Demographic change and the care of older people: introduction

The conclusion of the European Commission’s Green Paper "Confronting demographic change: a new solidarity between the generations" (Commission of the European Communities, 2005) was that Europe should actively pursue three ‘essential priorities’. These were: a return to demographic growth; ensuring a balance between the generations; and finding new bridges between the stages of life. The first of these suggested priorities is controversial; all three illustrate the place of population ageing and intergenerational relationships at the centre stage of current policy concerns.