In the light of the demographic evolution Europe is starting to experience, the European Commission proposed officially, on 6 September, to make 2012 the European Year of Active Ageing. The concept of ‘active ageing’ is understood to mean staying active in spite of age by working longer, retiring later, doing voluntary work during retirement and practicing healthy activities adapted to age. The over-60 population is about to rise faster than ever before in the Union, with the greatest increase expected to occur between 2015 and 2035. Dedicating the year 2012 to this theme is meant to draw attention to the challenges Europe will soon be experiencing. It will be aimed at both civil society and policy makers, who will be invited to take concrete actions in 2011, producing visible results in 2012.

This announcement follows on from a call by the European Parliament and the Council. The member states agreed at the latest Social Affairs Council (7 June) to encourage active ageing in their countries. The extent of the challenge is borne out in the growing number of initiatives at European level: whereas there were four working-age people (aged 15 to 64) in the EU in 2008 for one elderly person (over 65), in 2060 the ratio will have dropped from two to one. These projections suggest that pressure on public finances, particularly for health care and pensions, will be untenable and could undermine solidarity between the generations. The concept of active ageing is only one of a number of measures being considered by the European Union, as seen in its green paper of 7 July.

It will be studied at a ministerial conference on pension rights and adequate social protection, being held in Liege on 7 and 8 September. This event, organised by the Belgian EU Presidency, will give participants an opportunity to present the different models used on their territory and to discuss the future of social protection, based on the Commission’s green paper.

Background

The objective of the green paper on the future of pensions, published on 7 July by the European Commission, is to review the issue. It enumerates different ideas on striking a balance between time spent working and time spent in retirement. The automatic adjustment of pensionable age in keeping with future increases in life expectancy is one solution that seems to offer real potential. Flexibility in working arrangements with telework and skills upgrading would also contribute to better balance by keeping older workers on the job longer.