AGE Platform Europe (formerly "AGE - the European Older People's Platform") is a European network created in January 2001 and which includes about 167 organisations of people over 50, and it represents directly more than 30 million elderly from the 28 European Union countries. Age is the result of a reflexion about the ways to improve and strengthen cooperation between the elderly’s organisations at a European level.
The AGE action aims to raise public and politicians’ awareness, both at a national level and in the Parliament and the European Commission, about the chances and challenges that emerge from the population’s ageing. AGE draws up adapted and strategic responses and assures the defence of the European elderly’s interests. Age is fund thanks to its members and to a subsidy received according to the European Union PROGRESS program.
AGE works in very varied sectors that have an effect on the elderly and pensioners’ life. AGE draws up an action plan destined to create favourable environments for the elderly, according to some key matters for the EU, including: Human rights and the fight against discrimination – Active citizenship and participation – Adapted incomes for the elderly – Fight against poverty and social exclusion – Healthy ageing – Decent ageing, mistreatment protection and engagement with long-term and quality care. AGE Platform also participates in several large-scale European projects.
Human rights and fight against discrimination
Our rights do not change with age, but the elderly often face negative and discriminatory attitudes and behaviours, especially in areas such as access to health care, employment, goods and services, information and education. Together with the assistance of experts, AGE Platform contributes to these essential areas.
Active citizenship and participation
AGE urges its Member States to foster a longer active life and to support any action that aims to improve employment among workers. This action is closely related with the existing discussions about the pensions’ reform. Since 1993, thanks to the Maastricht Treaty, any person originally from a Member State becomes a European Union citizen. The European citizenship’s objective is to strengthen and consolidate the European identity thanks to a greater collaboration of citizens for European integration. AGE and its group are also engaged with other European discussions about the pertinent national politics related to participative democracy, civil dialogue and civic engagement.
Fight against poverty and social exclusion
AGE pretends to raise awareness among the EU governments about the more vulnerable elderly’s social reality and follows the poverty and social exclusion evolution. Its aim is: to make sure Member States are totally aware about the risks of poverty specificity (related to the cycle of life) and to solve them with adapted measures. AGE Platform monitors closely and periodically the progresses made by the Member States according to the European engagement of eradicating poverty, as established in the Europe 2020 programme.
Healthy ageing
The Platform focuses on the two main actions carried out together with EMA’s (European Medicines Agency) collaboration, since AGE works actively with it.
Decent ageing – Protection against the elderly’s mistreatment – Engagement with long-term quality care
Since many years, AGE Platform, thanks to its experts and work groups’ help, questions the EU and presents concrete proposals whose objective is to prevent the elderly’s mistreatment and preserves its dignity facing the care and assistance needs. The exceptional actions and the recent development in this sector are important and show the increasing interest of the European Commission about making progress in the care and mistreatment field. Thanks to the coordination of its actions, AGE Platform became an undisputable reference in this sector. Two recent programs should be recalled.
EUSTACEA European document about the rights and responsibilities of the elderly that need long-term care and assistance.
WEDO Draws up a quality framework of the long-term care services and launches a European association for the elderly’s welfare and dignity.
AGE PLATORM and the EUROPEAN GROUP
Since its creation in 2001, our European Group joint the European Platform, since their action was inseparable and complementary for the members of the Board of Directors and for our deceased president, José LIDON.
Jean Claude Chretien
