Active Ageing Policy in Europe: From Idea to Implementation
February 17th, 2005, Cracow, Poland

This workshop is organised in the context of ActivAge.

Frame of reference

In coming years, European societies will increasingly feel the strains of demographic ageing. Projected demographic imbalances between the generations are likely to have profound effects on European labour markets, social protection systems, health care systems, and societal integration as a whole. As a result, many commentators argue that European social models, mainly based on Bismarckian social insurance mechanisms, can no longer cope and that it is time for radical structural reform, preferably along the lines of more market-oriented systems.

Within the last decade or so, policy-makers in most European countries have listened to these voices and have, albeit to varying degrees, tried to ready European social models for the challenges of demographic ageing. Yet, despite persuasive arguments in favour of radical reform, formidable institutional and political barriers built into European social models have made radical restructuring unfeasible. Quite apart from these inherent institutional limits, though, it is not altogether clear that a radical departure from the social insurance model alone is a panacea for the problems of demographic ageing. In addition to the demonstrably modest impacts of many welfare state reforms on actual behaviour (e.g. raising retirement ages), the potential implications of radical reforms for social justice and social equity have been unpalatable for many European policy actors.

How, then, are European policy-makers to face the challenge of demographic ageing? Apart from reforms of the social protection and health policy mechanisms themselves, many policy actors, particularly at the European level, have argued in favour of a more broadly based and holistic policy approach. Rather than relying on either conventional welfare state institutions or market incentives, these policy actors, most notably the European Commission, have called for a more comprehensive policy agenda based on the concept of active ageing. Such a policy agenda would initiate and sustain a “…process of optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance the quality of life as people age” (WHO, 2002, p.12).

A cursory glance at policy responses to ageing reveals that policy-makers in different European countries seem to at least appreciate the potential benefits of active ageing. Yet appreciation (and occasionally even enthusiasm) for active ageing has not necessarily stimulated policy action. Even in countries that boast an explicit active ageing or senior citizen policy agenda, the gap between policy objectives and policy implementation is considerable.

The one-day workshop will explore the reasons why this should be the case. Within a comparative analytical framework, the presentations of the workshop will identify barriers to active ageing in European labour markets, pension systems, and health provision. In particular, the presentations and discussions will shed light on the relationship between reform trajectories in each sector and active ageing policy agendas. Ultimately, the workshop aims not only to identify socio-institutional barriers to active ageing but also to frame and initiate a debate on how to overcome these barriers at national or European level.

Agenda

09:00 - 09:15	Welcome and Introduction Jolanta Perek-Bialas and Steven Ney (ICCR)
09:15 - 10:00	European Active Ageing Strategy Fritz von Nordheim-Nielsen (European Commission)
10:00 - 10:30	Coffee Break
10:30 - 11:15	Active ageing and Labour Market Hannu Piekkola (ETLA); Discussant: Stephen McNair (CROW)
11:15 - 12:00	Active Ageing and Pension Systems Karl Hinrichs, (ZeS); Discussant: Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak (Ministry of Labour and Social Policy)
12:00 - 12:30	Coffee Break
12:30 - 13:15	Active Ageing and Health Care Systems Les Mayhew (CITY University); Discussant: Perri 6 (Health Services Management Centre, Birmingham University)
13:15 - 15:00	Lunch
15:00 - 15:45	Active Ageing and Civil Society Michal Arend (econcept); Discussant: Anne-Sophie Parent (AGE, Belgium)
15:45 - 17:00	Panel Discussion: Overcoming Barriers and Seizing the Opportunities of Active Ageing in Europe Participants: Fritz von Nordheim-Nielsen (European Commission); Stephen McNair (CROW, UK); Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak (Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Poland); Perri 6 (Health Service Management Centre, UK); Anne-Sophie Parent (AGE, Belgium); Elke Tippelmann (BAGSO, Germany); Hans-Werner Wahl (Deutsches Zentrum für Altersforschung, Germany); Sara Arber (University of Surrey, UK); The ActivAge Team

Venue

Jagiellonian University, Collegium Novum
Senat Aula (1st Floor)
Golebia 24, Cracow, Poland

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