Toolkit for civil society - PowerPoint Presentation

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Toolkit for civil society organisationsto respond to the EU consultationVersion of February 2021

AGE Platform Europe The voice of older persons at EU level

EU Green Paper on Ageing

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Structure

#1 Overview

– what it takes to respond to an EU public consultation

#2 Why – a few good reasons why your response to the consultation is important#3 What – proposal of responses in align with our vision of ageing for Europe#4 When, where, how – practicalities of your response to a public consultationCredit: Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

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1- Summary

Before

: PREPARE

During: SUBMITAfter: COMMUNICATE

Read the Green Paper

Attend the webinar

organised

on 4 March with the EU Commission

Draft a response to the consultation using (if you wish) suggestions provided by AGE

Encourage others to do the same to increase our critical mass

Submit your response

in your language

Download a copy of your response (PDF format)

Promote your key messages on your website and/or via a press release

Share your web article or press release on social media with the hashtag #AgeingEqual (*)

(*) Hashtags help us keep track of your communications

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Where can I find the green paper, Mrs. Suica

?

https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/green-paper-ageing-fostering-solidarity-and-responsibility-between-generations_enThe Green Paper is available in the 22 official languages of the EU

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2-

Why is your response important?A bit of context…A green paper is a document published to stimulate discussion. A public consultation on a green paper invites interested parties to give their views on a topic.

Once the consultation closes,

the European Commission will analyse the responses and give directions for the future.

All views count:

Both in quality and in quantity!

The responses to the consultation will help acknowledging the importance of the topic.

You are a piece of the puzzle!

You don’t have to respond to all 17 questions of the consultation. But your point of view and expertise, even on a few of topics, will help moving forward.

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Interactions between the national and the European level

A number of topics in the Green Paper are national or regional competences. Responding to the consultation can reinforce your advocacy effort at national level.For example: Your contribution can build on the work you do at national/regional level. Vice versa, you can use your response to the consultation to provoke a debate at national/regional level or to advocate for a stronger link between the policies developed at EU, national and regional levels.

Synergies with other dossiers

You can use the content of your contribution for other processes or vice-versa base your contribution on the work done in other fora. For example: The 4th review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), coordinated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), will start in 2021 at national level. Each country will submit its report on policies and programmes taken to implement the MIPAA.

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3- What can you respond?

This section provides a proposal of response to the consultation. It is presented in three parts:

The overall spirit of our contribution

Inspiration from AGE vision and mission Specifics of our responses to the consultationHints to address the questions of the consultation based on previous works  bearing in mind our final contribution is not yet ready!Beyond the questions: annexes and next steps

Our proposal of follow-up to the Green Paper on Ageing

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Anchored in AGE vision…

And mission…Endorsing the life-course approach of the WHO…

And breaking the silos….

Our approach

Inclusive society for all ages

, based on solidarity and cooperation between generations, where everyone is empowered to participate fully and enjoy life in full respect of their rights while fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.

Celebrating

ageing

as one of the greatest achievements of the humankind, we

challenge ageism

and seek opportunities to allow everyone to live full lives and age in dignity.

People’s and communities’ health outcomes depend on the interaction of multiple protective and risk

factors throughout our lives

. Such an approach recognizes that both past and present experiences are shaped by the wider social, economic and cultural context one lives in.

A true mainstreaming of ageing issues across EU policies and initiatives is crucial to embrace the

complexity of people’s lives

and environments.

AGE Contribution to the roadmap for the Green Paper on Ageing (Dec. 2020):

https://www.age-platform.eu/policy-work/news/eu-green-paper-ageing-what-should-be

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General advice

Rights, autonomy and independence(See Q7, Q8)

Solidarity between generations

(See Q4, Q6, Q9, Q13)

Our hints to answer the questions (1/6)

Be specific and concrete:

what can the EU do? What added value can the EU bring? Do not hesitate to illustrate with examples from your country.

We call for a human-rights based approach

, to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights of everyone. A right to autonomy, independence, choice, control and legal capacity should aim to ensure the full, effective and meaningful participation of older persons in social, cultural, economic, public and political life and educational and training activities.

General guidelines on a human-rights based approach

(Nov. 2020)

AGE Input to the UN

Open Ending Working Group

on Autonomy and Independence

(Feb. 2019)

Going beyond intergenerational fairness:

a new intergenerational contract is needed to support equality and social justice between and for all generations. We need to be imaginative and involve people of all ages in reinventing our world, putting humankind and our planet at the heart of our societies. 

Declaration General Assembly

(June 2019)

Joint Press Release with European Youth Forum

(April 2020)

Joint article with European Youth Forum

(Nov. 2020)

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Employment

(See Q3, Q4)

Life-long learning

(See Q2)

Our hints to answer the questions (2/6)

Full implementation of the EU Employment Equality Directive

, fighting against ageism in the workplace including in access to training, intergenerational transfer of knowledge, etc.

Age-friendly/healthy working conditions

Attention put to flexible end-of-career opportunities

Support to informal carers

(gender dimension)

AGE work for the 20th anniversary of the Employment Directive

(Sept. 2020)

AGE Contribution to the European Semester 2020

(2020)

Address the obstacles:

age discrimination, accessibility in terms of geographical location/mobility options as well as in terms of format and content of the learning opportunities (incl. for online learning content), costs.

Encourage digital training

attendance in places where older people live, incl. but not limited to long-term care services or public libraries.

AGE contribution to the EU Digital Education Plan

(Oct. 2020)

AGE Input to UN Open Ending Working Group on Education, life-long learning, training and capacity building

(Feb. 2019)

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Poverty, adequate income, and pensions

(See Q10, Q11, Q12)

Our hints to answer the questions (3/6)

Proposing a Framework for universal access to the accrual of pension rights

, including for men and women, self-employed, and persons in new forms of employment following these

EU Council Conclusions

Continue Pension Adequacy Reports

as

performed

by the EU Commission

Follow-up on the recommendations

of the high-level group on supplementary pensions whose

final report

was released in Dec. 2019

Issue a Recommendation

on Social Protection and Services for Informal Carers to support their income protection and pension rights

Develop reference budgets

using baskets of goods and services adapted to specific sub-groups; reference budgets should also take account of non-monetary aspects, such as access to health and long-term care services, education and long-life learning, decent housing, leisure and social activities or civic participation

Refer to the relative poverty threshold

to debate minimum incomes

AGE contribution to the European Pillar of Social Rights

(Nov. 2020)

AGE Barometer 2019

– Chapter on Adequate income (2019)

AGE Contribution to the Pension Adequacy Report

(2018)

European Minimum Income Network

(Project, 2013-2014)

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Long-term care

(See Q13, Q14)

Our hints to answer the questions (4/6)

Agree on EU-wide quality and access indicators

for LTC and support

Set compulsory access targets

, similarly to the Barcelona targets adopted in childcare in 2002 to measure progress in access to LTC and support

Develop strategies for the implementation of integrated care

, meaning within and between health and social care services.

Introduce measures to support informal carers

, including support and respite services (+ income protection, see previous slide)

Bind Member States to improve working conditions in the care sector

Enforce existing regulations on care quality

in the running of private for-profit care services, incl. assessing the possibilities for action at EU level

Put forward a legislative initiative for the convergence of Member States in the field of care

, scrutinized via both a specific monitoring framework as well as via the European Semester and its social scoreboard

Ensure that earmarked investments in long-term care are included

within the EU funding instruments, notably the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the future European Social Fund+ and the EU4Health Programme and aligned with EU policy objectives and legislative proposal.

AGE contribution to the European

Pillar

of Social

Rights

(Nov. 2020)

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Social isolation

and loneliness (See Q16)

Our hints to answer the questions (5/6)

Recognise and

adequately address the

differences…

(1)

between social and emotional loneliness; and (2) between social isolation and exclusion

Address the various risk factors

of loneliness and social isolation

by proposing a structural and multi-level approach

Involve isolated persons when defining a tailor-made support

, so that they have ownership of the process and contribute from their perspective

Introduce proofing against loneliness

to enhance the overall coherence of policy making, its actions and interventions, e.g. what would be the impact of deinstitutionalisation toward community-based care or dematerialisation/digitalisation of local services

Adopt a life-cycle approach

to understand

how exclusion evolves across the life span and assess

the causes and implications of old-age exclusion

Ensure synergies between institutional, professional and voluntary actors

 and all levels of intervention – successful strategies to fight old-age loneliness require a coordinated and forward-looking approach

AGE-ROSEnet Seminar on reducing old-age social exclusion

(April 2019)

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Healthy Ageing

(See Q1)Age-friendly environments: - accessibility,

- digitalisation,

- mobility, - housing (See Q7, Q15, Q17) Our hints to answer the questions (6/6)

Adding life to years

by ensuring smooth cooperation between States,

the EU and the UN during the

UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)

.

Enabling physical and digital environments

are crucial to support autonomy and independence. AGE supports the

WHO age-friendly approach

.

Accessibility through design-for-all

: the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the EU and its Member States,

applies to mobility, the built environment (incl. outdoor spaces, housing, etc.), and access to services (incl. online). Enforcement of EU law and development of accessibility standards is key to make inclusive environments a reality.

Mobility is essential

to enable participation and social inclusion (refer to concepts of door to door, link with air pollution and shift to public transport).

Housing must adapt

across life for people to remain active in their community; innovations can help to design alternatives to residential care, prevent energy poverty and tackle the climate crisis.

AGE response to EU consultation on passengers’ rights

(2017)

AGE summary on the climate crisis and older people

(2019)

Report of the Homes4Life Project

(2020)

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Why such proposal?

To change the narrative around ageing

and show how to apply

a rights-based approach into practiceTo make the best of the current political momentum (incl. Key reports and statements at EU and UN level following the impact of COVID-19, EU Council Conclusion of October 2020 of the rights and participation of older people in the digital era,

Trio Presidency Declaration of December 2020 on Ageing

, etc.)

To ensure coherence

in the way ageing is addressed across EU policies (mainstreaming) and a meaningful coordination with other

EU equality strategies (e.g. Gender Equality Strategy, Disability Rights Strategy, LGBTIQ Equality strategy, Victims’ Rights Strategy, etc.)

In addition to our responses, we will call on the European Commission to give a follow-up with a White Paper. And our plan is to attach a concrete suggestion : proposal for an EU Age Equality Strategy

Beyond the questionnaire: our proposal

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Draft outline for an EU Age Equality Strategy

Ageism and non-discrimination

Participation

Employment and skills

Adequate income

Health and long-term care

Mainstreaming and coordination within and between EU bodies

International agenda

For each of these seven sections, we aim at proposing concrete actions the EU could set up based on existing policy positions of AGE. A very first draft version is available

here

and will be further developed and adapted during the next two months.

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[All topics]

AGE Manifesto for the European elections 2019[All Topics] AGE Barometer (Editions 2019 and 2020)[Ageing and Gender]

Joint statement to improve status of older women in Europe and worldwide (2021)

[Ageing and Disability] AGE contribution for the EU Disability Rights Strategy (2020)[COVID-19] Recovery report (June 2020) and Impact on Human Rights report (May 2020)[Digital literacy] DIGITOL report and AGE Response to the EU Consultation on Digital Education

(2020)

Additional AGE key

ressources

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4-

When, where, how can you respond?

WHEN

WHEREHOW

Consultation opened:

27 January 2021

Consultation closes:

21 April 2021

Online

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12722-Green-Paper-on-Ageing

See technical guidance

at the end of the PowerPoint

(possible to respond in

your national language)

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1/

Access the public consultation…

and choose

your languagehttps://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12722-Green-Paper-on-Ageing

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2/

Scroll downuntil you

see this

yellow button

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3/

Scroll down AGAIN until you

see this

other yellow button

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4/

Login with an ECAS account

(it

is not possible to respond without it)

Option 1

You

already

have

an ECAS

account

Option 2

You

need

to

create

an ECAS

account

(*)

(*) for

any

technical

support, do not

hesitate

to contact Julia

julia.wadoux@age-platform.eu

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You now

REALLY have

access to the consultation!

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5/

Download a PDF if you want to have the questionnaire in a single file to share with others for example

6/Save a draft

if you want to work in several steps without loosing content

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7/

Scroll downto choose the

language of your

response

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8/

For each question, you

have max. 2500 characters, spaces

included (more or less half a page). The system is smart and will let you know if your answer is too long!

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9/

Do not forget to attach

an annex(one file only

)

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10/

Submit and download a PDF copy of your

submission

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Thanks for responding!

Do not forget to share your contribution with #AgeingEqual

and with AGE Secretariat

Contact person: Julia.Wadoux@age-platform.eu

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Want to know more about us?

Register to

our newsletter on www.age-platform.euFollow us on social media and

AGE work is co-funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of AGE Platform Europe and cannot be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.