Elderly

After entering into force in 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon introduced a new focus on human rights enshrining the binding force of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and conferring to the provisions of the Charter the same legal value as the treaties. The Charter proclaims a number of rights relevant to the elderly, such as the rights to non-discrimination, social security, health care and education. 
European Older People's Platform

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
UNCRPD is the first international human rights convention ratified by the EU and is intended as a human rights instrument with a social development dimension. Although not all older people are confronted with disabilities and many of the challenges faced by older people are unrelated to disability, the EU legal framework for people with disabilities has a positive impact on the protection of older people, especially in terms of accessibility, legal capacity, mobility, inclusion and social participation.
European Older People's Platform

The Charter for the Elderly
The Charter for the Elderly establishes the rights and responsibilities that protect older persons and enable them to make a contribution to society in accordance with their own abilities. All elderly people in Europe regardless of sex, race, religion, income, disability or sexual preference have the right to lead independent lives and to participate in social and cultural life. The rights of the elderly also emphasize their personal responsibility to fellow human beings as well as to the community and future generations.
The European Federation of Older People

Pension Systems
Pension systems differ throughout the EU-28, as each system reflects in a certain way a specific institutional arrangement. In general, there can be distinguished different pension pillars: a public mandatory old-age pension, occupational pensions and private savings plans. The main structure is common across all pension systems. However, the size of each pillar depends on the institutional context of each Member State and therefore differs across the EU.
European Parliament

EU Health Programme
A €446 million programme meant to stimulate innovation in healthcare, target the problems of ageing populations and chronic illness, as well as to reduce health inequalities across the EU has been approved by the EU public health committee and has been in place since June 2012.
European Parliament

Demographic Ageing
Demographic ageing is one of the most serious challenges Europe is facing. According to recent projections, the number of Europeans aged 65 and over will almost double over the next 50 years, from 87 million in 2010 to 148 million in 2060. The demographic changes are expected to have consequences on public finances in the EU, as age-related public expenditures (pensions, health-care and long-term care) are projected to increase by 4.1% to around to around 29% of GDP by 2060.
European Commission

The Impact of the Crisis and Human Rights
Although the European Charter of Fundamental Rights declares the rights of older people to live a life of dignity and independence, changing demographics combined with the pressure on public budgets are increasing the risk of human rights violations against older persons. Many EU countries, faced by the challenge of the current economic climate, are paying less attention to the fulfilment of the rights older people hold as human beings and are instead pursuing purely economic objectives.
European Older People's Platform

Elder Abuse
Hundred thousands of older people in the EU encounter a form of elder abuse each year. They are pressed to change their will, their bank accounts are plundered, they are pinched or beaten, threatened, insulted and sometimes they are sexually abused. In 2005, a survey carried out by the Dutch National Platform “Combating Elder Abuse” showed that 41% of victims suffered physical abuse, 46% suffered psychological abuse, 37% were being exploited, 18% were neglected, 12% were being denied basic rights and 3% were sexually abused.
European Older People's Platform

Europe 2020 Strategy
Active ageing and intergenerational solidarity are key aspects in the EU’s growth and jobs strategy, or the so-called Europe 2020 Strategy, whose aim is to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Regarding the elderly, the overarching objective is to create an age-friendly EU by fostering solidarity between generations and enabling the active participation and involvement of all age groups in society while providing them with adequate support and protection.
European Older People's Platform

The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020
The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 sets out a series of actions to improve equality for persons with disabilities, including the elderly, and break down barriers that prevent them from fully enjoying their rights as citizens and consumers. It aims to ensure access to EU funding, raise public awareness and encourage member governments to work together in removing obstacles to their inclusion in society. It also aims to fulfil EU's commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
European Older People's Platform

The European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations
The EU declared 2012 as the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012). The EY2012 served as a framework for raising awareness, identifying and disseminating good practice and encouraging policymakers and stakeholders at all levels to promote active ageing and to support greater cooperation and solidarity between the generations.
European Older People's Platform

The number of 65 year olds and older rose in the nineties alone by 12% or from 1.4 million to 13.5 million. Their share in the total population has risen from 14.9% to 15.7%. At present, Sweden leads the field, as the elderly account for 17.5% of the total population, followed by Italy with 16.8%, Belgium with 16.0% and the United Kingdom with 15.7%. The Netherlands (13.3%), France and Austria (each 15.2%) follow.
International Union for Housing Finance

As of 2012, there were 85 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and the number is expected to rise to 151 million by 2060. The Eurostat figures for 2010 showed that 50 % of the workforce aged over 65 were self-employed.
Official Journal of the European Union

In less than forty years, more than one-third of Europe’s population will be above the age of 60 and one-fourth will be older than 65. Aging societies throughout Europe face decreases in the share of working-age population and increases in the costs for providing and caring for a growing elderly population – a particularly challenging situation for Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic.
The World Bank

In terms of social exclusion, material deprivation, social rights, social participation and normative integration, the elderly in the Nordic countries and the Netherlands are the least excluded, while the Continental and Anglo-Saxon countries follow close behind. Social exclusion among the elderly is generally higher in the Mediterranean countries. The highest social exclusion scores are to be found in the EU’s newer member states in Eastern Europe, especially in the Baltic States and Poland.
European Network of Economic Policy Research Institutes