| Authors |
Michel, Jean-Pierre ; Kuh, Diana ; Kenny, Rose Anne ; Reilly, Richard ; Ayalon, Liat ; Boersch-Supan, Axel ; Bringer, Jacques ; Cruz Jentoft, Alfonso ; Gambassi, Giovanni ; Gow, Alan J ; Grodzicki, Tomasz ; Lhotska, Lenka ; Markova, Ekaterina L ; Maskeliunas, Rytis ; Patrono, Carlo ; Rasmussen, Lene Juel ; Roller-Wirnsberger, Regina ; Singh-Manoux, Archana ; Slagboom, P. Eline ; van der Mei, Anne Pieter ; van Wissen, Leo J.G ; Vina, Jose |
| Abstract [eng] |
The European population is ageing rapidly: its median age is the highest in the world. The topic of ageing has received significant attention in recent years, as is evident in the multiple international reports on ageing published during the last five years and the existence of at least eight active working groups on ageing at the EU level. The SAPEA Working Group on Transforming the Future of Ageing aims to provide a scientific perspective to address the question of what policies at the EU level could support the member states in their response to the current and future opportunities and challenges posed by ageing. In this project, SAPEA assembled a large multi-disciplinary working group, with world-leading expertise in the biomedical, human, social and engineering sciences. The Federation of European Academies of Medicine network led the project. The resulting report reflects not only the outstanding knowledge of the experts, but also their exemplary commitment to the voluntary task of collaborating in an interdisciplinary way and bringing the best and latest scientific knowledge into evidence-based policymaking. The report aims to make a unique contribution from a broad public health standpoint to a complex topic in a way that complements other related resources, thereby providing evidence-based science advice for the highest policy level in Europe. In particular, the working group has made a conscious effort not to duplicate the same aspects of ageing covered in existing reports. Likewise, by adopting a multi-disciplinary approach in the present report, the working group has distinguished itself from other EU ageing-related initiatives. These include the European Innovative partnership for Active and Healthy Ageing, Horizon 2020 projects in response to identified societal challenges posed by ageing, and the EU health programme managed by DG Santé focusing on healthy ageing, as well as existing networks funded by the EU, such as Innovation, Futurage, Mopact, Nestpar, and SHARE . The choice of topics covered in this report, or excluded, is based upon the expressed interest of policymakers throughout the scoping process, e.g. health, social affairs, employment, and technology. SAPEA is an integral part of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). This Evidence Review Report is presented to the European Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, informing their Scientific Opinion which will be published later in 2019. Both this report and the Scientific Opinion are delivered directly to the College of Commissioners, and will be used for planning and policymaking. By such means, the best available science, distilled and analysed by the leading experts in Europe, should have a direct and tangible impact on decisions taken by the European Commission which influences the lives of some 500 million people across our continent. |
