OKRA denounces exclusion of many older people from social energy premium by new law
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/OKRA_logo.png)
In Belgium, a new law on social rate premium excludes residents of residential care centres and assisted living homes. Adopted by the previous Belgian government in May, the law provides for a permanent social tariff premium for natural gas, electricity and heat. It applies for cases where the application of the social energy tariff is […]
Pension Adequacy: Halt the increase of old-age poverty!
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2024/07/Pension-Adequacy-Report-2024-cover-square.jpg)
Poverty and social exclusion among older persons, and especially among older women has been rising slowly since 2015. This is one of the results of the EU Pension Adequacy Report 2024, recently launched at a high-level conference in which we were invited to speak. Published every three years by the European Commission and the Social […]
Adequate pensions are essential to age in dignity
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/EU-Retirement-Week-logo.png)
In November, European pensions stakeholders organised the European Retirement Week, a week of conferences and debates around pensions. As a partner of the European retirement week, AGE highlighted that pensions must protect against poverty and fairly compensate for a lifetime of contributions. During the launch of European Retirement Week in Brussels on 27 November, 14 […]
AGE Barometer
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/11/2021-AGE-Barometer-image.png)
AGE Barometer assesses on a bi-annual basis the socio-economic situation of older people across the EU and how this situation underpins the respect of their human rights.
Loneliness and social exclusion among older Europeans before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/11/LonelinessCOVID-report2023-cover-cropped.jpg)
This e-book is the main output of a knowledge sharing process organised by the Joint Programming Initiative “More Years Better Lives – The Potential and Challenges of Demographic Change” (JPI-MYBL), launched in 2009. The aim of this initiative was to complement existing research and to provide a concrete perspective. It sheds light on the topic […]
#OverTheLine campaign for adequate minimum income to fight poverty
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/10/OverTheLine-SP-visual-2023-1.png)
17 October was the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. To mark this day, the Social Platform – the platform of European Social NGOs – launched its #OvertheLine campaign, inviting to share messages on the importance of adequate minimum income schemes to tackle poverty in the EU. AGE is part of the coalition of […]
2023 European Semester: What priorities frame EU economic and social policies?
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/mauro-mora-31-pOduwZGE-unsplash-cropped-1240x545.jpg)
‘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.
PVÖ marks Equal Pension Day in Austria
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/PVO-logo-3.png)
Similar to Equal Pay Day, AGE member Pensionistenverband Österreich marked ‘Equal Pension Day’ on 15 July,
New law on pensions in the Netherlands
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/08/Koepel_Gepensioneerden-logo.png)
After more than 15 years of long discussions, a new law to reform pensions in the Netherland came into force on 1st July 2023.
Proposal for national strategy against loneliness in Denmark
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/07/aeldresagen-logo-square.png)
As part of a broad national partnership, Äldre Sagen – DaneAGE and the Red Cross have played a leading role in the development of a national strategy and action plan to reduce loneliness in Denmark.
Older Persons in Vulnerable Situations – Policy Brief
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/10/Vulnerable_persons_UNECE-brief-Jun23-image.jpg)
At any age, intersecting factors such as poverty, disability, social isolation and exposure to abuse can increase the risk of vulnerability and weaken resilience in the case of adverse events. A key challenge is to inform, design and implement comprehensive policies to enhance resilience. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) presents in this […]
Check out on your mood… at the supermarket
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/NL-Klets-kassa-image_Jumbo.nl_-1240x509.jpg)
Photo from Jumbo.nl About 50 % of older persons feel lonely in the Netherlands, a fact that triggered a national action plan to fight loneliness. This inspired the Dutch local supermarket chain in Vlijmen to launch two popular initiatives, namely a “Chat Checkout”, consisting of dedicating a checkout counter to chat with customers and a […]
Council Recommendation on Minimum income: ‘Not enough to fight poverty’
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/SP-image-MinimumIncome-Mar23-cropped.jpg)
The European Anti-Poverty Network, of which AGE is a member, has published its position on the recently adopted Council Recommendation on Minimum Income. AGE fully supports the statement by EAPN, which lauds the step taken by the adoption of the Recommendation but regrets that it is not a binding instrument like a Framework Directive. Across […]
The complex gender face of digital exclusion in old age
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/IWD2023-visual-1.jpg)
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 […]
Future of Social Protection – High-Level Group makes a strong case for social investment, with technical itches
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/Future-Of-Social-Protection-report_launch-Feb23.jpg)
As an outcome of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Commission has created a High-Level Group of Experts to reflect on the mega trends impacting social protection and welfare in the EU in the medium term. After more than one year, the group, composed of academics, presented its final report […]
2023: Paving the way for a new vision of age
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/CenterForAgeingBetter-active-couple-cropped-1240x502.jpg)
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
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/Photo_by_Beth_Jnr_on_Unsplash-cropped-1240x564.jpg)
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 […]
EU retirement week – Inflation reminds the importance of statutory social protection
![](https://www.age-platform.eu/content/uploads/2023/09/AGE-BETTER-FINANCE-EU-Retirement-Week-event-Nov2022-visual-small-1.png)
As inflation is cutting into older persons’ budgets, the issue of adequacy of pension is highly relevant. This was the theme of a recent joint event in which we called for a broader approach to investment in ageing and greater support for statutory social protection. As part of the European Retirement Week, we co-organised an […]