On 3 December EPHA attended the closing conference of the coordination group on the “European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity between Generations 2012” organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
The 2012 European Year for active ageing and solidarity between generations is now at an end, and the EESC organised a conference to summarise what they have done and what should be done during the next few years.
The first conclusion of this conference drew attention to the fact that this European Year should not stop at the end of year. It is important to continue the initiatives started in 2012 to ensure better outcomes linked to the campaign’s objectives. The topics discussed were mostly over the employment of older workers, in particular the working conditions and the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on active and healthy ageing, and on the lifelong learning for senior citizens. Another hot topic broadly discussed was adequate, safe and sustainable pensions.
The key messages were:
- Better access to activities such as adult learning, employment and voluntary work is essential to enhance participation of the elderly in society.
- Research on better disease prevention is needed, that includes health education across all age groups and developing patient competence (i.e. increasing levels of health literacy)
- Older people should be encouraged to extend their working lives, so they can bring knowledge and experience to the job market, and ensure sustainability of pension funds.
For more information:
– Closing conference of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012.
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