Please find below the document we used to invite European networks and other stakeholders to join
the EY2012 campaign during the summer 2011:
Join the EY2012 Coalition!
We want to make this Coalition stronger and we need your help!
The Coalition is open to all non-profit organisations that wish to participate in the 2012 European Year
for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations in order to promote a society for all ages .
Why we need your support?
Our aim is to join forces in order to promote an age-friendly European Union.
Together, we can be better informed, share examples of good practice and write higher quality policy
recommendations in order to best influence policy-makers.
If you join the EY2012 Coalition, you can help us:
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Develop policy recommendations that take into account the point of view of wide range of
stakeholders and age groups
Ensure that a growing number of stakeholders working at local, regional, national and European
level are mobilised to grab the opportunities that the European Year can bring them to create an
age-friendly environment across the EU
Ensure that the mobilisation spread across Europe and across different sectors
Strengthen the link with and between grass-roots organisations
How does the coalition work?
The EY2012 Coalition is an informal group that meets in Brussels about once per month and keeps
regular contact between meetings through e-mail in order to develop joint activities (press releases,
publications, lobbying documents). It works very closely with the European Commission and other
European Institutions (the European Parliament, the Council, the Committee of the Regions) in order to
ensure that the 2012 European Year will be more than an awareness-raising Year, and will be
spearheading political commitments.
As coalition leader AGE Platform Europe produces regular updates on the decision-making process and
on possible joint activities. AGE also keeps an active website, offering a space dedicated to good
practices and invites all interested contacts to promote their initiatives on the website of the European
Year (http://ec.europa.eu/social/ey2012.jsp).
How can you participate?
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Contact your European Year’s national coordinator to learn more about the activities that will
take place in your country on the occasion of the European Year.
Contact your MEP or your local and national policy makers. AGE brochure on the European
Institutions can give you some tips on how the European Parliament works.
If you work for a network or association, inform your members of your participation in the
coalition.
Use the knowledge gained through your membership in the coalition to reach out and influence
your decision makers
Share your experience and initiatives with the other members of the Coalition
Organise a meeting on the subject locally or regionally. AGE Platform Europe can assist you by
sending you promotional material.
Involve civil society in this debate. AGE brochure on promoting civil dialogue can provide you
with some tips.
Use the promotional material for your newsletter and to make a presentation to one of your
meetings or conferences.
Promote EY2012 through your email signatures, your websites and publications.
What are the benefits?
You will:
Keep informed on the latest development at EU and national levels in the field of active ageing and
solidarity between generations
Have a unique opportunity to advertise your initiatives on the EY2012 website and make your
organisation visible as a supporter of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity
Have your voice better heard in the field of active ageing and intergenerational solidarity
Help facilitate and initiate dialogues about active ageing, healthy ageing and intergenerational solidarity
at EU, national and local level
Working together with other partners with similar interests and goals
Become a member of the EY2012 Coalition!
EY2012 Campaign Planning (Summer 2011)
Who we are The EY2012 Coalition, led by AGE Platform Europe, currently brings together more than 20
partners who share a common vision of a society for all ages and see the European Year for Active
Ageing and Solidarity between Generations as an opportunity to address age discrimination and
demographic change in a way that is fair and sustainable for all ages.
The challenge Our society needs to adapt to meet the requirements of its ageing population. It will also
have to tackle the new difficulties faced by other age groups so that all generations will be able to
continue to support each other and to live together peacefully.
What needs to be done We have to review our policies and practices with regards to town planning,
rural development, public transport, access to health and log-term care, pension and social protection,
employment, civic participation, leisure, etc in order to create an age-friendly environment across the
EU.
Campaign Rationale The European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations will be an
important occasion to address demographic change as an opportunity and to consider innovative
solutions to the current economic and social challenges facing our ageing societies.
Our message Empowering older people to age in good health and to contribute more actively to the
labour market and to their communities, and to live longer independently will help us cope with our
demographic challenge in a way that is both fair and sustainable for all generations.
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What we have achieved so far The Coalition has already achieved a series of positive results:
Designation of 29 April as the European Day of Solidarity between Generations. Since 2007, the
Coalition has been raising public and political awareness of the importance of strengthening solidarity
and cooperation between generations to support social cohesion and ensure a fair and sustainable
society in today’s demographic context. As a result of its active lobbying, the 29th of April is now
celebrated as the EU Day of Solidarity between Generations.
Designation of 2012 as the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. In
the last few years, the Coalition campaigned to get 2012 declared European Year for Active Ageing and
Solidarity between Generations to mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Action Plan on
Ageing. Their call was heard and the European Commission made a proposal which was adopted by the
European Parliament and Council in June 2011.
A close and constructive cooperation with the European Commission and other European Institutions
(e.g. European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions). The Coalition is regularly consulted by
the European Commission and other European Institutions in order to contribute input in the
preparation of the European Year.
A growing number of stakeholders are involved. The coalition brings together partners representing
different and age groups and stakeholders (NGOs, companies, social partners, public authorities,
foundations, and service providers).
Practical tools. Every year, the Coalition produces publications and toolkits aimed at raising awareness
on the need of promoting active ageing and greater solidarity between generations. The documents also
provided stakeholders with recommendations and examples of best practice. For more information,
please click on the link below:
http://www.age-platform.eu/en/age-policy-work/solidarity-between-generations/campaign/928-usefullinks-publications-and-documentsAGE website is used as a platform to collect examples of good practice and commitments to promote
the European Day of Solidarity between Generations (29 April) and initiatives support active ageing in
employment, in the community and independent living
http://www.age-platform.eu/en/age-policy-work/solidarity-between-generations
The website of the European Year is now active and the coalition is inviting all interested contacts to
also post their initiative on that website(http://ec.europa.eu/social/ey2012.jsp?langId=en) or to send it
by email to: editor2EY2012@paueducation.com
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What next?
Our goals for the upcoming year: We would also like to encourage you to post your commitment on the
website of the year and make it visible. We aim at mobilising all relevant actors to commit to specific
actions and goals in the run-up to and during this European Year so that tangible results can be achieved
within the next decade for the creation of an age-friendly environment. That means:
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Making the labour market and workplace more inclusive of older people;
Supporting the active participation of all age groups in society and fostering greater solidarity
and cooperation between generations;
Promoting a positive image of older people and raising awareness of the huge contributions
they make to society and to their communities;
Reorganising our social protection systems to ensure that older people can enjoy a dignified life
even when dependency arises;
Adapting our urban environment and transport systems to the needs of our ageing population
and of groups with specific needs such as person with reduced mobility, parents with young
children, young people, etc;
Promoting the concept of Design-for-All to be applied to all mainstream goods and services to
ensure that that they are accessible to older people and to persons with disabilities;
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Reinforcing the protection of vulnerable dependent older people through the promotion of
quality long-term care.
Working together, we can achieve positive and lasting outcomes for people of all ages in the EU!
Long-term objectives The Coalition has identified the following long-term objectives:
The European Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the WHO-Europe should
pool their resources and coordinate their action to launch a European Strategy on active ageing and an
Age-Friendly EU to help the EU achieve its Europe 2020 objective to create smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth in the EU. The EU Strategy on Active Ageing should seek to coordinate better and build
synergies between existing EU policy processes and funding programmes and the UN policy instruments
and implementation programmes on ageing. It should also include new initiatives such as the creation of
an EU Age Friendly Environment Network which would provide support to local, regional and national
actors (public authorities, business sector, civil society organisations, etc.) seeking to foster active and
healthy ageing using the participatory methodology developed by WHO (Age Friendly Environment
guidelines) and relevant EU funding programmes.
The national policy makers should develop national/local pacts to promote age-friendly environments
in response to demographic change. Such pacts should seek to facilitate the involvement of a wide
range of national and local actors in the EU Age-Friendly Environment Network and to foster the
participation of all relevant stakeholders in the development of adequate and sustainable solutions for
our ageing population. All the other relevant stakeholders not incorporated with these national/local
pacts developed by these policy makers should become more involved in the process in order to
develop adequate and sustainable solutions for our ageing population.
The media should help promote a positive image of older people and reinforce solidarity between
generations
Activities
The Coalition will keep on lobbying policy makers at EU and national level through its members’
networks. Further communication activities (press packs and events) are also foreseen. A detailed
Roadmap and Manifesto will be launched by the end of the year.