European Year 2012: Towards an

age-friendly EU

Alice SinigagliaAGE Platform EuropeCrete, May 2012

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The EY2012 Campaign: a brief introduction

• A Coalition of more than 50 stakeholders working together to promote a society for all ages

• A joint Manifesto for an Age-Friendly EU by 2020 calling for a Covenant of Mayors on demographic change and a EU Network on Age-Friendly Environments

• A joint Roadmap with concrete actions to be implemented in 2012

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Our goal: promote Age-Friendly Environments

Age-friendly environments:

• play a crucial role in enabling older people to remain healthy and actively involved in their communities

• help lower the disability threshold and influence positively the number of years one can expect to spend in good health (HLYs)

• are based on concept of Design-for-All that help respond to the needs of all age groups in fair and sustainable ways

How to create an age-friendly EU by 2020

at EU level: Launch a European Covenant of Mayors on demographic change and use momentum of EIP-AHA to promote age-friendly environments across the EU

at national level: launch national programmes to support local and regional actors wishing to promote age-friendly environments

at local/regional level: join AGE virtual network on age-friendly environments and adhere to European Covenant of Mayors on Demographic Change when set up

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Why a EU Covenant of Mayors on demographic Change

• will create the political framework to mobilise local and regional authorities to launch programmes to create age-friendly environments and a society for all ages

• based on a voluntary commitment by signatories: local and regional authorities and other stakeholdesr (NGOs, industry, researchers, etc.)

• promote innovative solutions to Europe’s demographic challenge

• Will help coordinate local action on AFE with relevant EU policy processes

AGE Action in support of age-friendly environments

• As an institutional affiliate to WHO, AGE will promote WHO AFE platform

• In response to EIP-AHA, AGE will set up a EU virtual network on AFE to connect interested parties and campaign to get EU Covenant of Mayors on Demographic Change

• Will promote Design-for-All in discussions on EU Accessibility Act

• As partner of a series of research projects, AGE will promote the messages of the EY2012 Campaign through the projects

Recent developments

• 4 May 2012: CoR opinion on 'Active Ageing: Innovation – Smart Health – Better Lives' (drafted by Arnoldas Abramavicius)

• 10-11 May 2012: AGE General Assembly and the EC speech

• 12 May 2012: WHO Global and WHO Europe met to discuss about their involvement in the EIP

Interested to join our campaign on AFE?

Join our virtual network for an Age-Friendly European Union by 2020!

You can register here: www.age-platform.eu

Join our commitment to the EIP!

Send us a short description of what you propose to do to promote age-friendly

 environments

Other interesting news on the framework of the EY2012

EY2012 award scheme for local and regional authorities

''We will be looking for the most remarkable and inspiring effort that contributes to making active ageing a reality'' Lenia Samuel

More details will be available by end of May on the EY2012 website

Thank you for your attention!

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AGE Platform EuropeRue Froissart 1111040 Bruxelles – Belgique

Alice SinigagliaE-mail: alice.sinigaglia@age-platform.eutel. : +32.2.280.14.70fax : +32.2.280.15.22www.age-platform.eu