23.3.2005   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 74/44

1.1

In the light of demographic change and the opportunities and risks involved for the quality of life of the growing numbers of older people in Europe, the Committee calls for:

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economic and financial policy (4.1)

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work and employment (4.2)

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elderly people's everyday lives (4.3)

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the social and spatial environment (4.4)

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lifelong learning (4.5)

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maintaining a healthy life and care requirements (4.6)

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new technologies (4.7)

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processing, collating and adding to existing knowledge (4.8).

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the application of the open method of coordination to adopt a uniform approach to – and classification of – indicators of older people's quality of life in European countries: to facilitate exchanges of experiences, inter-European comparisons and mutual learning; to promote dialogue between representatives of organised civil society and the appropriate European Commission directorates-general; and to agree on common values in relation to the ageing society;

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the establishment of a joint European observatory to build a European Agency on Ageing and database to generate, concentrate and disseminate knowledge to improve the open method of coordination and draw practical policy conclusions;

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the establishment of an ‘Ageing Society’ category in the EESC; and

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workshops and conferences to boost knowledge about demographic change; highlight the urgent need for preventive and flanking measures; sharpen awareness; spread information about research findings as widely as possible; and foster exchanges between the old and the new Member States.

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for policies to maintain and, if necessary, increase the quality of life for present and future generations of older people; and

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to boost Europe's economic development and competitiveness, given the potential offered by demographic change.

2.1

Demographic change is one of the key historical successes of our time. It is also an ongoing challenge. Never before have entire generations been in the position where they can legitimately hope and expect to live out many years of old age. This new phase of life offers a wide range of opportunities, but also involves completely new tasks for individuals and society. In most European countries, many older people enjoy an adequate income and have the requisite physical and cognitive skills to live out their extra years in contented independence. This opens up new opportunities for economic and social development. As they grow older, however, people's physical, sensory and cognitive faculties are also liable to decline and they risk becoming functionally restricted. Moreover, some groups in society do not have the requisite material, social and personal resources to be able to grow old with dignity. This applies in particular to many older women living alone. The different European countries also vary widely in this regard. Moreover, the shift in the age structure in all countries necessitates a redistribution of existing resources and adjustments to health and social security systems. Population ageing affects every EU country, albeit at rather differing speeds. As the EESC president wrote in his report on the European Economic and Social Committee's activities in the period 2000-2002 (page 37):

2.2

‘The Committee also drew attention to worrying demographic forecasts with particular impact in the fields of jobs, public health and pensions’.

2.3

Taking this development as its starting point, the present own-initiative opinion on research needs in the area of demographic change – quality of life of elderly persons and technological requirements calls for the inclusion of a key action in this field in the seventh Framework Programme for Research. This involves two separate, but closely related aspects: (i) demographic change as such, which is the result of the declining birth rate and the concomitant changes in family structures on the one hand, and rising life expectancy on the other; and (ii) ageing and old age as an autonomous phase of life with a high potential for social, cultural, organisational, technological and economic innovation, but which also brings with it certain risks. Research is required in both these fields, not only at macro level into their impact on society as a whole and the requisite political action, but at micro level as well, in other words their implications in terms of safeguarding older people's quality of life and the action needed on that front. Account must, however, always be taken of the different circumstances of men and women.

3.1

Given that demographic change – and related modifications in the structure of the population and society – is a recent phenomenon, further knowledge is needed in order to be able to gauge the impact on overall social development and establish a sound basis for timely policy planning decision-making and action at both national and European level. EESC opinions and Commission communications on issues such as employment policy (1), social integration (2), health care, lifelong learning (3) etc. also point in this direction.

3.2

A knowledge base of this kind is also the sine qua non for social, cultural, organisational, economic and technological innovations that make it possible not only to maintain elderly people's quality of life, but also to help take some of the strain off health and social security systems. The rapidly growing numbers of very old people in particular and – to some extent as a consequence of that – the fact that several generations of older people are alive at the same time also necessitates entirely new services and occupations.

3.3

Some important findings have already been made on this front thanks to projects supported as part of the fifth Framework Programme for Research (FP5) (key action 6 The ageing population under the thematic programme Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources). DG Research has recently published a mid-term assessment on findings and experience in this multidisciplinary key action. Implementing the findings of the telematics programme can also help improve the quality of life of older people and people with a disability. The holistic approach pursued under the telematics programme in the late 1990s has yet, however, to be universally taken up.

3.4

Under the sixth Framework Programme for Research (FP6), support for research into population ageing and its impact on individuals and society is only being pursued in a few subsidiary areas of the key actions Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health (Priority 1), Information society technologies (Priority 2), Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society (Priority 7) and RTD supporting policies and anticipating scientific and technological needs (Priority 8), as well as ERA-NET.

3.4.1

Key policy findings are to be expected particularly from current Priority 8 projects on demographic perspectives and on health costs and expenditure against the backdrop of an ageing society. The IST programme's particular strategic objective is to promote the integration of older and disabled people into the information society. In this area too, there are a range of useful findings and promising projects involving major consortia and industry. That said, considerable efforts are still required to bridge the remaining gaps. The ageing population, however, is no longer included as a key action in its own right within the thematic priorities.

3.5

The medical and biological projects supported under FP5 and FP6 are expected to greatly enhance our knowledge of the physiological and biological ageing processes, disease control and health promotion and preservation.

3.6

Findings on this front are undoubtedly important, but they cannot resolve the problems of elderly people or, in the short term, help get to grips with the social challenges facing Europe as a whole as numbers of older – and particularly very old people – continue to rise. Because of the relatively low birth rate, the percentage of young people (under 20) in the population of the EU as a whole dropped from 32 % in 1960 to 23 % in 2001, while the percentage of older people (aged 60 and over) rose from 16 % to 22 % over the same period. The old-age dependency ratio – i.e. the percentage of the population aged 60 and over in relation to the percentage aged between 20 and 59 – rose from 29.5 % to 38.9 % over this period. In the next few years, the percentage of older people is set to rise further as the birth deficit of the last thirty years kicks in. In 2020, older people will make up 27 % of the population. In other words, more than a quarter of all Europeans will then be aged 60 or over. (4) Numbers of very old people are rising particularly rapidly (see also point 4.5.1 below). Research must be conducted on a much broader field, given the sheer scope of population ageing - and its as yet unforeseeable impact - in so many different spheres of society. Ageing itself is not simply a biological process but involves many different facets over a period of many years, and by the same token research into old age and ageing must adopt a long-term, multi- and interdisciplinary approach. Research cannot seek only to improve health and extend life expectancy, but must also work to help improve people's quality of life in the extra years given to them.

3.7

The seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) should therefore include a key action on the challenges of demographic change. This will supplement the largely medical and biological research that has been conducted up to now, by also looking at the social, behavioural, cultural, socio-economic and preventive aspects throughout a person's life. Such a holistic approach to research must include both fundamental research and practical R&D. (5) The most representative European older people's organisations should also be involved, as recommended in the second International Plan of Action on Ageing adopted at the second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in April 2002 and in the strategy adopted by UNECE at the ministerial conference in Berlin in September 2002. Promoting research of this kind is of the utmost urgency given the long and complex political decision-making process involved. Research needs in a number of fields are set out in more detail below.

4.1.1

One initial key aspect that is not given due attention in the sixth Framework Programme for Research is the socio-economic outlook in the wake of what the European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs believes will be the serious impact of demographic change. A solid knowledge base is therefore needed that makes it possible to link income and employment data with data on health and social behaviour. Sound forecasts require the consistent gathering of statistics over relatively long periods. (Good examples include the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing [ELSA], which also looks at heath issues, and the US Health and Retirement Survey [HRS]). For research, this raises the following questions:

4.2.1

In future, the shift in the population age structure and the resultant need to redistribute scarce resources which cannot be increased in proportion to the demand will make it necessary for businesses and social security systems – and for the ageing population itself – to rely longer than at present on older people's working skills and knowledge (6). It is a known fact that older people are generally no less productive than younger people, although some skills decline while others increase. The following issues thus require research:

The growing percentage of older people among the population at large also makes it necessary to expand existing occupations and create new ones. Information is lacking, however, as to the areas in which it is particularly urgent to broaden occupational skills to meet the demands and needs of older people, and the areas in which new activities are necessary and where these offer new employment opportunities.

These developments should be considered

4.3.1

Ageing is not only a biological process, but also – and in particular – a social one. Social conditions vary greatly both within and between the various European countries. This applies both to the macro level – the political and social systems that have grown up historically over time – and also to the micro level – people's individual life histories and resources. Hence, the environment for ageing and old age also varies among individual social groups. These differences – whether they relate to gender, life history and/or professional experience, material living conditions etc. – must be taken into account when researching the everyday realities of older people's lives.

4.3.2

European countries differ widely in terms of climate, topography, population density and types of settlement, transport infrastructure, welfare provisions and many other aspects that influence a person's capacity to lead an independent life and play an active part of society. Some countries have minimum pensions that provide an adequate financial basis for older people to live a contented life. In others, pensions fail even to meet basic needs. Major differences exist both between and within individual countries and within the large group formed by older people.

4.3.3

Independence, self-determination and social integration are key personal and socio-political goals. A number of factors compromise the ability of older – and, in particular, very old people – to achieve these goals. For one thing, as people grow older, they are increasingly susceptible to health problems. When that happens, poor environmental conditions and financial constraints make it more difficult for older people to keep their independence and continue to play a part in society. Social norms and preconceptions – for instance, the discriminating perceptions people have of the elderly – may also act as barriers and exclude older people from key areas of society. A counter to the negative picture of ageing, however, is the fact that the vast majority of older people are able to live independent and autonomous lives for many years. They also play a key role in families and society through intergenerational support (both social and financial) and unpaid work in political, trade union and church bodies.

4.3.4

Older people have many of the psychological skills needed to cope with many difficulties beyond their control and the health constraints they face. However, there is a risk of this inner equilibrium being upset when problems accumulate.

4.3.5

The vast majority of older people can lead a relatively healthy and active life in old age for some 20 to 30 years. As this is a recent phenomenon, there are, as yet, few precedents on which to draw for shaping this phase of life. There are virtually no reliable figures, comparable across Europe, for those areas in which older people are currently active and make a key contribution to society and the economy. These areas include taking on paid and/or unpaid work in political, trade union and church organisations and providing support, education and training for younger people.

4.3.6

Discussions about the ageing society focus almost exclusively on the issue as a problem and a burden, against the backdrop of burgeoning social security and health costs. The positive aspects, however, are rarely considered and little information is available on them. These include, for instance, the fact that older people no longer put a strain on the labour market but, as consumers, continue to play a role in economic development.

4.3.7

The current debate about health care problems, pension financing and – in some countries – euthanasia is making many older people feel they are more of a burden than a valued member of society.

4.4.1

Older people's social environment is set to change dramatically over the next few years. Low birth rates, later parenthood and high divorce rates are eroding the traditional network of family relationships. Also, longer life expectancy makes it increasingly common for up to five generations of a single family to be alive at the same time (‘beanpole families’).

4.4.2

Time-budget and mobility studies show that, as people get older, they spend increasing amounts of time at home and devote correspondingly less time to outside activities.

4.4.3

As they become increasingly frail, most elderly people are horrified by the thought of having to move into a nursing home.

4.4.4

Technical devices, systems and services can be a major asset for older people in dealing with day-to-day problems, but often they are not adapted to older people's needs. Appliances may be modelled on the ‘design for all’ principle and should be readily adaptable to various user groups. It is vital, therefore, that future users should be involved in their development in order to boost the quality of products and services. In this case, the Committee would recommend the consultation and active involvement of the most representative European older people's organisations – and of older people themselves – so that there is constant interaction (‘social audit’) about what older people actually need.

More detailed research is also required to establish which technical aids are really needed and the conditions that must be in place so that such aids can help improve older people's quality of life.

4.4.5

Physical, social and cultural activities are known to promote healthy and happy ageing. Often, however, obstacles in the natural and/or built environment – or a lack of transport – block access to the requisite facilities. The problems are broadly known (7) but implementation is often lacking.

4.4.6

Frequently, lack of social and financial resources and/or physical or sensory impairments prevent people from accessing and becoming involved in activities outside their homes. Involvement in social and cultural activities, however, would be particularly important for such people – often older women living alone – to prevent them becoming isolated.

4.5.1

In a society of rapid social, cultural and technical change, lifelong learning is becoming ever more important. This applies in particular to older workers whose skills acquired in the past no longer meet modern employment requirements. The aim of making a European area of lifelong learning a reality has already been highlighted in a joint communication from DG Education and Culture and DG Employment and Social Affairs, and in a Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 (8). On this front too, there is still an urgent need for research:

4.5.2

However, the need for lifelong learning also affects people no longer in employment. They too need to have the opportunity for further development both for their own sake and that of society:

4.6.1

One particularly serious consequence of demographic change is the additional costs charged to social security and health systems as a result of the rapid growth in the numbers of very old people. Over the next fifteen years, the number of 80-year-olds is expected to increase by 50 % across Europe to over 20 million. (9) Numbers of centenarians are rising exponentially. (10) Research is thus of key importance, particularly in the area of prevention, and with regard to maintaining and restoring elderly people's mobility and independence.

4.6.2

Care requirements are set to rocket in the next few years as the numbers of very old people rise, and the strain on the public and private purse increases. A number of areas here also require research.

4.6.3

Europe has no harmonised definitions of care concepts (such as ‘dependent’ or ‘domestic carer’), no uniform structures within the various services involved and no directives on the skills required of staff.

4.7.1

The acknowledged rapid and ongoing spread of technology, and especially the use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), impacts on all the areas mentioned in points 4.1 to 4.6 above. On the jobs front, for instance, these technologies often serve as a reason for excluding older workers. Yet studies have shown that adapting to such new conditions may even make older workers more productive. This factor must therefore be incorporated into all fields of research. Consideration must be given in particular to ethical aspects and to the question of integrating older people who cannot or will not take technical innovations on board.

4.8.1

Research supported at national and European level has already produced a wide-ranging body of knowledge. However, this knowledge relates mainly to individual aspects and individual disciplines. It is widely dispersed and often available only in the national language concerned. Because of different sampling techniques and tools used, the research results are often incompatible with the findings of other studies.

5.1

This own-initiative opinion makes the case for including, in the seventh Framework Programme for Research, a key action on Demographic change – quality of life of elderly persons and technological requirements.

5.2

The goal is to promote multi- and inter-disciplinary and socially participatory research into a wide range of ageing issues needed.

5.3

As the research fields outlined above – and the examples of related questions – have hopefully shown, there are close links between the biological, psychological, social, cultural, technological, economic and structural aspects of old age and ageing. People always age within a specific spatial and social environment. In geographical, cultural and socio-structural terms, this environment varies widely both between and within individual European countries. Both these factors – the fact that the ageing process has many different dimensions and involves many different disciplines – make a multi- and interdisciplinary approach to gerontological research essential. Such research must also take the long-term view in order to identify changes and incorporate them accordingly. (12)

5.4

Given the changes in the population age structure, this broad and long-term research is the only way to provide the sound basis for planning and decision-making needed in the many different areas of society involved and at all tiers of decision-making. Ageing is not only a biological, medical, technical and economic issue, but a social and cultural task as well.

5.5

In addition to the research activities outlined above, the Committee also calls for the following flanking measures:

5.6

The ultimate aim is to MAKE LIFE IN EUROPE WORTH LIVING — NOT LEAST FOR OLDER PEOPLE. This includes not only those who are elderly or very old today, but also future generations, both young and old.