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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Slovenian Presidency (debate)
I very much welcomed the Presidency Trio Declaration on Ageing and the Council conclusions adopted under the German and Portuguese Presidencies. I fully support the trio's position that demographic change is at least as significant as the challenges of climate change and digital transformation, and should therefore be treated by the European Union with equal commitment. We're at an important moment. The Commission has published a Green Paper on Ageing as well as a European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations has declared 2021-2030 as the Decade of Healthy Ageing. This is a very good time to raise public awareness of the rights of older people, their contribution to economic and social life, the value of intergenerational learning and the importance of intergenerational solidarity. This is also the moment to translate the declarations into concrete programmes and initiatives, both legislative and non-legislative. To meet the challenges of the pandemic, to make Europe more resilient, to rebuild the economy, we need the strength, the wisdom, the talents of all generations. I will therefore closely follow the Slovenian Presidency's work in the area of building an inclusive and solidarity-based Europe. I also very much hope that the Slovenian Presidency will inspire the next trio to include ageing in their priorities.