ESO - European Senior Organisation

06/03/2026

On March 4, the European Commissionmission has present its European Intergenerational fairness strategy

ESO-PES seniors chaires completely the analyses from the European parlements Intergenerationnal forum.

We regrets that the Commission and her DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture did not properly consider the proposals from the older citizens’ organizations AGE Platform Europe. They call for an intergenerational fairness strategy built on a balanced set of policy instruments that benefit all generations : children, young and older citizens. A European AGE equality strategy, an European senior strategy or an European Action Program against ageism would fill a gap in this regard, alongside the already existing Child Guarantee and Youth Strategies. These proposals were presented to the Commission services during the public consultation process.

We regret that the DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture hasn’t taken this formal consultation seriously.

An intergenerational fairness strategy must connect generations, foster solidarity, and under no circumstances polarize between generations.

ESO - European Senior Organisation expects an urgent adjustment to this strategy in consultation with organized civil society, and that this organized civil society, including older people's organizations, will be closely involved in the follow-up of the strategy.

ESO also ask an urgent dialogue between Commission and civil society organisations representing the older citizens on this issue.

Please find our contribution to the European Commission public consultation on our website www.socialistseniors.eu

Party of European Socialists
Young European Socialists
Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament
PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions

The EP Intergenerational Forum is committed to building a Europe that turns increasing longevity into an opportunity to create societies where all generations can thrive, in full respect of their rights and are enabled to participate in society.The EP Intergenerational Forum welcomes the publication...

06/03/2026

What can we, seniors, expect from European and international policy? The Flemish organizations of ESO - European Senior Organisation, S-Plus vzw, and ABVV Senioren were guests at the European Parliament in Brussels at the invitation of Tobback, MEP from Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament . Together with Rob , Minister of Consumer Rights and Equal Opportunities, Marc Angel, Member of the European Parliament, Pascal Smet Member of the Brussels voor Vooruit Parliament and member of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions, and Magda De Meyer, President of the Vlaamse Ouderenraad, and Jos Bertrand , President we explored how Europe and the UN can contribute to better senior policy.

17/02/2026

Tomorrow the first talks on an United Nations treaty for older persons rights will start in Geneva. As ESO - European Senior Organization, we have been working towards this for years together with AGE Platform Europe and the other European senior organizations. With ESO - European Senior Organisation we make a warm appeal to the UN member states to involve the older citizens and their organizations in discussions and decisions.

Our vice-president Marianne De Mestral from our Swiss member organisation will represent ESO in the civil society conference. Please find hereby the declaration from ESO by the beginning of the UN convention.

Party of European Socialists FEPS Mayores Socialistas AG SPD 60 plus Pensionistenverband Österreichs S-Plus vzw ABVV Senioren

21/12/2025

New Year's message for ESO 2026.

Dear friends,

2025 is behind us and it was a very busy year. It was the first year of a new mandate in the European institutions. With ESO, we transformed our 2024 elections memorandum into a genuine work programme for 2024-2029, bringing together our priorities for a European policy on older people, solidarity between generations, and addressing the challenges of an ageing population. We established contacts with the new S&D group in the European Parliament and with our sister organizations in the PES, and also made our first contributions to the European Commission's public consultations: the Union’s multiannual budget (MFF), the new action programme for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the European Intergenerational Fairness Strategy.

We were active in our European party, the PES, preparing and participating to the Amsterdam congress. We also contribute actively in AGE-platform Europe, the umbrella organization for older people in Europe. We are committed to the interest group for intergenerational solidarity in the European Parliament, where we were able to organize a first meeting with our other European political senior citizens' organizations: ESU, affiliated with the EPP and the European Green Senior Citizens, affiliated with the European Green Party.

2026 presents big challenges: peace, democracy, solidarity, equality! Four fundamental principles of the socialdemocratic movement are under increasing pressure.

As older generations, we learn that European integration was and is the best guarantee for peace and protection of fundamental rights. European integration, through the European Union and the Council of Europe, offers a framework that should help its member states to better develop their social missions. As we are committed to this, we also need to inform our member-organisations and their members - more than ever - about this European added value. That will be our most important task in 2026, and this concerns all our representatives and activists.

In 2026, we will also continue working on the implementation of our action program and help shape the European political agenda: the multi-annual budget, the European fairness strategy, the European housing plan, the European social agenda, the humanization of the digital agenda, a European action plan against ageism and age discrimination and a European strategy for older people, a balanced intergenerational fairness strategy, a European care guarantee.

We also look forward to the next steps in 2026 toward a UN Convention on the Rights of the older persons. This global approach will also demand our attention.

There's a lot at stake in 2026! Not only for our older generations, but also, and especially, for our younger ones. The policies we implement today will help shape their future. All the more reason to work together. We are committed to do this, first of all with our PES-family, and with the civil society movements.

On behalf of all the activists in ESO—Frieda, Anthony, Marianne, Gyorgyi, Mariqueta, Steven, Jan, Juan, Philippe, Hilde, Sabine, Carlo, Marie-Jeanne, André, and Maria Luigia —I wish us and all of you a happy, peaceful, healthy, and above all, combative 2026!

Brussels, 22 December 2025

Jos Bertrand - President ESO

11/12/2025

Working together for seniors interest. This week, the 3 political european seniororganisations ESO - European Senior Organisation , ESU the Eurooean Seniors Union from the EPP and the European Green Seniors met together with Idoia Mendia Cueva (MEP S&D) , Michał Szczerba (MEP PPE) and Goran Bosanac (MEP Greens) . Together with AGE Platform Europe wil will join our forces in order to have senior intrests and intergenerational solidarity on the European agenda.

11/11/2025

We have introduced our second contribution to the European Commissions consultation on the Europese intergenerational fairnessstrategy. You can find our contribution on the Commission's website.

We regret that the European Commission has as so far refused to respond to the European older person's organizations' request for a European Age Equality Strategy, or a European strategy for older persons. ESO now supports the proposal of AGE Platform Europe for a European action plan against ageism.

A European fairness strategy between generations can only be successful if it relies on a balanced set of policy instruments. Therefore, ESO, together with AGE, advocate for a European Age Equality Strategy as a third cornerstone alongside the existing youth strategy and the Child Guarantee.
Aging is not a problem only for older generations, but for young people: today's policy choices shape tomorrow's policies. It is more time than ever for a European strategy for older persons to ensure a happy old age for today's young people.

Party of European SocialistsYoung European SocialistsS-Plus vzwABVV SeniorenAG SPD 60 plusMayores SocialistasPensionistenverband Österreichs

European Commission - Have your say

23/10/2025

Intervention of president ESO in PES Congress

Dear friends, dear comrades,

I am speaking here on behalf of our and your older comrades. You know us very well as long standing militants, engaged in our social democratic movements and parties. You have to know that we are more than the past, we – older persons – are also actors for the future.

We live in turbulent times, with war and uncertainty, where new world leaders, populists and anti-democrats, are taking over the leadership from the international community, garant for respect for democracy and fundamental rights, for their own profit and interests. Yet, we remain confident in our social democratic movement. Together, we can turn the tide.

This means returning to our roots: empowering/educating people—young and old—to become resilient, engaged citizens who stand up for solidarity, equality, democracy, and human rights. Alongside civil society, of which we are part, from the climate youth to the grandparents for the climate, trade unions, older-persons and youth organizations, social NGOs, trade unions, we must reconnect and rebuild our society.

We have to listen to people’s needs: a decent income, affordable housing in age friendly environments, lifelong learning, guaranteed accessible care and healthcare, a good job, a healthy climate, and governments at every level that protect citizens from inequality and insecurity; and provide answers to the challenges such as aging, growing inequalities, climate change.

As seniors, we stand for solidarity between generations. We want a society where even vulnerable people are recognized as full citizens, where care is granted, and where people—not machines—are there to help when needed. We fight against ageism and demand European policies against ageism and promoting age equality.

Together with our parties, we are committed to making this happen. You can count on us, as you have done it in the past, now and in the future. But we have one demand: as actors for the future, older persons will be recognised as full citizens. This concerns also our own social democratic movement and partis. Many parties don’t longer organise their older members, contrary to the youngsters and other specific groups. Please, give older militant their organisation, their network in the party, so that we can – as organised citizens- full participate in the future.

PES Congress - Amsterdam, 17 October 2025

Jos Bertrand

President ESO (European Senior Organisation)

23/10/2025

2025 PES Congress ESO fringe meeting “A European senior strategy: a future for our Youngsters”

The 2025 Party of European Socialists (PES) Congress, held on 15-18 October in Amsterdam, focused on "Progressive Mobilisation in Europe and beyond".

Within the Congress, ESO organized the fringe meeting “A European senior strategy: a future for our Youngsters” aimed to explore concrete strategies and conditions for a comprehensive European seniors' policy, drawing on proposals based on their election memorandum and action program.

Keynote speaker Prof. gerontology Christel Geerts, president Solidaris, shared insights from her experience in age-friendly policy, followed by a panel-discussion with Idoia Mendía, MEP S&D PSOE and co-chair from the EP interest group on intergenerational solidarity, Joao Martins Pereira, president YES and Jos Bertrand, president ESO. Moderated by Francois Balate (FEPS).

https://socialistseniors.eu/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/Publications/versie-deelnemers-Aging_Ageism_AgeFriendlyCities_PES2025.pdf

https://socialistseniors.eu/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/Publications/PB-Intergenerational-Solidarity-DIGITAL8-FEPS.pdf

08/10/2025

30/09/2025

1 October: International Day of Older Persons

“As this year’s theme reminds us, older persons are powerful agents of change. Their voices must be heard in shaping policies, ending age-discrimination, and building inclusive societies”.

António Guterres, UN Secretary General

The 2025 United Nations International Day of Older Persons emphasizes the important role older people play as agents of change in society.

The theme, “Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: our Aspirations, our Well-Being and our Rights,” underlines their contributions to health equity, financial security, community resilience, and human rights.

Key global policies, such as the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, support these principles. In April 2025, progress continued as the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to develop a legally binding instrument to protect the rights of older persons, recognizing them as active rights-holders and leaders of positive change. ESO - European Senior OrganisationPES Activists BrusselsPES WomenParty of European SocialistsYoung European SocialistsFEPS

30 September 2025 01 October 2025: International Day of Older Persons “As this year’s theme reminds us, older persons are powerful agents of change.  Their voices must be heard in shaping policies, ending age-discrimination, and building inclusive societies”. António Guterres, UN Secretary G...

15/08/2025