The impact of demography on Social Europe

Key points

The EESC:

• views demographic trends as another transformative challenge for European society alongside the digital and green transformations;

• notes that the EU has achieved longevity, a high level of education and prosperity, and a good level of health over the past decades in most, albeit not all, regions. However, everyMember State is facing multiple demographic challenges, such as shrinking populations, low birth rates and a growing imbalance between age groups and regions; these need to be addressed;

• points out that demographic developments impact the labour markets, pension and social protection systems and Europe’s geopolitical position in the world;

• notes that an ageing society faces distinct challenges compared to a society with a more balanced age distribution. Upholding the right to age with dignity, along with a life-cycle approach is essential to addressing these challenges;

• puts forward proposals for achieving more sustainable societal development that include: striving for higher birth rates, exploiting the full potential of the labour market, making work pay by having high-quality, well-paid and productive jobs, improving working conditions, reforming pension and care systems to ensure accessibility for everyone, enhancing legal migration pathways to attract in particular foreign talent supported by bold integration measures, working towards upward regional and social cohesion and analysing the factors driving people to leave the EU;

• recommends that the European Commissioner for Demography be supported by an appropriate structure within the European Commission, and that a European agency for demography be set up to ensure research and statistics in this field, while at the same time ensuring collaboration with and sufficient financing for existing agencies like Cedefop and Eurofound. This would facilitate the integration of demographic consideration in all relevant policy areas and impact assessments.