MEP supports pan-European 50+ Entrepreneurship platform

MEP Marlene Mizzi participated at a high level debate launching the creation of a pan-European 50plus Entrepreneurship platform. The 50+EPE platform is an initiative organised by a group of like-minded organisations, companies, NGOs and academics that have teamed up together to ensure the potential of the 50+ entrepreneurs is fully recognised and supported by the EU policy makers.

Mizzi, who was introduced to the audience as "a key actor and strong advocate in promoting entrepreneurship initiatives in the European Parliament", spoke about the importance of providing better opportunities for older people who want to become, or remain economically active at a later stage in their life.

She urged Member States and the EU not to underestimate older people's potential, who possess a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills, but who also suffer from long term unemployment, IT and other related skills, and age-related discrimination at a time of major labour market transformation and economic stagnation.

Mizzi invited the Commission to develop precise programs to financially support older entrepreneurs and to provide easy access to financing, including by extending the existing low-interest rates micro-financing programmes currently available to young entrepreneurs.  "Very often banks are reluctant to providing loans and financing to older people especially if they have no experience as entrepreneurs. This way many brilliant ideas fail before even having a chance to become a reality," said Mizzi

"Given that one third of the working population will be over 50 by 2020,   it is crucially important that we grasp the momentum and harness the social-economic potential of this demographic group, which will provide longstanding benefits for Europe's economy and help Member States to respond to the employment and societal tasks that we face as result of ongoing demographic and workplace challenges" said Mizzi.