Spotlight on age discrimination in the EU
According to the European Commission s Eurobarometer on Discrimination in the EU (July 2008), 42% of Europeans see discrimination on the basis of age as widespread. However, older respondents are more inclined to say age discrimination is widespread, with women (44%) more likely to see it as such than men (39%). Respondents reported age as the most common ground for being discriminated against themselves, with one in seven people (6%) reporting that they had experienced age discrimination in the last twelve months.
In particular, 40% of EU citizens think there is widespread age-related discrimination when it comes to buying insurance products; 31% think the same in relation to housing; 20% in relation to buying goods or using services; 19% about using the healthcare system and 17% about the educational system.
This shows clearly the reality faced by older people in the EU. Anne-Sophie Parent, AGE Director, commented that AGE and its members hope that the new Article 13 directive on non-discrimination, to be issued by the Commission today, will take on board these significant findings in its consideration of preferential treatment for older and younger people in access to goods and services, and that it will ban differences of treatment based on age, regardless of the existence of provision made for this in Member State law.
However, AGE considers that public, private and non governmental providers of goods and services should be allowed to offer these at a proportionate preferential rate to specific age groups such as younger and older people to compensate for a disadvantage and to enable these age groups to participate fully in society and in the economy (for example, with reduced rate theatre tickets, shop discounts and museum entry).
For more details, see the AGE message to President Barroso:
http://www.age-platform.org/EN/spip.php?article578
