Silver Economy Network of European Regions (SEN@ER)

Newsletter No. 12

May 2010

Newsletter overview

POLICY AND LEGISLATION Europe 2020: European Commission: Integrated guidelines for the economic and employment policies of the Member States
NEW SEN@ER PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS "SENIOR ENTERPRISE" INITIATIVE INDEPENDENT - ICT Enabled Service Integration for Independent Living eSESH - Saving Energy in Social Housing with ICT
REPORT FROM THE SEN@ER SECRETARIAT SEN@ER has been invited by the minister from the Junta de Andalucia to actively contribute to the International Congress on Active Aging taking place in Sevilla on 14 and June 15, 2010 Further European regions have expressed an interest to join the SEN@ER Network
REPORTS FROM THE REGIONS AND ONGOING SEN@ER PROJECTS Successful 4th European "Silver Economy in Europe 2010" conference was held in Limoges (France) AAMEE - Active Ageing of Migrant Elders Across Europe: the project run by the SEN@ER partner region North Rhine-Westphalia was successfully completed CULTUREMAP - Study on the mapping and evaluating of existing platforms (websites) within the cultural sector aimed at stimulating debate and cross border exchange of matters concerning European culture
INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS Learning at older age - Establishment of learning regions and networking in North Rhine-Westphalia
REPORTS AND STUDIES ICT supply and demand in immigrant and ethnic minority communities in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom Age-appropriate information technology on the advance: Putting paid to olden times. A Deutsche Bank Research Report (December 2009)
EVENTS Silver Economy Summit on May 13-14, 2010 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

POLICY AND LEGISLATION

Europe 2020: European Commission: Integrated guidelines for the economic and employment policies of the Member States

Earlier this year the European Commission has launched a public consultation for the new Europe 2010 strategy based on the Working Document 'Consultation of the Future "EU2010' Strategy" (COM (2009)647 final). In this document the Commission addresses several key policy issues of crucial importance for Europe in the years to come which should build the cornerstones of a Europe 2020 initiative.

The SEN@ER partners have responded to the public consultation which attracted some 1500 comments. Overview of responses to the public consultation:

http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/overview_responses.pdf

Based on the responses to this consultation process the Commission developed a proposal on a new strategy. The strategy builds on what has been achieved and the lessons learned. According to the Commission, the first priority must be to hasten the exit from the crisis, but the strategy must also provide the building blocks for growth that will be sustainable in the future. Europe is recognised the world over for its high quality of life, underpinned by a unique social model. The strategy should ensure that these benefits are sustained and even further enhanced, while employment, productivity and social cohesion are optimised.

In their Recommendation for a Council Recommendation of 27 April 2010 on broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and of the Union the European Commission developed "Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines". These guidelines set out the framework for the Europe 2020 strategy and reforms at Member State level. Two of these 10 guidelines have a direct relationship and are of relevance for the work of the SEN@ER network: Guideline 8: Developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs, promoting job quality and lifelong learning; Guideline 10: Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.

On 6 May 2010 these guidelines were published and can be downloaded here:

http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/Brochure/Integrated/Guidelines.pdf (Europe 2020: European Commission: Integrated guidelines for the economic and employment policies of the Member States)
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SEN@ER PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS

"SENIOR ENTERPRISE" INITIATIVE

The Mid-East Region in Ireland, along with two partner regions in Brittany and UK, has received final approval by Interreg 4B NW Europe for the "Senior Enterprise" Initiative. This proposal, which was developed by the SEN@ER Network, and will include 9 Observer Regions in Germany, Holland and Luxemburg, will support and tap into the potential of people over 50. The objective is to increase the proportion of older people engaging with enterprise through giving them different choices to suit their circumstances and lifestyle. The Partners have developed a coordinated programme, which form separate but linked work packages, which are:

Raising awareness of Senior Enterprise
Starting and partnering businesses
Investing in and acquiring a business
Advising and supporting business innovation

REPORT FROM THE SEN@ER SECRETARIAT

SEN@ER has been invited by the minister from the Junta de Andalucia to actively contribute to the International Congress on Active Aging taking place in Sevilla on 14 and June 15, 2010

SEN@ER and its partner regions have been invited by the minister Micaela Navarro from the Junta de Andalucia to actively contribute to the International Congress on Active Aging taking place in Sevilla on 14 and June 15, 2010. At this event the regional government minister will present the White Paper "Active Ageing in Andalusia" and has invited SEN@ER and the network partners present the overall European approach and strategy of the Silver Economy Network of European Regions and the partner regions to present their regional strategies on active ageing and demographic change and their views and policy models for an active ageing.

The conference website is:
conference website

David Buchet, Directeur de la Délégation à la Coopération of the Direction générale des services at the Conseil régional du Limousin will present the SEN@ER network at this important event. David was responsible for the organisation of the 4th European Silver Economy conference which took place in January 2010 in Limoges.

More information on the the 4th European Silver Economy conference:
4th European Silver Economy conference
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Further European regions have expressed an interest to join the SEN@ER Network

The SEN@ER network is open to further European regions interested in joining to exchange experience and good practices, active political lobbying at European level and the establishment of European partner consortia and the development of proposals for submission to different European funding programmes. The following regions have expressed an interest in joining SEN@ER: Andalucia (Spain), Crete (Greece), Noord Brabant (Netherlands), Stockholm region (Sweden), Trikala (Greece), Veneto (Italy). We look forward to a fruitful cooperation.
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REPORTS FROM THE REGIONS AND ONGOING SEN@ER PROJECTS

Successful 4th European "Silver Economy in Europe 2010" conference was held in Limoges (France)

The fourth European "Silver Economy in Europe" attracted more than 200 participants from all over Europe to Limoges (France). The event followed the successful European Silver Economy conferences in Bonn (Germany) in 2005, Maastricht (Netherlands) 2006 and Sevilla (Spain) 2007. It was hosted by the SEN@ER partner Conseil Régional Limousin from 28 - 29 January 2010. The conference included a roundtable on "Regional silver economy and ageing strategies - examples and lessons learned" with experts from different European regions and a series of parallel workshops followed by site visits and a public debate on the second day which took place in the Hotel de Région.
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AAMEE - Active Ageing of Migrant Elders Across Europe: the project run by the SEN@ER partner region North Rhine-Westphalia was successfully completed

The "Active Ageing of Migrant Elders Across Europe" project promoted by the Ministry of Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has been completed successfully.

The AAMEE project has published its project report. A report on good practice cases on active ageing of older people with a migration background ("Active Ageing of Migrant Elders - Good Practice in Europe") has also been published. It focuses on European models of good practice in the field of active ageing of migrant elders. Its aim is to present to the public the variety of already existing projects, initiatives and services for and by migrant elders across Europe and to promote the engagement for and of migrant elders to sensitise political and societal spheres for their life circumstances. It will hopefully give impulses to the development of successful projects in the future.

More information: http://www.aamee.de/

Contact: Ministry of Health, Equalities, Care and Ageing North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr. Claus Eppe / Susanne Rankenhohn (claus.eppe@mgffi.nrw.de; susanne.rankenhohn@mgffi.nrw.de)
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CULTUREMAP - Study on the mapping and evaluating of existing platforms (websites) within the cultural sector aimed at stimulating debate and cross border exchange of matters concerning European culture

The CULTUREMAP study team (with IBK Remscheid and empirica from the SEN@ER lead partner region North Rhine-Westphalia) organised a workshop at European Commission premises. The workshop took place on 19 March in the afternoon. It lasted 2.5 hours and invitations were sent out to all Cultural Contact Points and the website owners of the cultural websites identified and analysed in the study. The workshop was used as an instrument for dissemination and debate and as a platform to present and discuss findings of the study with representatives from the key target groups in policy, research etc. The objective of the workshop had been specified by the European Commission as follows: "the aim is to inform relevant stakeholders about the findings of the study and to collect their views on those findings and more generally on current and future Commission action on the domain".

More than 100 people registered to the event which was attended by more than 70 people representing Cultural Contact Points and cultural websites in Europe.
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INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS

Learning at older age - Establishment of learning regions and networking in North Rhine-Westphalia

The topic "Learning at older age" - in the sense of serious lifelong learning (and not just for leisure) - is an important topic for the future. First steps towards the improvement of learning opportunities for older people have been undertaken by the Ministry of Health, Equalities, Care and Ageing North Rhine-Westphalia (MGFFI) when funding the project "Quality of life at older age - learning bridges 50+" ("Lebensqualität im Alter - Bildungsbrücken50+) carried out by the Synergie VertriebsDienstleistung GmbH.

Building on the results of this project the plan is to start a learning initiative for older people in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2010. The aim is to offer an easy access to learning offers, develop appropriate learning offers or raise an awareness of the already existing offers respectively and establish and better utilise co-operations.
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REPORTS AND STUDIES

ICT supply and demand in immigrant and ethnic minority communities in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom

This report is one of the outcomes of the study on "The potential of ICT for the promotion of cultural diversity in the EU: the case of economic and social participation and integration of immigrants and ethnic minorities" carried out by IPTS for DG Information Society and Media, Unit H3 (eInclusion) of the European Commission. For France, Germany, Spain and the U.K. the report provides a snapshot of recent immigration trends and policies and an overview of ICT supply and demand developments concerning specific immigrant groups in each country.
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Age-appropriate information technology on the advance: Putting paid to olden times. A Deutsche Bank Research Report (December 2009)

Ageing society opens up enormous economic potential. Whereas for a long time social interpretation homed in on the doomsday scenarios of demographic change, it is the economic potential that is now emerging with increasing clarity. Information and communication technologies stand a good chance of benefiting from this trend. Older people are not intrinsically technology refuseniks, as evidenced by the growing number of silver agers using the internet.

Successful products will be far removed from disenfranchisement and stigmatisation. The challenge to product developers and marketing strategists is to create age-appropriate offers that older people do not perceive as encroaching on their autonomy or pointing up their physical infirmities. Particularly promising are offers enabling barrier-free use without seeming like segregational solutions for specific age groups.
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EVENTS

Silver Economy Summit on May 13-14, 2010 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Silver Economy Summit will be held on May 13-14, 2010 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Summit will help leaders learn about and adapt their organisations to address the challenges and opportunities of an aging population and succeed in the Silver Economy. The SEN@ER network will be presented by Paula Fitzsimons from the partner region Mid-East Ireland Region and present the most recent SEN@ER initiative "Senior Enterprise".

Early bird registration for the Summit is now available. Online registration is provided on the website www.silvereconomysummit.ca.
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How to join the SEN@ER Network

The SEN@ER network is open to further European regions interested in joining. New partner regions will be asked to sign the Bonn Declaration for the Silver Economy and the SEN@ER Agreement which can be downloaded here: silvereconomy-europe.org. Any further information can be obtained from the SEN@ER Secretariat. Interested regions are kindly asked to contact Werner B. Korte at the SEN@ER Secretariat for further information and details (werner.korte@empirica.com, Phone: +49 (2 28) 9 85 30-0).

Additional information

Subscription Information

This is the SEN@ER network newsletter which is published in regular intervals.

An archive of all Newsletters is available at silvereconomy-europe.org.

If you are interested in further information regarding the Silver Economy Network of European Regions please visit our website at silvereconomy-europe.org or contact us.

Several European regions are members of the SEN@ER - Silver Economy Network of European Regions. They all signed the "Bonn Declaration" and agreed on their future work programme for the coming months and years when signing the "SEN@ER Agreement". Regions interested in joining the network are kindly asked to contact info@empirica.com or werner.korte@empirica.com.

Responsible as SEN@ER lead partner region at the regional government of North Rhine-Westphalia:

Ministry of Health, Equalities, Care and Ageing of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Dr. Claus Eppe
Horionplatz 1, D-40213 Düsseldorf
Phone: +49 (2 11) 8 618-3320
Fax: +49 (2 11) 8 618- 53320
claus.eppe@mgffi.nrw.de

European SEN@ER Secretariat
Ingo Meyer, Christiane Krupp, Werner B. Korte
empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH
Oxfordstr. 2, D - 53111 Bonn
Phone: +49 (2 28) 9 85 30-0
Fax: +49 (2 28) 9 85 30-12
mailto: info@empirica.com
http://www.empirica.com

http://www.silvereconomy-europe.org/

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