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Arbejdsmarkedsudvalget 2004-05 (2. samling), Udvalget for Udlændinge- og Integrationspolitik 2004-05 (2. samling)
KOM (2005) 0094 Bilag 7, UUI Alm.del Bilag 141
Offentligt

Medlemmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg

og deres stedfortrædere

Bilag

Journalnummer

400.C.2-0

Kontor

EU-sekr.

9. september 2005

Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges danske hørings-

svar om Kommissionens grønbog om den demografiske udvikling i Europa.

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Green Paper on Demographic Change

DG EMPL/E/1

J-27 01/122

European Commission

B-1049 Brussels

Belgium

UESTIONNAIRE ON THE

REEN

APER

“C

ONFRONTING

E-

MOGRAPHIC

HANGE

OLIDARITY BETWEEN

ENERA-

TIONS

”

EPLY OF THE

ANISH

OVERNMENT

Introduction

Do you take the view that the discussion of demographic trends and managing

their impact should take place at European level?

Our ref.

7123-0009

“Discussions on the demographic challenges, the Lisbon criteria,

employment rates, and the overall economic growth of Europe

could and should be pursued at the European level. But it seems

unlikely that the area needs an actual framework in addition to exist-

ing structures and fora.

The actual managing of the impact of demographic trends is a question of national

competencies and a matter of national agreements between the social partners.

However, demographic aspects should be integrated into the European activities

aimed at employment, growth and social inclusion.”

If so, what should be the objectives, and which policy areas are concerned?

“It is important to analyse the development in demographic trends especially con-

cerning the impact on the labour market, the labour force and the groups outside

the labour force (young in education, persons on early retirement, senior citizens

etc.). The objectives should include breaking down the gender segregated labour

market and advancing the availability of affordable childcare facilities to enhance

the labour force and promote the mobility on the labour market.

Analytically it is important to compare the demographic development trends be-

tween the countries in EU. Furthermore it is important to analyse demographic

development trends in the EU compared to USA.

The focus of such analyses could be development in different target groups in the

labour market. For example, development in the different age groups of the labour

force, the development in the share of women on the labour market, the develop-

ment in the share of immigrants on the labour market, the development in the

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spread of different education groups (unskilled, skilled and higher educated) on the

labour market and the development in the share of people that is not included in

the labour force.

Furthermore it could be relevant to compare the different countries’ policy solu-

tions to demographic development trends. For example labour market, pension

system etc.”

1. The challenges of European demography.

1.1 The challenge of a low birth rate.

Over many years, the Union has been making considerable efforts to achieve equality between men

and women and has coordinated national social protection policies.

1.1.1 How can a better work/life balance help to tackle the problems associated with demographic

ageing?

“At the moment, the main task is to obtain a better work/life balance for the older

workforce. A better work/life balance for the older workforce will probably con-

tribute to raise the retirement age, and thus help to answer the demographic chal-

lenge. A better work/life balance for older persons could perhaps be obtained by

wider use of gradual retirement.

It is important to make it possible for people with reduced working capacity to

work part time by giving enterprises financial support in order to make them to

employ people with reduced working capacity.

The labour market should be more flexible to make the working force stay longer.

See also the answer to question 2.3.1”

1.1.2 How can a more balanced distribution of household and family tasks between men and

women be encouraged?

“It is very important to secure a more equal distribution of household and family

tasks. The public sector shall provide a frame that enables the family to make their

own decisions about household and work. The frame to secure this are e.g. good

day care, flexible workplaces (e.g. workplace at home), security in the families daily

lives etc.

A more balanced distribution of household and family tasks between men and

women could be conveyed through “parental funds”, which most parts of the Dan-

ish labour market have recently negotiated. Employers now equally share the costs

of people taking parental leave. These funds are a way to facilitate an equal division

of the tasks between men and women by setting an adequate financial basis for the

possibility of both maternal

and

paternal leave while maintaining contact with the

labour market.

Statistics show that women in Denmark still take on much of the family tasks even

though the rate of women on the labour market in Denmark is very high. Infor-

mation and a change of attitude are therefore very important to secure equality be-

tween men and women.”

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1.1.3 Should the award of certain benefits or advantages (leave, etc.) be linked to an equal distri-

bution of tasks between the sexes? How best to ensure an adequate income for both parents on

parental leave?

“The Danish Government holds the opinion that parental leave should comply

with the demands of the individual family. A flexible parental leave, which provides

parents with a real option of both having time to spend with their children and be-

ing able to work, will encourage men to take advantage of their rights. The “paren-

tal funds” enable and encourage an equal distribution of family tasks, but it should

not be mandatory.

People who meet the employment requirement in the Danish Maternity Act are

entitled to maternity leave with daily cash benefit according to the Act on Daily

Cash Benefit in the Event of Sickness or Birth. The Danish Government’s Materni-

ty Fund Committee has estimated that at least 70 pct. of wage earners have a right

to have a wage during maternity leave. In most cases at least 4 weeks before and 14

weeks after giving birth.

For companies with few employees, the possibility of paying a wage to the employ-

ee during leave depends on funds created to equalize the expenses. During this

year’s agreement negotiation in the labour market, most of the labour market has

made agreements about maternity-funds. The Government is currently preparing

an Act on Maternity Funds for the rest of the labour market.

The goal is to promote equality between the male and female dominated areas of

the labour market in the private sector. This will contribute to equalization between

men and women because women will not be seen as a cost for the company in

terms of leave.”

1.1.4 How can the availability of child care structures (crèches, nursery schools, etc.) and elderly

care structures be improved by the public and private sectors?

“The

availably of child care is very important. In Denmark most children are in

public or private day care. The availability of day care is regulated by the Danish

legislation, and the Danish local municipalities shall by law make day-care available

for all children.

The local communities can also provide after school care, for older children, where

the children can stay until their parents leave work.

Danish elder care is founded on the principle of free, equal access to care. This

means that all residents in Denmark have direct access to various services if they

become unable to cope on their own because of temporary or permanent

impairment of physical or mental capacities. Older people are allocated help and

assistance on the basis of applications. Personal and practical assistance must be

provided in the form of assistance in performing specific tasks, following an

assessment of the individual’s functional capacity. Permanent help is free, but

citizens who receive temporary help have to pay a certain part of the help

depending on their income.”

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1.1.5 Can a reduced rate of VAT contribute to the development of care services?

“Social care and assistance, including delivery of closely related goods and services,

are exempt from VAT as stipulated in Article 13, paragraph A, sub-paragraph 1 of

the sixth VAT directive. This means that care service providers only pay VAT of

purchased goods and services. Such VAT receivable only accounts for a minor part

of the total costs related to the service supply. Thus, in the Danish case a reduced

rate of VAT will only a have a minor effect because most care services are financed

by the public sector.”

1.1.6 How can parents, in particular young parents, be encouraged to enter the labour market,

have the career that they want and the number of children they want?

”In

Denmark the labour market participation of parents, including young ones, is

high and not seen as a problem. This is among other things due to sufficient day

care institutions.

Good and relatively cheap public and private day care gives parents the opportunity

to work and have children at the same time. In Denmark, children are given a place

in a day care when they are from 6 to 12 months. 59,3 % of children between 0-2

years old and 94,3 % of children between 3-5 years old are in day care. The rate for

children between 0-2 is low because the parents are on leave the first year. The rate

for children in day care between 1-2 years are therefore higher. Two thirds of the

price for day care is paid by the public sector, and people with low income can get

day care with an extra contribution from the public sector.”

1.2 The possible contribution of immigration.

The Thessaloniki European Council in June 2003 declared that an EU integration policy for

immigrants should help to meet the new demographic and economic challenges currently facing the

EU. This is the debate initiated by the Green Paper adopted last January.

1.2.1 To what extent can immigration mitigate certain negative effects of demographic ageing?

“The Danish Government is working actively to meet the demographic challenges

currently facing the country. An increased immigration can reduce the expected fall

in manpower, but even large scale immigration cannot prevent the labour force

from decreasing in the first half of the century. Therefore, the labour market will

need to adjust to the decreasing labour supply. These adjustments can be limited by

an increased immigration provided that the growing share of immigrants in the total

labour force do not lead to a bigger mismatch between the qualifications required

and those offered.

Immigration could have a positive effect on the Danish economy and help over-

come some of the negative effects of demographic ageing, for example shortage of

labour. This requires however, that the employment rate for immigrants corre-

sponds to that of Danes. Immigrants and their descendants have substantially fewer

ties with the labour market than Danes. On 1 January 2004 the employment rate

for immigrants and descendants aged 16-64 from non-Western countries was 46

per cent. Among Danes the employment rate was 76 per cent at the time. An in-

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crease in the number of immigrants will therefore most likely delay the effects of

the Danish integration policies – the efforts to increase the level of labour market

participation among immigrants and their descendants risk being undermined by an

increasing number of immigrants.

Calculations show that an improved integration of immigrants who

already

reside in

the country could have a substantial effect on the support burden and the public

finances. Hence, in Denmark it is estimated that the solution to the labour shortage

is not large scale immigration, but rather a managed migration model, which first

and foremost provides for better integration of immigrants already residing in

Denmark with a view to ensure their labour market participation, and secondly,

facilitates highly skilled immigration into certain specific sectors where there is a

shortage of labour.

It is the opinion of the Danish Government that it should be the needs of the la-

bour market rather than the demographic development alone that should determine

the level of labour immigration. This managed migration model requires that the

Danish Government regularly considers the need to adjust the immigration rules or

practice in order to attract the relevant foreign labour. In an EU context it is there-

fore essential that any measures adopted allows the individual Member State to

determine the number of third-country nationals admitted to its territory to work.”

1.2.2 What policies should be developed for better integrating these migrants, in particular young

people?

“The integration process in Denmark - as for many other countries – has

not been as successful as one could wish for. It is unacceptable that many

immigrants and descendants of immigrants still live on the edges of society

with only slight ties with the labour market and a considerably lower educa-

tion rate that Danes. It is unacceptable that a large group of citizens are

isolated – often in segregated residential areas – from the society. The Dan-

ish Government is therefore committed to making a targeted effort to en-

sure immigrants become an active resource to the Danish society.

It is clear to the Danish Government that immigrants and their descendants repre-

sent potential active resources to the Danish society. This is why the Danish Gov-

ernment is currently improving the integration efforts through the integration plan

‘A new chance for everybody’. The plan contains several new initiatives that aim to

increase the level of education among young people and to increase the level of

employment among immigrants and their descendants.

In order for the long term integration to succeed, the Danish Government finds it

essential that immigrant children and young people are given good schooling and

training/education to improve their qualifications for employment. To highlight the

importance of education and employment, the Government has launched a cam-

paign which sheds light on a number of immigrant role models who successfully

managed to find their dream-job or complete an education has been initiated. Inte-

gration efforts must start already at pre-school age and continue when the children

start school. Bilingual children must be offered language stimulation, and their

Danish language skills must be tested regularly. They shall be offered homework

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coaches, and the career counselling efforts made in the primary school sector must

be strengthened.”

1.2.3 How could Community instruments, in particular the legislative framework to combat dis-

crimination, the structural funds and the Employment Strategy, contribute?

“There is a need for ensuring effective integration strategies. Legal protection

against discrimination, including in the form of implementation of the EU direc-

tives against discrimination in national law, is a necessary part of an integration and

justice policy, which contributes to this goal. We must send a clear signal that dis-

crimination on the grounds of ethnic origin is not tolerated in the European Union

and its member states. This could contribute to a more positive attitude from im-

migrants.

The structural funds and the Employment Strategy can play an important role in

developing new ways of raising the level of education for people from the ethnic

minorities – the new integrated guidelines already focus on "ensuring inclusive la-

bour markets". Focus in Member States should be on breaking down barriers to the

labour market by assisting with effective job searching, facilitating access to training

and other active labour market measures and ensuring that work pays, as well as

removing unemployment, poverty and inactivity traps.”

2. A new solidarity between the generations.

2.1 Better integration of young people.

European objectives have been laid down for the prevention of long-term youth unemployment,

combating early school leaving and raising the level of initial training. The structural funds help to

attain them at grass roots level.

2.1.1 How can initial training and adult training schemes be improved? What can non-formal

education and voluntary activities contribute? How can the structural funds and the instruments

for achieving better access to the knowledge society contribute?

“The Danish Government has set as an aim that 85 per cent of a youth cohort

completes an upper secondary education programme by 2010, and that the figure

increases to 95 per cent by 2015. The government has plans for a number of activi-

ties to reach these aims. Initial Vocational Education and Training (VET) is to play

a central part in contributing towards this goal. Today, 78 per cent of an age cohort

completes a youth education programme.

The Government Platform February 2005 emphasises the crucial role of VET. The

Danish VET system is analysed in terms of its ability to live up to future profes-

sional requirements, offering guidance, access, good study facilities, teacher qualifi-

cations, and at the same time making them attractive and useful for the ‘strong’ as

well as the more ‘weak’ or more practically gifted young people. Overall, there must

be sufficient and adequate work placements to young people, and special subsidies

to companies entering into apprenticeship contracts and offering work placements

to young people in VET have been introduced. Dropout rates must be reduced.

The government will charge a committee with the task of preparing a report on the

future content, structure and management of initial VET by February 2006 – all

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within the scope of the inter-ministerial committee on ‘Denmark in the global

economy’ (2005).

In VET, vocational education and continuing training and adult vocational training,

a unified institutional structure applies. A reform of adult vocational training (the

mainly state financed training system for skilled and unskilled workers in employ-

ment, aiming at improvement of vocational skills) was implemented from January

2004 to increase demand management (demand-driven supply) and coherence in

efforts related to initial and adult vocational education and training. The reform

introduced a significant shift in focus from individual training programmes to job

areas and labour market skills. This implies that, as from 2004, individual training

programmes are grouped according to (approximately 150) competence descrip-

tions common to adult vocational training and relevant VET single subjects, which

are related to job areas at the labour market. Competence descriptions indicate

skills that are required to fulfil a job in a certain job areas and list training pro-

grammes that provide such skills. The new competence descriptions, which give

educational institutions improved tools and increased flexibility to meet the needs

for new skills of employees and companies, considering also the need for further

training of immigrants and refugees. The reform further enhances coherence be-

tween initial VET and adult vocational training so as to avoid parallel training pro-

grammes.”

2.1.2 How can the bridges between school and working life and the quality of young people’s em-

ployment be improved? What role should social dialogue play? What can dialogue with civil socie-

ty, in particular youth organisations, contribute?

“The educational and the employment institutions should work together to support

young people in collaboration with the social parties on the labour market.

Public vocational guidance to young people is very important and the government

has implemented a guidance reform. The aim is to offer all young people relevant

and independent guidance that provides an adequate basis for making vital choices

and decisions on education and employment. Guidance on choice of education and

occupation is now provided through a professional and coherent system, independ-

ent from sector or institution interests. The reform supports the aim of having a

high employment rate, and at the same time qualifies the free choice of the individ-

ual.

Youth associations and youth clubs are covered by the act on financial support to

‘Folkeoplysning’ (liberal, or non-formal, education and other activities, which lays

down guidelines for the allocation of financial support by local authorities. At the

local level, a committee on ’Folkeoplysning’ draws up more detailed regulations

based on local needs. About 2/3 of all children and young people participate in an

association or in another form of organised activity, almost solely run by voluntary

staff.

In the present structure of initial VET, as well as adult vocational training, the so-

cial partners are heavily involved in defining the content of education and training

programmes, and this close tri-partite cooperation will continue.”

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2.1.3 How can Community policies contribute more to combating child poverty and poverty among

single-parent families and to reducing the risk of poverty and exclusion among young people?

“The reasons for poverty among children and young are manifold and may, for

instance, be the result of the financial conditions children experience in their child-

hoods. Therefore, it is important to have social systems that give everyone access to

resources and allow them to lead dignified lives. Thus, a relevant focus area is to

offer support to disadvantaged parents in order to empower them with the re-

sources they need to enable them efficiently to support their children in all phases

of their adolescence. This model would offer parents greater opportunity for

achieving an education while also reducing the risk of poverty among children. In

this context, it is also important to develop policies that facilitate reconciliation and

cohesion between working life and family life. Companies must be encouraged to

show social responsibility.

In many instances, social exclusion becomes a consequence of poverty. A key issue

in combating social exclusion could be a cross-sectoral coordination of the fight

against social exclusion in all policy areas with a view to creating cohesive activities

targeted at poverty, including poverty among children and young people.”

2.1.4 What forms of solidarity can be fostered between young people and elderly people?

“The Danish welfare model builds on solidarity between all age groups. Social

security benefits and social services are chiefly financed through general taxation

and the public sector is responsible for their provision.

One idea related to the labour market is to encourage a culture where younger and

older learn from each other. The older could develop mentoring skills and the

younger could contribute with knowledge about for instance technology.”

2.2 A global approach to the ‘working life cycle’

In order to foster the transition to a knowledge society, EU policies promote the modernisation of

work organisation, the definition of lifelong learning strategies, the quality of the working environ-

ment and “active ageing”, in particular raising the average retirement age. Demographic changes

reinforce the importance of these policies, whilst raising new questions:

2.2.1 How can the organisation of work be modernised, to take into account the specific needs of

each age group?

“In Denmark, this topic is mainly subject to agreements between the social part-

ners.

Legislation is relevant to a certain extent, e.g. a new and more flexible law on ma-

ternity leave (including the possibility of postponing a part of the leave and the pos-

sibility of distributing a part of the leave between the parents). For the older work-

ers there is a possibility of combining the voluntary early retirement benefit and

part time work.”

2.2.2 How can young couples’ integration in working life be facilitated and how can we help them

to find a balance between flexibility and security to bring up their children, to train and update

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their skills to meet the demands of the labour market? How can we enable older people to work

more?

“It is very important to create a frame to ensure a positive life for both parents and

children. Making the lives of families easier by securing flexibility and security could

be done by introducing more flexible day care, extended opening hours in stores,

better public and private services, securing the possibility of working at home and

taking the day off when children are sick etc.

In order to enable older people to work more it is necessary to start early in work-

ing life. The employer and the employee both have a responsibility to maintain the

employability of the manpower. It is necessary to maintain and develop working

qualifications. If thist is neglected, it could be difficult for anyone to stay at the la-

bour market.

The working environment should be taken into account too, in order to prevent

attrition of the labour force.”

2.2.3 How can work organisation best be adapted to a new distribution between the generations,

with fewer young people and more older workers?

“In Denmark, flexibility is crucial to work organisation. The starting point is that

the employees are to be seen as individuals and not age stereotypes. Individuals

have different problems, e.g. bad health is found in all age groups and is probably

affected by level of education more than by age. Diversity is seen as positive. Flexi-

bility may concern such issues as working hours, shift work, tasks and so on.”

2.2.4 How can the various stakeholders in the Union contribute, in particular by way of social

dialogue and civil society?

“Involvement of all relevant partners in the process is a key issue, which is used at

the European level in the social area, where the open method of coordination

(OMC) has revealed the importance of involving the social partners.

Therefore the Union stakeholders could possibly contribute by affecting the social

partners to develop the dialogue in the member countries, according to the situa-

tion in the member countries. Moreover, they can contribute by exchanging infor-

mation and inspiration between the member states.”

2.3 A new place for the elderly people.

The European coordination of retirement scheme reforms is promoting more flexible bridges be-

tween work and retirement.

2.3.1 Should there be a statutory retirement age, or should flexible, gradual retirement be permit-

ted?

“In Denmark, public old-age pension is payable from the age of 65. It is however

not possible to receive public old age pension before the age of 65.

As of 2004, rules on deferred pension have been introduced. According to these

rules, older people who have reached public old-age pension age may choose to

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defer public old age pension and stay active in the labour market against receiving

increased old-age pension benefits later. Thus, the public pension scheme pension-

age has become somewhat more flexible.

The reasons for introducing this more flexible pension age were not just to prompt

older workers to stay longer in the labour market by offering financial incentives.

The scheme was also meant to soften attitudes among older people and their

surroundings, e.g. colleagues, as to when to retire. This would make it more

acceptable to work after the conventional retirement age and so ease the pressure

on older people to retire. The scheme was also an acknowledgement of the fact that

older people are very different and typically of better health compared to previous

generations. Consequently our legislation should make room for these individual

differences.”

2.3.2 How can elderly people participate in economic and social life, e.g. through a combination of

wages and pensions, new forms of employment (part-time, temporary) or other forms of financial

incentive?

“The Danish Government will among other initiatives try to enhance the participa-

tion of the elderly by encouraging gradual retirement. Today there are possibilities,

e.g. by combining work and the Voluntary Early Retirement Benefit. The existing

possibilities are not widely used, and one major reason is lack of knowledge but also

wide changes in the attitudes of older people, their colleagues at the work place and

employers. The Danish Government plans to distribute better information on this

subject.

See also the answer to question 2.3.1.”

2.3.3 How can activities employing elderly people in the voluntary sector and the social economy be

developed?

“The greater part of the responsibility for offering public services in the field of

long-term care for older people lies with the local authorities. However, a strong

voluntary sector can be a valuable supplement to the public services. The voluntary

sector in Denmark takes on an important task in providing a wide range of services

and activities for and involving older people, for example, network formation,

home visits, telephone hotlines, different kinds of educational activities, sports and

other physical activities.

The framework and fundamental values for the interaction between the authorities

and the voluntary organisations are laid down in a “Charter for interaction between

Volunteer Denmark/Associations Denmark and the public sector”.

Voluntary work is not free of cost; therefore different kinds of funding are

provided. The central government provides help through various programmes

partly by giving basic grants to the organisations, partly by giving project grants

earmarked to development of good practices and new activities. Local authorities

are also obliged to cooperate with and provide financial support to locally based

voluntary organisations. Local and regional authorities receive annual financial

grants from the central government – payable via block grants – to solve this task.”

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2.3.4 What should be the response to pensioner mobility between Member States, in particular

with regard to social protection and health care?

“Pensioners’ options for moving to other Member States represent a major ad-

vantage and is a positive result of the EU cooperation. Wide freedom of movement

between Member States may be a key element of overall senior policies aimed at

offering pensioners improved possibilities of utilising their resources and participat-

ing actively in community life. However, such increased mobility should also be

considered in the context of possible financial burdens being imposed on individual

Member States, including their administrative systems. Thus, a need may exist for

more detailed studies of pensioners’ mobility and its impact. Additionally, a need

exists to consider improved information to citizens, and simplification and clarifica-

tion of current procedures and provisions.”

2.3.5 How should we be investing in health promotion and prevention so that the people of Europe

continue to benefit from longer healthy life expectancy?

“Besides individual personal and practical help in the home, the local authorities'

general care services in Denmark are directed at promoting network formation and

self-activation.

Each local authority decides the design and organisation of such services. The

services may, for example, be provided by day centres or in the settings of senior

citizens' centres and may include club work, courses, lectures and exercise.

Local authorities must provide physical rehabilitation to temporarily infirm older

people with impaired functional capacity caused by a disease that did not require

hospitalisation. In addition, local authorities must offer help and assistance for

maintenance of physical and mental capacity. The assistance offered is based on

individual assessments of needs and requirements and complies with the service

level determined by the local authority.

At least twice a year, local authorities must offer preventive home visits to all

citizens aged 75 or more. Local authorities may choose not to offer preventive

home visits to citizens aged 75 or more, if the person is already receiving both

personal and practical assistance. The idea of these visits is to encourage older

people to utilise their own resources better and consequently allow them to

preserve their functional capacities as long as possible.”

2.4 Solidarity with the very elderly

The coordination of national social protection policies is due to be extended to long-term care for the

elderly in 2006. How can this help to manage demographic change?

2.4.1 The coordination of national social protection policies is due to be extended to long-term care

for the elderly in 2006. How can this help to manage demographic change?

“The extension of national social protection policies in 2006 to include long-term

care for the elderly will result in a process where the EU member states to a higher

degree will exchange information about best practice in the area and therefore get

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inspiration to develop relevant policies concerning demography on ageing in the

future.”

2.4.2 In particular, should a distinction be drawn between retirement pensions and dependency

allowances?

“Denmark has no real experience in this area, as there are no dependency

allowances in the Danish public pension scheme (old age pensions and disability

pensions). Women are independently eligible for public pension on an equal footing

with men.”

2.4.3 How do we train the human resources needed and provide them with good quality jobs in a

sector which is often characterised by low salaries and low qualifications?

“Denmark has a large public social and health sector as an integral part of the Dan-

ish welfare society, with well-defined jobs at various levels and in various social and

health sectors. Job qualifications, with corresponding education and training, are

matched by collective agreements between the public employers’ and the employ-

ees’ organisations. Wages are negotiated in collective bargaining.

The basic social and health education programmes have the main purpose of edu-

cating and training people for the social and health care. As from 2007, the basic

social and health education programmes, which are currently the responsibility of

the local and regional authorities, will become government responsibility, following

a structural reform taking effect from January 2007.”

2.4.4 How do we arrive at a balanced distribution of care for the very old between families, social

services and institutions? What can be done to help families? What can be done to support local

care networks?

“In Denmark, the public sector is responsible for provision of social security

benefits and social services. The great majority of welfare tasks are realised by

public employees, and not, for example, by private service companies, voluntary

social organisations or families. However, in the spring of 2002, the Danish

parliament adopted new legislation introducing free choice in elder care. The free

choice of housing for older people and people with disabilities came into force on 1

July 2002, while the free choice of providers of personal and practical help and

assistance has been effective as from 1 January 2003. With this new legislation, the

Danish Government wishes to eliminate the public sector’s monopoly on service

provision. In connection with the introduction of free choice of service providers,

local authorities must formulate and publicise quality and price requirements

applying both to public and private service providers. This requires local authorities

to make clear distinctions between their function as a local authority and their

function as a service provider.”

2.4.5 And what can be done to reduce inequality between men and women when they reach retire-

ment age?

“There is no inequality between men and women as far as the Danish public

pension scheme is concerned. Women are independently eligible for public pension

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on a par with men. The public pension is independent of previous attachment to

the labour market and also of previous income.

However it is the policy of the Danish Government that the obligations to gender

mainstream all policies and planning also applies to retired men and women. Gen-

der equality is best promoted if the needs and demands of each sex are considered,

in order to reach the same outcome for both sexes. In the long term it will probably

be of great value to empower both elderly men and women to stay longer in the

workforce instead of accommodating them.”

2.4.6 How can new technologies support older people?

“New technologies can support older people in many different ways. Advanced

home technology in nursing homes and housing for older people can be very

functional and beneficial to groups of people, who are not mobile and/or are

suffering from dementia.”

3. Conclusion: What should the European Union’s role be?

3.1 Should the European Union be promoting exchanges and regular (e.g. annual) analysis of

demographic change and its impact on societies and all the policies concerned?

“It is important to promote exchange of best practices and general knowledge con-

cerning demographic change as well as its gender equality related aspects among

European countries.

Denmark is already preparing annual demographic analyses in cooperation with the

Council of Europe’s Population Committee. Reports on impact on the society and

on policy areas could be helpful, but should be prepared with intervals, e.g. every

fifth year prior to the new Commission taking up its position. Even though such

reports could become useful instruments for setting new priorities for the Commis-

sion’s work, the Danish Government does not believe that demographic change

needs to be turned into an integral part of all the Union's internal and external poli-

cies.

Study, analysis and dialogue on demographic change should build on and take ad-

vantage of existing frameworks and procedures, particularly the OMC and through

the EU’s Strategy for Growth and Jobs (Lisbon). This way, the EU can provide

added value by bringing together experiences and best practices of Member States

and allowing them to learn from each other.”

3.2 Should the Union’s financial instruments – particularly the structural funds – take better

account of these changes? If so, how?

“It is the position of the Danish Government that the challenge of demographic

change must be dealt with by Member States, primarily through debt reduction

and reforms of the pensions system and labour market. This is in accordance with

the BEPG recommendations.”

3.3 How could European coordination of employment and social protection policies better take on

board demographic change?

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“The new integrated guidelines, including the guidelines for the Employ-

ment Policies of the Member States, already focus on demographic change by un-

derlining that Member States should attract and retain more people in employment,

increase labour supply and modernise social protection systems.

The Open Method of Coordination is particularly appropriate for the area (see the

answer to question 2.2.4). Of course, also other aspects of EU cooperation could

contribute to mitigate the demographic challenges.”

3.4 How can European social dialogue contribute to the better management of demographic

change? What role can civil society and civil dialogue with young people play?

“An important issue will be to convince the population of the necessity to stay

longer on the labour market. Thus, the dialogue with the civil society should be

prioritised highly in the efforts to handle demographic challenges.”

3.5 How can demographic change be made an integral part of all the Union’s internal and exter-

nal policies?

“Discussions at European level on the demographic challenges ahead can raise

awareness and contribute to the exchange of best practices and ideas and thereby

add value to the deliberations in the various Member States. However, the Danish

Government believes that the responsibility for dealing with the actual demograph-

ic change lies with each Member State as a matter of national policy.”