Members of the European Parliament have stressed that the new Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) programme must be cost effective and respect privacy.
The AAL programme is an initiative by the European Parliament to improve the quality of life of older people and help them live independently for longer, through the use of ICT.
It is being partially funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), under Article 169 of the EU treaty, which enables the EU to support the integration of national research programmes from across Europe, and the MEPs have stressed that equal funding should come from EU nations.
A report by the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on amendments to the EC proposal said: “The [Commission’s] report assumes that this demographic segment has a high purchasing power, but in reality, the elderly are cost conscious and many living on pensions alone. Thus, it is essential to keep costs affordable and the products accessible to all who need them.
“Participating countries should jointly contribute at least the same amount as the Commission (€150 million) or more to the programme. Furthermore, if the programme is implemented inadequately, partially or late, the EU should reduce or terminate its financial contribution. Overlaps with existing national and Europe-wide programmes should also be avoided,” the MEPs recommend.
The seven page document also calls for elderly people to be involved with the programme immediately from the design phase.
“Research suggests that older people are less inclined to use/try new technologies; therefore it is very important that the products developed are easy to use,” the report reads.
“An Advisory Board with representatives from industry and other stakeholders, such as older people, and with a view to inter-generational solidarity and understanding, younger people will also provide recommendations for priorities and topics to be addressed in the calls for proposals of the AAL Joint Programme,” it adds.
The goal of the AAL initiative is to improve the quality of life of older people and help them to live independently for longer through the use of ICT. These technologies are being developed to help counter many of the problems associated with old age, such as memory loss, vision and hearing difficulties, lack of mobility and loss of independence.
The committee stresses its commitment to developing the right technologies for this age group in its report.
“When selecting projects following calls for proposals launched under the programme the following criteria should be met in addition to scientific excellence: technology must be adapted to the needs of the elderly, services must respect the privacy and dignity of the elderly and support for independent living must contribute to increased social participation on the part of the elderly.
“Since ageing is a global phenomenon, a strong base of ICT-enabled solutions in Europe could be the start of export opportunities worldwide.”
The full European Parliament will vote on the issue in March.
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