Healthy ageing a European priority - Hoofdinhoud

Brussel, 15 april Socialists and Democrats consider the creation of a sustainable and creative Europe the most challenging and important issue for the future. Societal challenges are the focal point, demographic ageing being one of them. Said Dutch S&D MEP Judith Merkies who hosted a conference on healthy ageing: “We should stop seeing ageing as a threat and rather as an opportunity. There is the economic opportunity to innovative companies and a social challenge to bridge the health gap between rich and poor” “Our aim is to ensure that every person is able to participate in society to the full extent and duration of their lifetimes. Investing in this goal requires the active participation of all players and must start at the beginning of a life”. The conference keynote speaker was the Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan Quinn. She announced Healthy Ageing as the priority for European research: “Ageing Research is an area of great social, political and economic importance for the European Union. It is not the ageing of the population ‘per se’ that is the challenge but rather the challenge to keep older people healthy. Age-related diseases or disabilities represent major challenges for individuals and for societies. These challenges can only be confronted if innovative and multi-disciplinary approaches are taken”. Furthermore, the Commissioner for Research and Innovation announced that the Commission will have two formal working groups on the upcoming Research and Innovation Act. The Commissioner also wants to come in October this year with an output target for innovation. “Translating research result into products and to provide it to the public is a main task of the European Commission”, she said. John Dalli, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy also emphasized during conference: “Poor people should not suffer from poor health. Healthy Ageing is high on the EU agenda, with my intention to put it as high as possible”. S&D MEP Judith Merkies concluded: “The presence of two Commissioners at our conference shows that healthy ageing is an important issue which is at the top of the European Commission’s agenda”. Read speech Máire Geoghegan Quinn, Commissioner for Research and Innovation