European petition for the attention of MEPs and Chairmen of the political groups in the European Parliament The retired men and women affiliated to FERPA (the European Federation of Retired and Older People), which represents around 10 million retired people in 23 European countries and is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation, have a message for you, the newly elected Members of the European Parliament. They are asking you to pay greater attention to the roughly 80 million retired and older people in Europe and to take more initiatives aimed at this group. The people in question are a social asset in terms of their experience and the contribution they make to the life of society and to family life. They are a seldom recognised and undervalued treasure. Retired people helped with Europe's reconstruction after the Second World War and played their part in shoring up democratic institutions and creating the European Union. They worked - and are continuing to work – alongside employees to promote a fairer distribution of wealth, greater solidarity and social justice. FERPA's retired members are calling on you to take steps that will help to create an intergenerational society based on solidarity by championing and improving people's rights to health, retirement and a minimum income that guarantees a genuine quality of life, by providing access to high-quality public services and services of general interest for all citizens, including older people, and ensuring in particular that care is provided for dependent people. The European Parliament, whose job is to represent Europe's citizens, cannot ignore these 80 million people. They have earned the consideration of Europe's institutions and continue to deserve such attention in view of their fight to secure a more social Europe that is closer to its citizens. These retired and older people are therefore calling on you to systematically consult their most representative organisations at European level, especially FERPA, when making decisions that will affect their daily living conditions, i.e. decisions on health, retirement, dependence, the fight against social exclusion, training that extends beyond working life, and so forth. To achieve this, it is essential that Europe's institutions open up to active participation by retired people.