[Joint Press release from AGE Platform Europe and MEP candidates from major European political parties, Brussels, 28 April 2014] AGE Platform Europe and MEP candidates from major European political parties take the opportunity of the European Day of Solidarity between Generations to commit to promoting greater solidarity and cooperation between generations during the next European Parliament’s mandate.
According to the Eurostat 2012, in the European Union, the percentage of the population who are aged 65 years or over is expected to increase from 17.4 % in 2010 to 29.5 % by 2060. The issue of intergenerational solidarity will become a major policy challenge in the years ahead, and we have to join forces to build positive attitudes towards ageing and underline the complementarity between generations.
Greater solidarity between generations can help us take up such societal challenges. However, achieving a society for all ages will require decision-makers and all relevant stakeholders to take collective responsibility for designing new ways of organising our societies to ensure a fairer and more sustainable future for all generations and to tackle the ongoing economic and social crisis.
We, candidates for the European elections 2014, are convinced that the future MEPs can make a difference here by creating an Age-Friendly European Union, addressing key issues such as:
– the realisation of human rights for all
– the adequacy, fairness and sustainability of Europe’s social and health protection systems
– the universal access to goods and services
– the right to grow and age in good mental and physical health
– the creation of age-friendly labour markets and economy
– the involvement of older persons in all policy and research processes that concern them
– the right for all to live and die in dignity
These issues are addressed in AGE Manifesto for the European elections 2014 and we invite all future newly-elected MEPs to support the re-establishment of the Intergroup on Ageing and Solidarity between Generations and to keep these issues high on the European Parliament’s agenda.
