Brussels, 23/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - During their Thursday session, EU employment and labour ministers held an exchange of views under the chairmanship of Ursula von der Leyen on the challenges and opportunities of Europe regarding demographic changes. They adopted a resolution on the contribution that the elderly can make to economic and social development (see EUROPE 9372). The German presidency is determined to launch a procedure at European level, based on work already carried out at the Commission with the October 2006 communication entitled “Structuring the EU debate on demographic change”, Ms von der Leyen said as she kicked off the discussion.
The fact that the EU's population is becoming older and more diversified is an opportunity for our society. There is little time left in which to develop a long term strategy, said Ms von der Leyen. But how can we ensure that young people have as many children as they want? How can the children that are born be guaranteed the best educational opportunities? How can one best use the skills and experience of the elderly? How can one ensure that we do not consider one generation is asking too much of another? Raising all these questions, Ms von der Leyen said a constant exchange is needed on family-related policies, and the European Family Alliance would be most appropriate for this. The aim of the Alliance is to use existing structures and to make them more effective (the member states have already begun to work on this in the context of the high level group on demographic change recently established by the Commission, Ms von der Leyen pointed out) but also to take the social dimension of such changes into account, she told the Council, calling for the European summit to deliver a powerful message on this.
The nature of demographic change pertaining to “structure and civilisation” was highlighted by José Veira Da Silva of Portugal (future EPSCO Council president), who was adamant about the importance of services of general interest, mainly for covering the needs of the very young, and on the importance of holding discussions on policies for active ageing (reform of social welfare mechanisms and systems, including retirement). The Slovenian minister, Marjeta Cotman (whose country will be holding EU presidency after Portugal) announced that a “council for solidarity between generations” was to be set up in Slovenia. In order to move forward towards a Europe of well-being and social policy, there must be different political priorities, Spain said, namely to: - ensure the quality of life of children and the elderly, as well as conciliation between family and professional life; - encourage equal opportunities between men and women; - and to integrate migrants economically and socially. The Netherlands said it did not support a multi-annual strategy on demographic change as this comes under the Lisbon Strategy and the open method of coordination (OMC). Ireland and Poland, on the other hand, were in favour of such a programme and called for work to be carried out together with social partners and the organised civil society. The Lisbon Strategy, the OMC, and the work of the committees on employment, social protection and economic policy provide an opportunity to raise the challenge of these changes, said Denmark (followed by Bulgaria, Slovakia, Belgium and Italy), which nonetheless raised the problem of the fall in the birth rate. The Danish representative said that more children are needed as they represent potential achievement and real added value. He considered that, in order to resolve this problem, it is above all necessary to ensure that there is a good balance between family and professional life. Austria took the view that the questions of demography should be the subject of mainstreaming in all other policies. Sweden said that, in order to raise the challenge of demographic changes, sound and sustainable finances are needed so that social structures remain manageable and fundable. Estonia said that part-time work was a very interesting solution for people who have retired. To rise to this challenge special attention must be paid to developing conciliation between family and professional life, to a rise in the birth rate and to giving more jobs to young people and to migrants. Demographic changes are an opportunity, not a burden, said Malta, asserting that migrants from third countries, and especially from around the Mediterranean, should be given the attention they deserve. Society is based on the family, Malta concluded, saying it was totally in favour of the European Family Alliance advocated by Ms von der Leyen. In concluding the work, the latter welcomed the unanimous support given to the European Family Alliance, which will be one of the points on the agenda of the EPSCO Council (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer affairs) on 30-31 May. (gb)