AGE proposes amendments to the draft report on European Platform against Poverty

Following the communication from the European Commission launched at the end of 2010, the European Parliament is working on a report on the European Platform against Poverty. The appointed rapporteur, Mr. Daerden, drafted a first version of the report and expected proposals for amendments until 22 June. AGE fully endorses Mr. Daerden’s draft report and proposed complementary amendments to better reflect the views of its member organisations.  AGE especially highlights the need to include in the report a reference to a minimum adequate income to allow all people to live in dignity, based on a basket of goods and services broken down by age and gender (for the older population with a division between 60-79 and 80 +), which also takes into account the non-monetary needs of the people such as access to services, decent housing, heating, public transport, social participation, etc. AGE also calls for efforts to promote policies allowing a transition between working life and retirement and banning mandatory retirement age, as well as measures to support the reconciliation of work and family life through the adoption of a Directive on carers’ leave. Finally, AGE recommends including a reference on the support to quality social and long-term care services, including the use of the voluntary EU quality framework for social services developed by the Social Protection Committee.

Mr Daerden’s draft report is available here