Addressing the Needs of Seniors: The ESU’s Open Letter to the New EU Commission (2024-2029)
On 17 September 2024, Ursula von der Leyen presented the proposed composition of the new EU Commission (2024-2029) to the European Parliament. Governments of the member states put forward their candidate-commissioners, who will be questioned by the Parliament with a final vote expected later in the fall. Then a new 5-year Commission will take office.
At this occasion, the European Seniors’ Union addressed an open letter to President von der Leyen, highlighting the concerns of seniors in European policy making. The ESU is following this process with interest, and this text intends to highlight some preoccupations. Below are a few extracts from the letter.
“The new Commission needs an anchor point to address the opportunities and challenges of demographic change.”
“Seniors deserve more attention, both in terms of their active participation in society and ensuring the necessary care, especially long-term care.”
“The policies related to ‘demographic change’ and ‘intergenerational fairness’, require a more ‘explicit’ mention of seniors”.
“We would also like to see the development of new areas of work, such as the improvement of seniors’ media literacy, the protection of seniors in the online environment against abuse and fraud, the attention for the physical and psychological well-being of the older generation through incentives for sports and active citizenship.”
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