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Confederation European Senior Expert Services

CESES

- raise awareness of the importance of senior and professional volunteering to promote the transfer of knowledge and expertise worldwide, particularly for people in need and the development of inclusive societies, - represent senior volunteer organisations vis-à-vis the European Institutions, while creating a commonality of intents for the senior volunteers' associations across the EU - foster intergenerational transfer of knowledge - implement Volunteers in Action for the benefit of developing countries - assist small and medium size enterprises in developing countries - help eradicate poverty - promote the involvement of member organizations in volunteer activities in the context of European projects.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer and

28 Jan 2026 · Stakeholder dialogue on establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034

Response to Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness

30 Oct 2025

The Confederation of European Senior Expert Services (CESES) is an international non-profit association bringing more than 25,000 senior expert volunteers from 19 organisations in 12 EU Member States and Switzerland. CESES promotes lifelong learning and civic commitment among retired and senior professionals to foster social and economic development. By enabling senior experts to share their knowledge through mentoring, consultancy and training, CESES strengthens intergenerational exchange, personal fulfilment and societal resilience and supports young people, entrepreneurs, SMEs, non-profit organisations and public authorities across Europe. CESES shares Commissions ambition to ensure that decisions respond to the needs of all generations, while embedding intergenerational solidarity and cooperation into EU policy-making. However, intergenerational fairness should be understood not only as protecting future generations. The strategy gives insufficient visibility to older persons and their specific needs. Although ageing and demographic challenges are recognised, the focus remains largely on the voice of children and youth throughout the Strategy. Older generations are mentioned only briefly in the target group section. This imbalance overlooks the principle of intergenerational fairness and the essential role of older people as contributors to Europes future. CESES calls for increased recognition of older persons as both beneficiaries and drivers of the Strategys implementation. 1- Intergenerational mentoring as a key instrument. Intergenerational mentoring, widely applied within CESES, is an effective model for linking generations, promoting knowledge transfer, and fostering inclusion. It directly addresses challenges such as population ageing, youth unemployment and limited civic participation, while encouraging mutual learning and understanding. Mentoring contributes to social cohesion and the transition towards more inclusive and sustainable societies. CESES encourages the Commission to recognise intergenerational mentoring as a proven and replicable practice contributing to intergenerational fairness across Europe. 2- Promoting senior volunteering and active citizenship CESES calls on the Commission to support initiatives that unlock the potential of seniors and promote active citizenship, volunteering and intergenerational mentoring among retired citizens. A significant gap persists between EU-level initiatives encouraging youth participation and those supporting senior engagement. For example, the European Solidarity Corps, restricted to ages 1830, excludes older volunteers and disregards its potential role of involvement e.g. as mentors. More inclusive frameworks are needed to enable volunteering and mentoring for all ages. 3- Awareness-raising across the EU CESES calls on the Commission to increase awareness of senior volunteering and intergenerational mentoring across the EU. In many Member States, volunteering is still seen primarily as support for older persons rather than an opportunity for seniors themselves to remain active contributors. The Commission should promote a broader understanding of senior volunteering and mentoring as key resources for tackling social and economic challenges, from youth unemployment to environmental issues. Intergenerational collaboration should be mainstreamed in all relevant EU policies, particularly those on youth, employment, education, active ageing and social inclusion. 4- CESES policy work Finally, CESES encourages the Commission to engage civil society networks, including ours, as strategic partners in shaping and implementing intergenerational policies. Attached to this feedback, you can find CESES Policy Paper on Intergenerational Cooperation and our report on Senior Expertise for a Sustainable Economy, that provide evidence-based recommendations on how intergenerational seniors support more cohesive Europe.
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Meeting with Yvon Slingenberg (Cabinet of Vice-President Miguel Arias Cañete)

8 Jan 2015 · ROLE OF EUROCHAMBERS, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ETS REFORM