Ageing: the demographic challenge Experts discuss the options facing Europe at ESOF 2004
25 August 2004 - 28 August 2004
Europe's population is likely to drop significantly over the next fifty years. Thanks to low fertility rates and rising life expectancy, the number of pensioners is rising, the number of workers left to fund the pension pot is shrinking drastically.
Professor Frans Willekens, from the Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, the Netherlands and Professor James Vaupel, from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany, Professor Ron Lesthaeghe from the Free University, Brussels, Belgium, and Professor Gunhild Hagestad, from Agder University College, Kristiansand, Norway will be discussing these problems at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2004), which takes place in Stockholm between 25th and 28th August.
What are the reasons for Europe's low birth rate? Will people have to keep working into old age? Immigration might help alleviate the problems, but the rise of Europe's far-right means that it is no easy option - what are the pros and cons? What effects will the changes have on Europe's influence in the world? These questions and more will be addressed at the plenary session.
Some European countries face more serious challenges than others: countries where pensions are paid out of current tax revenue such as Germany, France and Italy, face particular problems.
Falling populations are a major problem: Deutsche Bank estimates that Germany, which currently has a population of 80 million, may have only 25 million inhabitants by 2100. Italy's population could fall from 57.5 million to around 45 million by 2050.
The Economist has argued that Britain and the Netherlands, which have high levels of private pension provision and whose populations are predicted to remain stable, are better placed to cope with the pensions problem. But how will the difficulties in other European countries affect even those countries that have got their house in order? And how will shrinking populations affect the ambitions of those who build the EU into a world power?
What about the solutions? Can the welfare state solve the problem? Policies to use taxes and benefits to encourage childbirth have been attempted. Some of these have had some effect, such as Sweden's use of tax benefits for mothers. But are initiatives such as these too expensive, and are their results too unpredictable?ESOF2004 is a pan-European interdisciplinary scientific meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the latest research from leading international scientists. The forum highlights Europe's position, alongside the United States, as the worlds pre-eminent region for scientific research. The eighteen topics presented at the forum include science policy issues, humanity and space, the human brain, communication science, science and ethics and more.
The programme includes more that 80 scientific sessions, 13 plenary lectures with over 250 speakers from 33 countries. The speakers are international leaders in their fields. They are joined by government ministers from around the world, representatives of international organizations, leading journalists and other major opinion formers.
In addition to the Scientific Programme a large number of events, targeted to the public at large will be presented; "Science in the City".
ESOF2004 is initiated by Euroscience, and the event is supported by several organisations and companies, for example the European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Germany and Nature.
www.esof2004.org
Professor Frans Willekens, from the Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, the Netherlands and Professor James Vaupel, from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany, Professor Ron Lesthaeghe from the Free University, Brussels, Belgium, and Professor Gunhild Hagestad, from Agder University College, Kristiansand, Norway will be discussing these problems at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2004), which takes place in Stockholm between 25th and 28th August.
What are the reasons for Europe's low birth rate? Will people have to keep working into old age? Immigration might help alleviate the problems, but the rise of Europe's far-right means that it is no easy option - what are the pros and cons? What effects will the changes have on Europe's influence in the world? These questions and more will be addressed at the plenary session.
Some European countries face more serious challenges than others: countries where pensions are paid out of current tax revenue such as Germany, France and Italy, face particular problems.
Falling populations are a major problem: Deutsche Bank estimates that Germany, which currently has a population of 80 million, may have only 25 million inhabitants by 2100. Italy's population could fall from 57.5 million to around 45 million by 2050.
The Economist has argued that Britain and the Netherlands, which have high levels of private pension provision and whose populations are predicted to remain stable, are better placed to cope with the pensions problem. But how will the difficulties in other European countries affect even those countries that have got their house in order? And how will shrinking populations affect the ambitions of those who build the EU into a world power?
What about the solutions? Can the welfare state solve the problem? Policies to use taxes and benefits to encourage childbirth have been attempted. Some of these have had some effect, such as Sweden's use of tax benefits for mothers. But are initiatives such as these too expensive, and are their results too unpredictable?ESOF2004 is a pan-European interdisciplinary scientific meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the latest research from leading international scientists. The forum highlights Europe's position, alongside the United States, as the worlds pre-eminent region for scientific research. The eighteen topics presented at the forum include science policy issues, humanity and space, the human brain, communication science, science and ethics and more.
The programme includes more that 80 scientific sessions, 13 plenary lectures with over 250 speakers from 33 countries. The speakers are international leaders in their fields. They are joined by government ministers from around the world, representatives of international organizations, leading journalists and other major opinion formers.
In addition to the Scientific Programme a large number of events, targeted to the public at large will be presented; "Science in the City".
ESOF2004 is initiated by Euroscience, and the event is supported by several organisations and companies, for example the European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Germany and Nature.
www.esof2004.org