The meeting took place in the European Commission headquarters.

To celebrate the 3rd European Day on Solidarity between Generations, the European Commission held a conference with the purpose of prepairing the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations —which will be celebrated in 2012— and to establish a High Level Group to study the ways to reinforce the viability of public health systems and to increase participation of elderly citizens in the labor market.

The Group includes EU Member States, regions, industrial sector and health experts, as well as civil society. IFFD was represented by the Director General of The Family Watch.

Neelie Kroes is Vice-President and Commissioner for Digital Agenda.

It should be noted that senior citizens over 65 will double in the next 20 years, according to European Commission forecasts, while the Gross Domestic Product addresed to population ageing will only grow aobut 2,7%, from 8,3% to 11%.
Speakers of the meeting included the Vice-President and Commissioner for Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes, and the Commissioner for Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Lászlo Andor. Both mentioned the growth of the dependency rate and the need to turn the threat of population ageing into the opportunity of providing the elderly participation in social progress, with a new concept for retirement.
On behalf of the EU Presidency, Hungarian Minister for National Resources Miklós Rethély advocated for a renovated assesment of senior citizens, their dignity and their experience.
Demo Christian Lambert van Nistelrooij from Netherlands, vicepresident of the Intergroup on this topic, spoke as representative of the European Parliament. In his speech, he said the the true problem is not the number of elder people, but the low birth rates, and the this European Year needs to be granted a specific budget.

Miklós Rethély is the Hungarian Minister for National Resources.

The programme also included the launch of the new website of the European Year and with other interventions of representatives of governments and the civil society about several issues included in the documentation, such as not limiting actions to the delay of retirement age, but also to explore ways to improve social co-operation, mainly in dependent care, and the need of creating new designs for social policies that could both guide and respect independence and specific features of each Member State. The Commission will now discuss with the Parliament and the European Council, to set up the final contents of the European Year by the end of June.

Ecuador

The Corporation ‘Ingenio San Carlos y Papelera Nacional’ is well aware that a worker with a stable family and well-being will be more efficient and effective in his job and have entrusted to IMF Ecuador to give Matrimonial Love courses to them. Five sessions have been developed using the Case Method. One of the couples who attended them said that “we have identified ourselves with each one of these stories, in one way or another; we have found solutions that we hadn’t thought of before. This is very important, because it solves our problems and so brings happiness to our home and a true prize for our children”.

Netherlands

A previous session for a First Steps course was held in Netherlands on the 16 April, and there will be another one for those who couldn’t attend on 21 May. The course will officially start on 18 June, with more than a dozen couples, under the direction of Karel Phlips, who coordinates courses in that country while the local staff acquire the necessary competences.

Spain

Different Family Enrichment centers will again organize this year the programme ‘Un verano diferente’ (a different summer). It consists of family vacations with leasure activities for all ages and Family Enrichment sessions. Up to now, six issues have been announces: FERT in the Pyrenees, INEFA in Sierra Nevada, Aula Familiar also in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada, PREF in the Pyrenees and Valdomar in Manzaneda (Galicia).

 Videos(YouTube Channel).