the private sector, including industries which provide innovative goods and services in support of independent living. Finally, the EP resolution calls on the Commission, in conjunction with the Member States, regional and local authorities and social partners, to develop effective tools for keeping older workers in the labour market, offering opportunities for lifelong learning and upgrading of skills, in-work training and accessible and affordable learning programmes and promoting intergenerational training and transfer of knowledge at work for all. This point is also made in the CoR opinion, which stresses that adult education should be supported at EU, national and local level to help extend working lives.
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- calls on the European Commission to launch a European Covenant of Mayors on Demographic Change as a legacy to the European Year 2012 to gather LRAs interested to promote innovation, smart health and better lives solutions in support of active and healthy ageing and to provide administrative and financial support to the Covenant;
- shares the vision of the EY2012 stakeholders’ coalition of a society for all ages where everyone is empowered to play an active part in society and enjoy equal rights and opportunities in all stages of their life regardless of age, sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, social or economic status, sexual orientation, physical or mental condition, or need for care;
- stresses the importance of consulting and involving older people and their carers actively in the mapping of their needs, the development of solutions and evaluation of their performance. Such participatory approach supports social inclusion and ensures that the services delivered match as closely as possible the actual needs of the recipients;
- recommends that the European Commission involve LRAs more actively in the EU social impact assessment process of the various initiatives implemented to support active and healthy ageing to ensure that the impact on grass root older women and men is adequately assessed.