Historic development: UN States recommend a UN convention to better protect rights in old age
Read our June newsletter The 14th session of the United Nations (UN) Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG), held from May 20-24, 2024, marked an important milestone in the promotion and protection of human rights in older age, after years of discussion and active advocacy by civil society. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, […]
Four days that will shape the next five years
Read our May newsletter With less than one month to go to the European elections, the EU institutions are bracing themselves for the next institutional cycle and setting their priorities. But the main thing that will shape EU’s future is the mobilisation and choice of its citizens. We call on all citizens to make an […]
Solidarity between generations – Building bridges to celebrate what unites us
Read our April newsletter On 29 April, the European Day of Solidarity between Generations will celebrate its 15th edition. Initiated by AGE, the day shines a light on intergenerational practices and the need for promoting a “culture” of intergenerational dialogue and cooperation in an increasingly polarised society. In today’s society, where rapid technological advances and […]
International Women’s Day: Will the Gender Pension Gap be closed in our lifetimes?
The International Women’s Day on 8th March is the occasion for us to shine a light on the situation of older women. Indeed, as the call for more gender equality is readily shared by many people, the reality of progress is more bleak: The Gender Equality Index 2023 shows only slow progress, even though it hit a all-time high in 2023. The situation for older women is similar with a gap in pensions between women and men at 27%. This triggered the Belgian Council Presidency to hold a dedicated conference, which our President Dr Heidrun Mollenkopf attended.
EP elections : let’s choose our common course responsibly
Read our February newsletter The demonstrations in Germany are a reminder that the strength of democracy relies on ordinary citizens’ engagement for it, but also that there is urgency to stand up for it. In the run up to the EU elections, we recall the responsibility of each of us to unite to build a […]
2024 – Laying the groundwork for a future European Age Equality Strategy
Read our January 2024 newsletter While 2024 is just getting underway, this new year heralds some key milestones that we hope will bring a brighter future for all generations. At least, that’s what we at AGE will continue to work towards. This new year appears to be a period of transition at EU level with […]
2024 EU election: kick-off of AGE campaign for a Europe for all ages
Read our December newsletter Six months before the votes for a new European Parliament, we want to recall the importance of working towards a Europe for all ages and suggest some strong, concrete measures at EU level to achieve tangible changes. In 2021, the EU Green Paper on Ageing kicked off a lively debate which […]
New AGE Barometer shows clear need for more support to employment in older age
Our 2023 AGE Barometer looks at ageing issues in employment and explores current and future challenges and solutions.
Ageism has no place in the EU!
On the International Day of Older Persons, and ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we urge for a renewed political commitment to make the EU rhetoric on equal rights a living reality for the Europeans of all ages!
2023 European Semester: What priorities frame EU economic and social policies?
‘Structural reforms’, ‘inflation’, ‘resilience’, ‘autonomy’… In the wake of successive crises and ahead of the EU elections, the EU wants to focus on more supportive economic and social policies. Yet, a stronger and explicit focus on ageing issues is still needed.
A European model for sustainable and quality working lives: What is at stake?
Special Briefing – July 2023 Read our July newsletter On 7 June 2023, we held our Annual Conference to discuss A European model for sustainable working lives. During the conference, AGE members, partners and allies discussed the existing challenges, the key concepts to implement, and the changes needed to make this model a reality, in […]
A world without elder abuse requires systemic action! – Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023
Special Briefing – June 2023 photo by Andrea Leopardi on Unsplash Read our June newsletter The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15th June is an opportunity to imagine a world without elder abuse and discuss concrete strategies for change. Older people’s organisations across Europe have collected practices that can help pave the way for […]
Civil society stronger than ever in urging States to adopt a UN convention on the rights of older persons
Civil society organisations showed strong unity and delivered powerful statements, calling for Member States to start drafting a UN convention on the rights of older persons without delay. This strong mobilisation contrasted with the lack of commitment from governments and the European Union, despite the recognition of the challenges older people face. The 13th […]
29 April – Let’s celebrate Solidarity between Generations!
On 29th April we will be celebrating the EU Day of Solidarity between Generations, launched for the first time in 2009. The successive crises that we have been through over the recent years have made the issue more topical than ever, reminding us how critical intergenerational cooperation and solidarity is in an increasingly divided and […]
The complex gender face of digital exclusion in old age
Contribution from OWN Europe to International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 Europe is the most digitally connected region in the world with nearly 90% of the population being online[1]. While most policy makers look proudly at this achievement, this general figure hides huge disparities between countries and population subgroups. Large numbers of people in Europe […]
Drawing lessons from COVID to safeguard democracy and fundamental rights in the EU
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered radical and unprecedented measures in Europe and around the world. Some of these measures have been pointed out as violating basic human rights. Three years after the outbreak of the pandemic in Europe, the European Parliament is looking at the impact of EU’s response on democracy and fundamental rights and […]
2023: Paving the way for a new vision of age
After two years of a pandemic that took a heavy toll on the population and shook the economy in Europe and the world, we were hoping for some respite last year. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine came as a brutal clash with our peaceful reality, and its multiple consequences has put an increasing number […]
Care, minimum income, rights of older persons: The year ends with several milestones for AGE
Credit: Beth Jnr on Unsplash The end of the year is often associated with warmth, togetherness and solidarity. Some recent developments, including our Annual Conference and some EU council decisions, have confirmed this trend, looking at how to improve the quality of care and support inclusion in older age. AGE Annual Conference ‘A Europe that […]
