21/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Now the written procedure involving Commissioners Anna Diamantopoulou and Chris Patten has been concluded, the European Commission has approved its contribution to the 2nd World Assembly on Ageing, organised in Madrid on 8/12 April 2002, announced Andrew Fielding, Ms Diamantopoulou's spokesperson. The document represents part of the European Commission's input o the international debate on the new International Place of Action on Ageing to be adopted in Madrid. It is no longer exclusively the most developed countries where ageing is an important concern since it is now beginning to touch several parts of the developing world. Mr Fielding explained for example that it had taken 115 years for the proportion of elderly people in the population to double from 7% to 14%, but it will only take China 27 years for an equivalent doubling.