PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 14 November 2011
2011 European Equality Summit
AGE sheds the light on older people’s rights
Although 150 million senior citizens live in the EU today, an ever growing number of older citizens are denied their human right to live and contribute as equal members of society. Yet, AGE Platform Europe strongly argues that human rights should not decrease with age or dependency and therefore seized the occasion of the 2011 Equality Summit to issue two policy papers highlighting the challenges older people face today with regards to the protection of their fundamental rights.
In her presentation during the Equality Summit, Louise Richardson, AGE Vice-President, stressed that active ageing implies not only extending working lives but also combating the many barriers older people face to their continued involvement in their communities. “While the numbers of older people will continue growing, we need to provide smart, accessible and inclusive solutions so that everyone, regardless of their age, is able to engage, contribute and prosper. Local and regional authorities have a key role to play in providing support and creating the conditions in which older people are able to participate fully in their communities and they should support AGE’s call for an age-friendly EU by 2020”, said Ms. Richardson.
AGE has drafted a shadow report which aims to serve as a response to the European Commission’s report on the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This document provides evidence on the situation of older people’s rights and defines areas where further EU action is needed to safeguard them. The failure of the existing legal framework to respond to the anti-discrimination challenges, the fundamental rights shortcomings in this period of austerity and the absence of measures which guarantee an inclusive society for all ages are underlined in this report.
AGE has further prepared a briefing, which includes a mapping of the main rights challenges for older people today. This document provides reference to important legal instruments and is intended to be used as a tool to raise awareness and promote older people’s rights at the European but also at the national and local level.
AGE’s documents can be accessed via the below links:
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