Date: Wednesday 6 March 2024
Time: 1.00pm (for 1.30pm start) – 5.30pm CET
Location: Silversquare Europe, Square de Meeûs 35, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

At this event, the ILC Europe Network hosted its inaugural meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with demographic change in Europe. With the European Parliament elections taking place in June 2024, we used our event to establish a set of key priorities and policy recommendations for the 2024-29 Parliament and Commission.

With more than 30% of the EU’s population set to be aged 65 and over by 2100, Europe is steadily ageing. While higher life expectancy is a testament to medical and societal progress, people are not necessarily living good quality lives for longer. We used this event to look at how we can address population ageing over the next five years to ensure Europeans can live longer lives that are healthier, happier, and more prosperous.

At this event, the ILC Europe Network hosted three sessions on:

• Prevention of ill health in an ageing Europe
• Maximising the economic opportunities of longevity
• Bringing generations together

Speakers included:

• Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Vice-President, Democracy and Demography (video message)
• Mirzha de Manuel, Member of Cabinet, An Economy that Works for People
• Dr Daniela Weber, Research Scholar, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
• Prof Dr Nico De Witte, Founder, Belgian Ageing Studies
• Monica Urian, Policy Officer, DG EAC
• Colin Sanders, Partner, Indiville & Research Fellow, Hasselt University
• Dr Alessandro Gallina, Policy Manager for NCD Prevention, European Public Health Alliance
• Sarah Loriato, Policy Officer on Employment and European Parliament Liaison, AGE Platform Europe

Addressing the challenges of population ageing is important to ensure people live longer, healthier, and happier lives. We need to create a society that works for everyone, regardless of their age. We need to take a holistic approach towards longevity to ensure that Europeans born today not only live longer lives, but better-quality lives too.