Doc. 8461

9 July 1999

Future of senior citizens: protection, participation, promotion

Report

Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee

Rapporteur: Mr Mike Hancock, United Kingdom, Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

"Diverse the human and diverse their tongues

But they have agreed on many names for one single love

The love of life

The frail, the weak, the young and fit

All hark for the joy of life

The sublime, simple truth of the wind's imprisoned voice

No matter how old we live to be

To be old is not a sin but just another part of life

To live in full in hope and truth"

Mike Hancock, April 1999

Summary

      The United Nations decided to observe 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons.

      The Rapporteur believes that, given its experience and knowledge in the area of human rights protection, and faced with the challenges posed by recent changes and welfare reforms planned for the near future, the Parliamentary Assembly was right to associate itself with this initiative.

      These changes are being made in recognition of the newly emerging problems of the modern world, the most pertinent being the ageing of society. More and more individuals in today’s world are living longer and healthier lives. This means that elderly people as a group no longer form a homogenous whole. In particular, younger retired persons have the resources to participate actively in social life, and are often willing to do so. More flexible social systems are being developed, where such participation can be encouraged and supported while those unable to participate due to advanced age are cared for. This is necessary in order to achieve a society for all ages and increased contact between generations.

      Elderly excluded persons are doubly affected by their circumstances. They are subject to both consequences and prejudices that are linked to age (indifference on the part of other people, health care needs, etc) and the causes and consequences of exclusion (financial and accommodation problems, lack of social contacts, etc). Those involved in social issues, whether from the state or voluntary organisations, should be capable of understanding these persons’ situation, through training in dealing with the extreme distress of elderly excluded persons

      The promotion of senior citizens, by publicising an image that reflects these realities, would be one method of supporting such participation, and a mark of respect for the dignity of our elderly.

      It is well known that human beings suffer most from indifference, when a person is no longer in communication with others. A society that ignores its older people is a society without a past, and therefore without a soul.

I.       Draft recommendation

1.       By declaring 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons, the United Nations launched a discussion on the theme “towards a society for all ages”. Its main objective is the “promotion of the United Nations principles for older persons”. The operational framework consists in “raising awareness, focussing on the theme of ‘a society for all ages’”, “encouraging looking ahead, beyond 1999”, “reaching out to non-traditional actors” and “improving networks for research and information exchange”.

2.       The initiatives undertaken within the Council of Europe in recent years demonstrate that it shares these concerns with regard to older persons. In this respect, the Assembly welcomes the fact that the declaration of the Second Summit of the Heads of State and Government placed social policies at the heart of its priorities: it also welcomes the setting up of the Group of Specialists on Optimising the Living Conditions of Elderly Dependent People (CS-CV) and the 1998/1999 research field “elderly persons within their family – legal and social responsibilities”. Recently, the European Health Ministers devoted their 6th Conference (Athens, 22-23 April 1999) to the question of ageing in the 21st century: the need for a balanced approval toward healthy ageing.

3.       Population ageing in Europe represents a major challenge for the years ahead: however, we need to start planning for it today. The countries undergoing transition, as well as other European countries, are experiencing or will experience important reforms to their pension funding systems, with painful consequences for a significant proportion of the elderly population, consequences which demand that we acknowledge the importance of what has been achieved in terms of protection. However, the challenges of social policy in our ageing societies are the subject-matter of a separate report.

4.       The social importance of the elderly in family life cannot be underestimated. The family is the basic structure in which the individual traditionally learns his or her social role, receiving a human heritage from his or her elders. Although conscious that mentalities and cultures change, and of the social and economic imperatives existing in Europe, the Assembly wishes to reaffirm the importance of the family in creating a social link between the generations, and argues in favour of it being restored to its rightful place. Respect and care for the elderly is a key element in this quest.

5.       Another sign of the times is that a growing proportion of those whose working lives have ended are now seeking to remain socially committed, through charitable, voluntary and exchange activities. These men and women are refusing to let themselves be considered as incapable of playing a useful role in the community after retirement: their participation should therefore be encouraged and developed. In addition, some people suffer on account of the image that modern society reflects of elderly persons. This new wave of social commitment should be supported both for the benefits it directly provides to society and the elderly themselves and for its potential role in reversing the frequently negative image of retired and elderly persons.

6.       The Assembly notes the importance of allowing for the differences in the situation of elderly persons in the north, south, east and west of Europe, and remains convinced of the need to develop collaboration with the United Nations and representatives of the voluntary sector and non-governmental organisations, which are able to assist in understanding and monitoring national situations.

7.       In the same spirit, activities to observe national situations over prolonged periods seem to produce the best results: in particular, they enable changing circumstances to be taken into account and represent a source of invaluable information and examples of good practice, for example in the fields of housing, services or care provision for elderly persons. Bearing in mind the phenomenon of population ageing and the numerous aspects concerned, which go beyond issues of dependence and relations with the family - it is a question of the human dignity and the rights of old people - the Committee of Ministers and the member states should provide for the implementation of such systems for observing the lives of retired and elderly persons at both European and national level.

8.       In the same way, research on the retired and elderly population should be supported and encouraged at national level.

9.       At the level of the Committee of Ministers and the member states, the activities already undertaken in favour of older persons should be continued. When preparing and implementing future national and Council of Europe policies, account should be taken, inter alia, of the guidelines drawn up by the Committee of Ministers in its Recommendation No. R(94)9 concerning elderly persons, and by the Parliamentary Assembly in its Recommendation 1254 (1994) on the medical and welfare rights of the elderly: ethics and policies.

10.       The Assembly requests the Committee of Ministers to invite the recently created European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) to study the possibility of including in its work programme an activity that would address the urgent aspects of the concerns expressed in this recommendation.

11.       In some European regions, which have been badly affected by the transition process or by conflict, the situation, in particular financial, of elderly persons is particularly worrying and is sometimes a matter for humanitarian emergency relief. The Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to request member states to provide all necessary assistance to the states concerned and to organisations working on the ground.

A. With regard to the protection of retired and elderly persons:

12.       On this special occasion of the International Year of Older Persons, the Assembly requests the Committee of Ministers to invite the member states to adhere to the international instruments that give particular consideration to older persons, and in particular launches a solemn appeal in favour of the European Social Charter (and revised Charter) and the 1988 Protocol, Article 4 of which is specifically devoted to elderly persons.

13.       The threats that weigh particularly heavily on elderly persons (delinquency, physical and psychological ill treatment, abuse of trust, etc) are matters of concern, and it would be appropriate for states and local authorities to prepare specific responses to these threats and to the ways in which they are realised, such as:

i.       new measures to make it easier for elderly persons to move about, especially in the evenings, cheaply and safely;

ii.       legal measures in civil, criminal and consumer matters;

iii.       awareness raising and training of welfare and medical staff to detect mistreatment in any environment in which the elderly may be living (family, institutional, etc);

iv.       information services for elderly persons, to assist in preventing and punishing such mistreatment, with particular attention to drugs misuse in institutions.

14.       Socially excluded elderly persons constitute a group which requires special, flexible responses on the part of society, in particular in the health field: the states must ensure that humanitarian assistants, social workers and medical staff are trained to deal with these persons.

B.       With regard to participation by retired and elderly persons:

15.       In order to contribute to social cohesion and active ageing by older persons, the Assembly requests the Committee of Ministers to ask member states to take the following proposals into account:

i.       more flexible legislation with regard to retirement or recruitment ages, which would enable those who have the skills necessary for employment and who wish to do so to remain working;

ii.       access to education and training in new technologies, e.g. such as Internet should be guaranteed irrespective of age;

iii.       the use of “gentle” transition to retirement, such as a gradual reduction in working time;

iv.       retired persons or those moving towards retirement and elderly persons require specific information, both with regard to their status and the facilities and services available to them. Services providing this kind of information play an important role in the prevention of social exclusion;

v.       those involved, and especially the social services, should be made aware of the existence of a growing and wide-ranging voluntary sector and should work to help this new sector connect with volunteer opportunities by facilitating information exchange between those who wish to offer their services or knowledge and potential beneficiaries;

vi.       to pursue efforts to develop an associative network of retired and elderly persons and give local authorities the means to support this development through legal, financial and structural measures;

vii.       to encourage local authorities to develop experiments to associate elderly persons with decision-making processes and to involve representatives of the associative world with retired and elderly persons at national level;

viii.       to identify meeting places and find new ways of promoting inter-generational exchange of the experience, knowledge and know-how of senior citizens in areas such as education, art, research, business, history, tradition, crafts, etc;

ix.       to provide for initiatives to bring retired and elderly persons into closer contact with the new communication technologies;

x.       to raise public awareness of the issue of the responsibilities of elderly persons towards themselves and society, especially by preparing for ageing and remaining active.

C.       With regard to the promotion of retired and elderly persons:

16.       Having regard to respect for individual dignity, strengthening of the links between generations and the general need to encourage a different image of retired and elderly persons, the Assembly requests the Committee of Ministers to authorise its relevant committees of experts to consider the possibilities of:

i.       raising awareness amongst those involved in the media and advertising worlds as well as intellectuals and other opinion formers, of the need for an image of retired and elderly people that is closer to reality, and more positive;

ii.       initiating communication activities that encourage a positive and respectful image of retired and elderly persons;

iii.       encouraging the use, particularly in public services, of a vocabulary and conceptions that do not project a negative image of retired persons; this is especially relevant to the terms used to describe this section of the population.

17.       In pursuit of the same objective, a campaign in favour of retired and elderly persons “Senior Citizens 2000” could be launched under the auspices of the Council of Europe. Such a move would be aimed at following-up the results achieved at domestic level by the member states in the International Year of Older Persons and supporting their policies to promote a positive image of the “third age”.

II.       Explanatory memorandum by Mr Mike Hancock

1.       In recent years, the United Nations has attempted to take account of the problems which accompany population ageing across the world and the precarious situation of older persons in its operations. This positive and dynamic approach has placed action in favour of older persons at the heart of the general problem of population ageing. The International Year of Older Persons is thus “based” on a substantial body of texts containing guidelines, recommendations, an agenda and ideas, most specifically on the following documents: Plan of Action for Ageing (Resolution 37/51) of 1982, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons (Resolution 46/91) of 1991 and the Proclamation on Ageing (Resolution 47/5) of 1992, which set the International Year of Older Persons for 1999.

2.       In order to ensure a certain coherence to this collection in view of the International Year of Older Persons, a conceptual and an operational framework, together with new guidelines, provide order and improve the profile of many of the principles. Still, in spite of the clear blueprint for the theme, its principal objective and the methods, it remains difficult to distinguish the priorities. In addition, the scope of the fields concerned (the Plan of Action contains no less than sixty two recommendations) may represent an additional barrier to the effectiveness of the whole concept. However, the UN’s instruments remain a valuable source of inspiration and guidance for public policies with regard to ageing and elderly persons.

3.       The statistics regarding ageing are well known. Its forms and economic and financial consequences are the subject-matter of specific research by the Parliamentary Assembly and a report will be devoted to this question. However, it is worthwhile to mention certain aspects of ageing in the current report. The OECD’s studies (see, for example, the publication Maintaining prosperity in an ageing society, OECD, 1998) estimate that there are currently still three working persons for one pensioner in its member states (this ratio was four to one in 1960). Once the baby-boomer generation has gradually left the workplace (in about ten years), this ratio will become seriously out of balance: by 2030, the retired population will have increased by 50% and two working people will have to produce enough wealth to finance one retired person. This retired population will live longer than it does today and will require considerable expensive, high-quality care at an advanced age. Even the hospitals in Strasbourg, a university city in a privileged country, are already experiencing difficulties in meeting the demand for care of the elderly (Information provided by the AEASHS, the European Association of Welfare and Health Assistants).

4.       This trend has also been predicted by the Council of Europe, and its experts have observed that “much will have to be done in most countries to try and adapt the supply of services in the year 2020 to the expected demand for these services” (Jenny de Jong-Gierveld and Hanna van Solinge: Ageing and its consequences for the socio-medical system, Population Studies Series No. 29, Directorate of Social and Economic Affairs, Council of Europe Publishing, 1995, p. 88).

5.       Again according to the OECD, a smaller proportion of the population in employment will have important social and economic consequences:

6.       In central and eastern Europe, important and more or less radical changes have already taken place during the transition period. In fact, in certain countries, the situation of elderly people – but also of other population groups – has become alarming. In addition, armed conflicts have sometimes worsened the situation. Two major factors can also be added (Le Courrier des pays de l’Est, La Documentation française, No. 428-429, March/April/May 1998):

7.       However, there is yet another factor that is likely to worsen the situation in the coming years. An individual’s professional career has become much less stable than in the past, due to a number of factors: late entry to working life, insecure jobs and contracts, business restructuring and reorganisation against a background of increased international competitiveness, unemployment, redundancy, etc. It follows that the individuals affected may experience resultant difficulties at the time of retirement, even if they manage to fulfil all the conditions for a pension.

8.       All these changes, whether they have already taken place or are still only envisaged, entail threats for both older persons and social cohesion. Protection of the new elderly is merely one aspect of a general reflection on the future of the “third age”. The Assembly proposes a three-pronged approach: Protection, Participation, Promotion. These three themes are inseparable, since, for example, participation can only occur if retired and elderly persons are released from the burden of the specific threats facing them and if their sense of dignity is returned via another image of themselves.

9.       Through its various directorates, the Council of Europe is already acting, directly or indirectly, on behalf of elderly persons. It is now a matter of encouraging the continuation of what is already begun. In this respect, medium- or long-term approaches are of interest, since they make it possible to monitor the development of situations and draw up proposals that

take these changes into account, instead of just issuing statements. Research into the circumstances of elderly persons covers so many aspects that long-term study, preferably including all 41 member states, is essential if they are to be understood.

10.       Similarly, the Council of Europe acknowledges the interest and effectiveness of existing long-term approaches that include monitoring, particularly in the area of social and economic affairs. Examples include annual reports on the development of social protection and, more recently, a programme for childhood. The objectives of this sector, through the Directorate of Social and Economic Affairs (DASE, which, inter alia, assists the European Committee for Social Cohesion), are currently being redefined: this is therefore an appropriate moment to take account of new ideas that will enable studies to extend further than dependency or family relations, even if these are major themes.

11.       Finally, the experiences of various countries in the area of policy or initiatives for retired or elderly persons should be collected and made available to others: such an approach would enable examples of good practice to be highlighted. For example, in the area of housing, the Abbeyfield houses seem to have managed to combine autonomy and dependency for the very old. Created in the United Kingdom in 1956, this initiative has spread to about twenty countries. Abbeyfield provides houses in which around a dozen people live together, with the assistance of volunteers and in line with a specific charter of quality which guarantees a good social life, care, a reasonable rent, premises which are adapted to their needs, safety, etc. In Belgium, a similar initiative has been created for physically handicapped elderly persons, and is known as Cantou: it aims to offer a human and family dimension in places of accommodation, a social framework where the participation of each member plays an important role. Care attendants and volunteers are also involved (source: CLEIRPPA’s Années magazine, No. 253, November 1998). These prime examples of good housing initiatives could be singled out for praise and emulation if they were sought out and publicised by a body created for that purpose.

12.       The principle of observation is also valid at national level. To mark the International Year of Older Persons, some countries have set up bodies to co-ordinate the various events. Thus, Spain has brought together representatives from central government, local and autonomous regions and members of associations for the elderly within a National Committee. One might imagine (and hope) that bodies of this kind will continue to exist beyond 1999.

13.       In the same spirit, research also plays an important role. Ministries could either directly fund projects or university research centres which deal with elderly persons and gerontology, or do so indirectly, by supporting foundations that fund such research. The “Leonardo Foundation – for a healthy and socially useful old age” was recently set up in Italy, bringing together three already-existing organisations. This support for research is rightly commended by the UN Action Plan.

A. PROTECTION

14.       This is a matter of reaffirming the importance of individual rights, as well as drawing attention to the existing guidelines on elderly persons, so that these texts are taken into consideration in an ordered manner, and examined in parallel rather than produced one after another.

15.       The European Social Charter lists a number of general rights which, on account of their generous wording, also apply to persons who are no longer working: in addition, elderly persons receive particular attention in the case law of the monitoring bodies. Thus, Section II of the Charter lists genuine commitments that will be followed-up and monitored: articles 11 to 14 require that the rights to health, to social security, to social and medical assistance and to social services are guaranteed and include specific measures. Most importantly, Article 4 of the 1988 Protocol is specifically devoted to elderly persons and contains a commitment on the part of the parties to “to enable elderly persons to remain full members of society for as long as possible (…)” and “to choose their life-style freely and to lead independent lives in their familiar surroundings(…)”. This article is also accompanied by a number of measures aimed at making these rights a reality.

16.       The mechanism of the Social Charter (in the wide sense) is an important tool for protecting retired or elderly persons. However, the scope of the commitment entered into by each state (and therefore the scope of monitoring) is chosen “à la carte”, as each state decides which undertakings it will respect. In addition, due to the ratification system, the field of application of the texts is sometimes limited:

17.       The European Code of Social Security and the Revised Code also contain a section (V) that concerns old age benefits. This represents an important instrument of protection for retired and elderly persons.

18.       One issue that has barely been dealt with to date is the threats which elderly persons face on account of their vulnerability, frequent isolation and solitary lives. Whether moving about in the streets, living alone or in a dependent situation, elderly persons represent an easy target for various forms of crime, fraud and abuse of trust: snatched handbags, unscrupulous door-to-door salespersons or artisans, a “trustworthy” neighbour who looks after the shopping and pays the bills, persons posing as employees of electricity companies, property speculators who send round henchmen to scare long-term tenants and force them to leave, guardians or housekeepers who run up debts, etc. Such activities are very frequent, generally inadequately prevented or punished, and do not exclusively concern urban environments. They contribute to a climate of fear and a feeling of isolation among elderly persons. Mistreatment within the family or an institution is also a real phenomenon, and as it mainly affects persons with health problems and generally is generally committed by persons in the immediate circle, it is sometimes hard to detect. Society ought to create competent surveillance networks to ensure that detection takes place (The Mistreatment of Elderly People, Ed. by P. Decalmer & F. Glendenning, 1995).

19.       In addition to the normal problems of an ageing society, the introduction of the Euro could give rise in some countries to a particular wave of fraud against the most elderly. Civil society has already created initiatives to limit the risks. In France, the National Committee for Retired and Elderly Persons has planned a huge campaign to raise awareness of these problems, in association with local authority social centres and associations for home assistance. A summary document containing information will also be distributed to nation associations for retired persons (source: Euro Linkage, Le Bulletin, November 1998).

B. PARTICIPATION

20.       In Europe, the moment of retirement is traditionally associated with an exit from the “system” and from society. Nowadays, this is often a painful time, either on account of its suddenness and the life changes that it implies (loss of work friends, inactivity, change in legal status, reduction in income), the fear of change -a genuine phenomenon), or by the fear of change, or even by the fact that it is taking place against the interested person’s will. Without bringing up the issue of a “brain-drain”, it is hard not to mention the very recent case of a French astronaut. This individual was forced to retire at the age of sixty, clearly in perfect health, and because of this decided to try and pursue his career in the United States (where the rules are more flexible), where he became a project head in the framework of the future international space station! Likewise, one cannot but mention the splendid opening speech made by the Moroccan Minster of Health, Mr R Rahali, at a conference held in Mohammedia. Mr. Rahali offered persuasive arguments regarding how modern stress levels were reduced by the Scandinavian practice of a gradual retirement (with a gradual reduction in daily working hours) (Ecology and Ageing, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Social Gerontology, 12-16 December 1978, International Centre for Social Gerontology, Paris).

21.       Following the example of the International Federation on Ageing, NGOs show greater flexibility with regard to retirement age and recognise the importance of the individual’s preferences in deciding when to retire. This flexibility ought to apply not only to the age at which a person stops his or her working life, but also to the maximum age for taking up a post. For example, the association Eurolink Age has welcomed the examples of the European Commission and Parliament, which have decided to move gradually in this direction; in January 1998 and with immediate effect, the maximum recruitment age was extended from 35 to 45 years on an experimental basis (Eurolink Age: Annual Report 1997-1998, p.9).

22.       In this area, sociology also demonstrates that age is a social construction, to the extent that “old” is a label applied by society without a specific basis (for example, why would a 65-year-old be "old” while a 64-year-old might not be?). Traditional patterns lead to a situation of inequality for the section of the population randomly categorized as “elderly”, as already referred to in the section “Protection”. This time, however, it is on account of the image and status linked with old age (John A. Vincent, ibid, p.97).

23.       Re-examination of age criteria is one aspect of the question. In fact, to give substance to the right to remain working, and bearing in mind the realities of the labour market, it is clear that in-service training should remain accessible at any age, in order to enable the individual to grow, to specialise, or to acquire useful professional skills. This aspect is also supported by the NGO representatives.

24.       There is currently a very high demand for information about retirement conditions from persons who are approaching this stage. Some large companies or administrations occasionally forestall these requests by organising information meetings themselves.

25.       There is another argument in favour of a more active modern retirement: many of those who have just retired look for people who might benefit from their wish to use their free time and charitable desires for the good of others (often more elderly than themselves). Thus, for example, amateur musicians offer to play in retirement homes, and recent experiments have brought together retired teachers and young people in the context of educational support.

26.       Organisational activities and participation by elderly or retired persons in local or national decision-making are very important. In countries where families do not usually include more than two generations under a single roof, these organisations represent a means for elderly persons to remain socially integrated, and also to share their concerns and support social initiatives set up to help them. In Germany and England, where associations for older people are numerous and very active, elderly persons are enjoying the opportunity to fulfil themselves outside their families.

27.       In some countries, very specific and successful attempts have been made to bring different generations closer. A good example of this can be seen in business sectors in Germany. In addition, the growing interest in rediscovering traditional cooking, local products, literature on local traditions and “old-style” crafts (to give only a few examples) corresponds to more than a need to return to one’s roots and values: it also demonstrates the existence of an economic market. Older persons’ knowledge can therefore represent a source of income or employment for those who are able to appreciate and use it.

28.       The use of tools such as the Internet could be another way of combating the isolation of elderly persons, facilitating their contacts with society, and enabling them to obtain any information that particularly interests them. Convincingly successful experiments have been conducted, chiefly in Germany, by introducing elderly people to this service and to computers at the same time. Indeed, there are already Internet sites aimed at older persons.

29.       Finally, the task of re-examining participation by older persons meets another contemporary need: that of consideration for the future of inter-generational relationships. Raising awareness among current generations, including those currently in employment, will enable them to prepare their own futures, utilising options for professional retirement other than those now in use.

30.       It is true that until now, the entire issue of elderly persons has been tackled exclusively from the perspective of the individual as the holder and beneficiary of certain rights, and much more rarely in terms of a holder of obligations. In its declaration on the rights and responsibilities of elderly persons, the International Federation on Ageing (which enjoys consultative status at, inter alia, the Council of Europe and the United Nations) has listed a number of rules committing elderly persons to active behaviour patterns1, stating that “as long as health and personal circumstances permit, older persons should try:

31.       The question of how such obligations should be put into practice remains difficult to resolve. However, the fact of making older people aware that, in addition to rights, they have obligations towards themselves, society and other generations is an attractive idea, in the context of encouraging them to make efforts and obliging certain individuals to abandon passive behaviour patterns of withdrawal and isolation. In addition, the more active older people are induced to become, the more welcome and appreciated in society they will be, thus leading to self-promotion.

C.       PROMOTION

32.       This report has made it clear that the situation of a person who is no longer in employment is frequently identified with old age and uselessness, with a corresponding image that remains for the most part negative.

33.       As the Secretary General of the United Nations has pointed out “the prejudices with regard to older persons – which are cultivated by the media, since their programmes are almost exclusively aimed at young people - result in older persons continuing to be confined to a ghetto. This is harmful to society and, of course, to young people as they themselves grow older” (Preparations for 1999, International Year of Older Persons, Report of the Secretary General, 26 August 1998).

34.       These social prejudices are the cause of some of the fears associated with this transition, and sometimes of an individual’s wish to postpone this moment for as long as possible, possibly adding to the generation divide and certainly to a self-demeaning process in persons who have retired from productive work (in its traditional, narrow definition).

35.       It has often been suggested that the role of the media with regards to elderly people should be that of providing an arena for discussing their problems; it has rarely been put forward that the media should share responsibility for helping to create another image of the elderly -- one that would respect their dignity. An improved image of retirement and of elderly persons, showing their potential contribution, would make the transition and post-retirement period easier. It will be necessary to involve the media, intellectuals, public figures and a number of other “resources” in the activities, programmes and campaigns that aim to convince public opinion, as well as elderly persons themselves, that the “third age” is not what it has been portrayed as, and that it has a role to play. Certain initiatives by civil society are working towards this, often in the framework of the International Year. For example, the Spanish NGOs for elderly persons are planning to conclude agreements with various sectors, including the media.

36.       It is widely known that perceptions of the individual and of his or her image are also based on the words used. A non-demeaning vocabulary is an effective method of reinforcing promotion efforts. This is already the case in Germany, where the media and organisations for elderly persons generally use the concept “senior citizens”, and where age is not necessarily the key term used to describe their meetings. Thus, cultural or charitable organisations exist with names such as the “Wednesday Club”, because activities are normally held on that day.

37.       Owing to their role as interlocutors for individuals and managers of social affairs, public authorities also exert a strong influence on the image of social groups: their public services are thus important instruments in employment and vocabulary. In Strasbourg, France, efforts have been made to take this into account: a “Maison des Aînés” (Centre for Older Persons) and “guide for senior citizens” have been created to respond to the needs of the elderly in the social and cultural aspects of their lives. In addition, the “Saphir card” facilitates mobility for elderly persons, and “Info Senior” is a service providing specific information and administrative assistance to this particular group.

CONCLUSION

38.       This report, in support of a contribution by the Parliamentary Assembly to the International Year of Older Persons 1999, has drawn attention to the prospects associated with population ageing in Europe. These call for a response that will match the scale of the challenge:

39.       A description of elderly persons’ problems from the inevitably over-simplistic perspective of “protection”, “participation” and “promotion” should assist in giving them adequate consideration and in illustrating the links between the three sets of concepts:

40.       Indeed, this last point leads us to wish that the right to dignity would be clearly backed up by greater respect for older persons, particularly in public life and in terms of the image projected of them.

41.       Finally, the International Year of Older Persons has provided an opportunity for various frequently original initiatives by both national governments and civil society. This report, covering an entire continent, has made no attempt to list them. However, many of these initiatives deserve to be encouraged and supported, with a vision that extends beyond 1999. This is also the wish of the United Nations.

Reporting committee: Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee.

Budgetary implications: none.

Reference to committee: Doc. 8157 and Reference No. 2312 of 21 September 1998.

Draft recommendation unanimously adopted by the committee on 2 June 1999.

Members of the committee: Mr Cox, (Chairman), Mr Weyts, Mrs Ragnarsdottir, Mr Gross (Vice-Chairs), Mrs Albrink, MM. Alis Font, Arnau, Mrs Belohorska, Mrs Biga-Friganovic, Mrs Björnemalm, Mrs Böhmer, MM. Christodoulides, Chyzh, Dees, Dhaille (Alternate: Mr About), Duivesteijn, Evin, Flynn, Mrs Gatterer, MM. Gibula, Gregory, Gusenbauer, Haack, Hancock, Hegyi, Mrs Høegh, Mrs Hornikova, Mrs Jirousova, Mr Kalos, Mrs Kulbaka, Mrs Laternser, Mr Liiv, Mrs Lotz, Mrs Luhtanen, Mr Lupu, Mrs Markovska, MM. Marmazov, Martelli, Mattéi, Mozgan, Mularoni, Mrs Näslund, MM. Niza, Paegle, Poças Santos, Mrs Poptodorova, Mrs Pozza Tasca, Mrs Pulgar, MM. Raskinis, Regenwetter, Rizzi, Sharapov, Silay, Sincai, Skoularikis, Mrs Stefani, MM. Surján, Tahir, Valkeniers, Vella, Mrs Vermot-Mangold, MM. Volodin, Voronin, Wójcik, Yürür.

NB:       The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.

Secretaries to the committee: Mr Perin, Mrs Meunier and Mrs Clamer.

1 Source: The IFA’s Internet site. http://www.ifa-fiv.org/mfa1.htm