PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 18 July 2011
EU Joint Programming Initiative on ageing
The EU urges Member States to join common research strategy
to address demographic ageing
“It is very urgent to find innovative solutions to better adapt our societies to the needs of our rapidly ageing population and AGE is really pleased to see that this objective is now a priority on the EU agenda,” highlights Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary-General of AGE Platform Europe in reaction to the European Commission’s recommendation “More years, better lives – the potential and challenges of demographic change”. The new EU initiative should help mobilise stakeholders and take advantage of national resources and expertise to effectively address what has now become one of the biggest challenges for the coming decades”, adds Mrs Parent.
The recommendation calls on Member States to join the EU Joint Programming Initiative on ageing, which will seek to develop a common strategic research agenda on ageing over the coming months. It will support cooperation at different level: between Member States, between public and private sectors and between different relevant research activities and national research centers. It will also encourage national authorities to take into account the changing needs of the older population when defining their research programme objectives.
For many years now AGE and the EY 2012 coalition have been promoting a holistic approach to demographic ageing recommending the involvement of a wide range of actors and sectors to develop solutions that are fair and sustainable for all age groups. The upcoming European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012) will be a timely opportunity to support this objective through all EU, national and local initiatives including the objectives of the Joint EU Programming Initiative to enhance older people’s participation in society and promote healthy ageing. AGE’s members hope it will also help reach concrete results after 2012 as expected by the European Commission.
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More information:
Presentation of the EY2012 Coalition:
