AGE has reacted to the Commission proposals in its draft Joint Employment Report (JER) in a letter addressed to Employment Committee (EMCO) members prior to their meeting on 16 February 2009.
AGE’s letter draws heavily on the work carried out by its Employment Expert Group last autumn, who made an assessment of how the age ground is considered in the National Reform Programmes 2008-2010 and who are now considering how the negative effects of the economic crisis on older workers can be mitigated.
Older workers are among those groups who are being most affected by the crisis and the implications for them are far from clear. There is a need for a greater recognition and understanding of the impact of this economic recession on the employment of older age groups.
AGE considers that the European Employment Strategy needs to be revitalised and redesigned in order to address the new challenges presented by economic downturn as well as those posed by population ageing. Our members believe that only those solutions that mainstream intergenerational solidarity will deliver beneficial and lasting results.
Click here to read AGE response.
