The concept and policy framework for active ageing turns twenty next year. Will this anniversary be an occasion to celebrate the achievements of international actions on ageing? Or will it become just another occasion to reflect on “uneven progress” in advancing towards a society for all ages – a goal set also twenty years ago by the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing? Alexandre Sidorenko, Senior Adviser at the European Centre, argues that, as of today, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the latter scenario seems the most plausible.

Due to the challenge of combining care responsibilities with employment, informal carers are often vulnerable to reducing their labour market attachment, or leaving the job market entirely, and subsequently sacrificing income. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting employment cuts, informal carers may have been particularly vulnerable to deterioration in their socioeconomic situation.

Covid-19 has had and will continue to have, at least for the time being, a huge impact on many aspects of life. We are continuously being confronted with the negative consequences of the pandemic for our economy, welfare, mobility, health systems, social life, public health, mental health etc. In view of the significant negative influence which alcohol consumption has on public health and social welfare, we briefly review the relationship between Covid-19, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.

Apprenticeships raise the labour-market entry level for young people—but they need to be available in bad times as well as good.

The Coronavirus outbreak still presents a major challenge at national and local levels across the EU and beyond. Persons with disabilities are among the most affected groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) recently reported that the pandemic continues to affect the provision of essential services such as education, healthcare, community-based support and transport for persons with disabilities. Children with disabilities are facing particular barriers when it comes to accessing education and support, including challenges to take part in distance learning, without their assistants. In some countries, FRA noted that physical, occupational, speech and language therapy services for children with disabilities were suspended (e.g. in Malta) (FRA, 2020).