On Wednesday 7 July, the European Parliament adopted - with a comfortable majority (479 votes in favour, 103 against and 113 abstentions) - a largely amended version of the report by Polish MEP Beata Szydło (ECR), detailing a series of recommendations for tackling the ageing of the EU’s population (see EUROPE 12755/16).
New features in the final version include a provision calling on states to “use EU funds and private investments, combined with national and local investments, to provide affordable, adequate, safe and accessible housing” for elderly citizens.
In the final version of the text, MEPs are also concerned that there are “tendencies to instrumentalise demographic change in order to undermine sexual and reproductive health and rights” (see EUROPE 12748/12). They therefore call on the European Commission and the Member States to defend these rights, to promote respect for them and to ensure access to related products and services.
The adopted text also emphasises the need to integrate the gender dimension when adopting policies and decisions affecting elderly citizens.
Rather unenthused by these novelties, Ms Szydło presented an alternative resolution herself - ultimately rejected by the plenary - and abstained from the vote on the final text.
“I cannot allow the EU’s Policy for Elderly People to become another field for games played by left-wing political groups” commented the MEP earlier this week on Twitter. Her group also mostly abstained.
The text, on the other hand, received strong support from the EPP, Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and the S&D. The latter denounced the rapporteur’s bid to “fool the public” and “cripple” gender equality and reproductive rights by exploiting the demographic argument.
To consult the adopted text: https://bit.ly/3qUHMSu (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)