[Demographic aging in the member countries of the European Union]

"Despite all remaining political, economical and cultural differences in the member countries of the European Union...population ageing is a common phenomena of all these countries.... Many spheres of socio-economic life in the countries of the European Union are already affected by this shifting process.... Most of the social security and welfare systems of the industrialized countries in the European Union are mainly based on intergenerational solidarity, a solidarity which is highly burdened by the demographic development. In this respect policy makers have to take into consideration the expected changes in the age structure of the economically active population, changing patterns of labour force participation as well as changes in family and household structures in their task to modify existing systems or to build new systems of social security and welfare under the growing burden of an ageing society." (SUMMARY IN ENG)