Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action

162nd plenary session, 7-9 October 2024 OPINION SEDEC-VII/047 Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR) − considers it timely to mainstream demographic change as a transversal challenge into the work of all commissions, and consider the possibility of establishing an interregional group closely cooperating with the European Parliament’s relevant intergroup, encouraging the exchange of best practices, and the development of coordinated strategies that take into account a broad spectrum of EU policies, including gender equality; − emphasises that the Demography Toolbox introduces key elements explaining the gap between actual and desired family size; − stresses the importance of the existing EU cohesion funding tools which can help alleviate the negative effects of demographic change, either as a result of depopulation or overpopulation in regions with strong population pressure, and welcomes the focus of the presidency of the Council of the EU on demographic issues and its close link with cohesion policies; refers in this context to the CoR work on how to exploit the full potential of cohesion policy to tackle demographic change; underlines that these tools should promote a balanced and enabling approach to demographic issues at an appropriate territorial level; − calls on the Member States to consider the establishment of a Permanent Council configuration comprising a group of ministers in charge of...