21/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at the 9the EU-Japan Symposium held in Brussels on Friday 22 March, Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou called on Europeans to do more "to avoid premature retirement and improve employment opportunities for older workers". Ms Diamantopoulou's appeal was issued in the wake of the Barcelona Summit's pledge to raise the effective retirement age of about 58 to approximately 63 by 2010. She said that in 2000, the labour force participation rate for Japanese men aged 55-64 was 84%, compared to an EU figure of 53%. She said the "main problem is one of re-establishing a culture of working after the age of 55 in a suitable form".