In 2001 the President of the PVÖ (Pensionistenverband Österreichs) and former General Secretary of the SPÖ and interior Minister – Karl Blecha and Hilde Hawlicek – Minister of Education, Cultur and Sport, MEP in the European Parliament, when Austria entered the EU on the 1st of 1995 – organized in Vienna the ESO foundation congress on the 19th and 20th of October with more than 70 participants from 19 countries.
The ESO – European Senior Organisation in the PES – was supported in it’s activites by Philip Cordery, Secretary General of PES and by Martin Schulz, President of the PES group in the EP.
ESO organized during the period of Austrian Presidency 3 congresses (every 3 years according the statutes) and nearly every year a seminar in the EP in BRXL and in one of the member countries:
Congresses:
| 19/20 October 2001 ESO Founding Congress, Vienna. |
| 22/24 March 2004 2nd Congress, Zagreb. |
| 01/03 March 2007 3rd Congress, Berlin. |
| 04/06 November 2010 4th Congress, Blankenberge. |
Seminars in Cooperation with the PES and the Socialist Group in the EP in BRXL:
| 07/08 March 2002 “ESO Cooperation with PES and the Socialist Group in the EP”. |
| 04/06 March 2003 “Social Europe”. |
| 03/04 March 2004 “ESO Election Platform”. |
| 01/02 March 2005 “The European Social Model”. |
| 05/08 March 2008 “For a social Europe and against age discrimination – Democratic changes as challenges for the European”. |
| 03/05 March 2009 “Active participation in the EU policy process”. |
| 23/25 March 2010 “The role of Social Democracy in Europe”. |
Seminars in member countries:
| 01/02 November 2003 “Aging in Europe and it’s Capitals”, Hamburg. |
| 04/06 November 2005 “Seniors and Future – Local Policy for Seniors”, Rotterdam. |
| 01/03 February 2006 “Save Our Social Europe”, Vienna. |
| 26/28 May 2006 “The Position of Seniors in Society”, Prague. |
| 27/30 September 2007 “Health care – minimum pension”’, Croatia. |
| 12/15 October 2008 “The financing of the pension systems in the new member states. The older ones on the job market”’, Tallin and Helsinki. |
| 13/15 October 2009 “Distributive justice for seniors in a social Europe”, Bratislava. |
| 06 July 2010 “Presidium Meeting”, Vienna. |
In 2007 the ESO also organised with support of Hungary, the Senior Games Europe in Györ, Hungary.
The ESO adheres to the objectives oft he PES:
- To uphold and spread the fundamental ideas of the Party of European Socialists (PES), as well as implement its objectives and programme in the framework of its work.
- To promote and safeguard the economic, social and cultural interests of the elderly in Europe.
- The ESO aims to improve the social status and position in society of older people in Europe, and therefore to develop programmes on the topic of age, solidarity between generations, medical care, protection of consumers, social security (fundamental rights to a retirement benefit) and economic protection (pensions and annuities) and to strengthen the participation and active involvement of the elderly in the community, society and in European politics.
- To represent and defend the interests of elderly people in the European bodies, in particular in the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council.
- The work of the ESO is not to generate any profits, its activity serves the public interest.
As a consequence of the World Finance Crisis in 2009 the ESO was more than ever required to discuss the consequences of the Crisis for elderly people and to give consistent explanations as to who should bear the costs. President Blecha referred to the 12-point paper of the ESO:
For the ESO the implementation of the following demands guarantees a “new social Europe”:
- An active Europe in peace, freedom and justice for all people.
- Active participation of older people by co-determination and recognition of their achievements in society.
- To overcome age discrimination and realisation of solidarity between generations.
- Promotion of work and employment for older persons, strengthening of employment rights and a human migration policy.
- Securing purchasing power of pensions, providing finance, e.g. with a tax on value added basis.
- No “Two-Class-Medicine”‘ – medical care independent of age and status.
- High quality affordable long term care, uniform standards for a human care.
- Better access to knowledge, education, further training, culture and information.
- Strengthening of consumer protection and food safety.
- Securing mobility and new dwelling forms for senior citizens.
- Extensive fight against poverty and social exclusion.
- An European stability-pact, an all-embracing financial market regulation and central financial supervision.
At the Seminar in Bratislava 2009 President Blecha and General Secretary Hawlicek announced that it is now time, after three periods, that the administration of the ESO is to be handed over to new people. In the following discussion at the Bratislava meeting it was suggested, that either Slovakia or Belgium could take over. However the participants came to the conclusion that it is important that the President and the General Secretary should both come from the same country and from a country with a strong pensioner’s organisation with an office at their disposal. In March 2010 in Brussels, the Belgiums agreed to present candidates. Luc Carsauw, the treasurer of Flemish Health Insurance, presented Mark Elchardus as President and Jan Moens as General Secretary, who were elected at the Congress 2010 in Blankenberge, Belgium.
The treasurer György Jankovics, the mother of Neméthene Jankovics, reported that for the last 3 years there has been income from members contributions and grants to the tune of 41.000 EUR, which was transferred from Austria to Belgium at the end of 2010.
Since the foundation, ESO has been a member of AGE. From the beginning Hilde Hawlicek was a Council member of AGE and even two times elected as Vice President. At the last Council of AGE, Anthony DeGiovanni, who is the ESO-Vice President was elected as Vice President of AGE.