574th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, 2 October 1996

9.2

BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE SIENA CONFERENCE

Recommendation 5 (1994) of the Congress of Local and Regional

Authorities of Europe (CLRAE)

(CM/Del/Dec/Act(96)563/9.1, 572/9.3)

Decision

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Recommendation 5 (1994) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE):

"Further to the reply given at the Ministers' Deputies' 518th meeting (October 1994, item 9.3, decisions 5 and 10 e) to the texts adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) at its first session (Strasbourg, 31 May - 3 June 1994), the Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Congress of the following in respect of Recommendation 5 (1994) on Europe and its elderly people: towards a pact between generations and conclusions of the Siena Conference:

The Committee of Ministers supports the principles laid down in the CLRAE's Recommendation 5 (1994) and in this respect draws attention to its adoption, on 10 October 1994, of Recommendation No. R (94) 9 concerning elderly people. The principles laid down in the CLRAE Recommendation also tie in with those set out by the Ministers responsible for Social Security in the final communique of their 6th Conference (Lisbon, 29-31 May 1995).

As part of the procedure for following up Committee of Ministers' Recommendations, the Steering Committee on Social Policy (CDPS) decided, at its 4th meeting (Strasbourg, 11-13 October 1989), to carry out an enquiry into the implementation of Recommendation No. R (85) 9 on voluntary work in social welfare activities. The replies received from delegations were analysed by the Secretariat and showed that a number of legislative and administrative measures had been taken since 1985 to promote voluntary work See footnote 1 . It was concluded that the information in the national reports might serve as a basis for the reforms which were taking place in a number of member States.

In regard to Recommendation (91) 2 on social security for workers without professional status, the European Social Security Committee (CDSS) sent a questionnaire to member States on the implementation of this Recommendation. The replies which were received and analysed by the Secretariat can be summarised as follows:

It is important to provide dependent persons with social protection by appropriate means so as, in particular:

    -    to safeguard their dignity, notably by preserving and fostering their autonomy,

    -    to promote their quality of life and ensure equality of opportunity.

    The following two aspects should be stressed in particular:

1.    The importance of keeping dependent persons at home, albeit on condition that the infrastructures necessary for this purpose are provided or maintained, viz appropriate professional services and co-ordination thereof, with care supplied by non-professional persons. Even though, as stated in the CLRAE Recommendation (4th indent of paragraph 3 in the section addressed to towns and municipalities), domiciliary services have the advantage of being "less expensive than other aid arrangements", their quality and the proper functioning of infrastructures must be ensured, as these are elements essential to the well-being and quality of life of elderly people.

2.    The importance of the status of helpers, to which a somewhat cursory reference is made in the CLRAE Recommendation (3rd indent of paragraph 3 in the section addressed to towns and municipalities). Professional helpers must be given continuous support and training of a specific kind if they are to be able to cope with the needs of elderly people (such as geriatric training of doctors, nursing staff, home helpers, etc). Similarly, the role of non-professionals (in particular, members of the family) is essential and should be strengthened by appropriate training.

    These non-professional helpers, who very often have no clear status, should benefit from suitable social protection and be temporarily released from their duties by means of specific forms of aid. A study See footnote 2 of the follow-up given to the Recommendation No. R (91) 2 shows that persons at home who have family responsibilities vis-à-vis young children, disabled persons or elderly people often enjoy specific social protection and are not compulsorily insured in respect of all branches of social security. In some cases, they may have derived rights on the strength of the insurance of their spouse and also ascendants and descendants or social protection limited to accidents at work, occupational diseases and invalidity or may become

voluntarily affiliated to certain schemes. Some countries take account of periods of care given to dependent persons for pension insurance purposes. In other cases, the social protection afforded is much more extensive. Lastly, persons performing social activities on a voluntary basis are very seldom covered by specific social protection, although this question is currently being studied in certain countries. In exceptional cases only, the social protection afforded is already extensive.

Finally, with regard to the question of setting up a European University scheme for people of all ages (first indent of paragraph 2 addressed to governments of member States), the Committee of Ministers noted that programmes in this field have been operating successfully in several countries for some time. Furthermore, the Committee on Higher Education and Research (CC-HER) is taking into account the situation and problems faced by mature students in the context of its project on access to higher education. However, the Bureau of the CC-HER has expressed the opinion that it is not in a position to undertake, in the near future, any specific activities concerning the promotion of teaching of geriatrics and psychogeriatrics as it has no particular expertise on this matter and action in this field does not correspond to existing priorities within the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC).

Footnote: 1     An analysis of the national replies is available from the Social Policy Division.

Footnote: 2     This study is available from the Social Security and Employment Division.

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