Parliamentary question

Written question to the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

The UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) for the purpose of strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons, will be meeting in April 2022. The group was created to develop proposals for a new international instrument to protect the human rights of older citizens, and in its research, has identified gaps in areas such as equality and non-discrimination and access to the labour market.

The EU has made steps to incorporate the rights of older people into its agenda, including through its action plan on human rights and democracy and the recent Council conclusions. The Commission also recently published its Green Paper on ageing, while Parliament last year adopted a resolution entitled ‘An old continent growing older’, concerning this issue.

Ahead of the April OEWG meeting:

1. Is the EU taking a leading role in these discussions through written input or planning high-level participation in the next OEWG?

2. What measures have been taken to promote a regular discussion on the rights of older people and the need for additional protection in light of the pandemic?

3. How will the EU take on board the views of older people in the EU when developing its position and preparing its delegation for the OEWG?