Today the European Economic and Social Committee hosted the closing conference of the European Year of Active Ageing. The European Union is experiencing a major demographic challenge in an ageing population. This situation raises questions in a number of social and economic areas, but also represents opportunities for new social, economic and technological developments. The closing conference of the EESC Coordination Group of the European Year 2012, opened by EESC President Staffan Nilsson, was designed to give EESC Members having worked on the topics of this European Year the opportunity to share their conclusions of the with decision-makers and stakeholders. Topics covered during the conference included: healthy ageing and the needs of older citizens; changing the image of age – changing the learning paradigm; older people’s involvement and participation in society; humanising the working conditions of older workers; the contribution of ICT technologies to active and healthy ageing; and adequate, safe and sustainable pensions. In the picture is Renate Heinisch (Germany, Various Interests Group), a former MEP, one of the EESC’s more active members and representative of the Federal Association of German Senior Citizens’ Organisations. (See programme here.)