B. whereas these demographic changes might, according to the Commission's estimates, profoundly alter the population structure and the age pyramid, with the number of young people aged between 0 and 14 years falling from 100 million (1975 index) to 66 million in 2050, the population of working age peaking around 2010 at 331 million and gradually diminishing thereafter to some 268 million in 2050, life expectancy increasing by six years for men and five years for women between 2004 and 2050, and the percentage of people aged over 80 cl ...[+++]imbing from 4.1% in 2005 to 11.4% in 2050,

A young pyramid, a pyramid that has that shape, the blue pyramid, is indicative of a population that's growing fast, and has the potential to continue to grow fast because it means that more and more young adults will come into parenting age.

The Advocate General is therefore of the opinion that it is contrary to Community law for a Member State to refuse to grant a retirement pension before the age of 65 to a male-to-female transsexual where that person would have been entitled to a pension at the age of 60 had she been regarded as a woman as a matter of national law.

Advocate General Jacobs considers that the refusal to grant a pension to a male-to-female transsexual at the same age as a woman is contrary to community law

This application was refused by the Department for Work and Pensions on the ground that it had been made more than four months before the applicants 65th birthday – officially Ms Richards was still considered to be male.

ANNEX I RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, of ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF OLDER WORKERS "THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Whereas demographic changes are causing the job situation of older workers to become a matter of concern in most European countries; Whereas those changes will have major economic and social consequences for expenditure to improve the functioning of the job market, the financing of retirement pensions and the balance of the age pyramids ...[+++] within undertakings; Whereas Governments, social partners and undertakings should anticipate those changes by placing emphasis on, for example, part-time work, the adjustment of working conditions and vocational training throughout the working life; Having regard to the action already put in hand by Member States in those areas notably in order to eliminate any obstacles to the employment of older workers; Whereas certain early retirement schemes have resulted in several Member States in instability for older workers who have received compensation under varied and changing schemes, and have led to a loss of know-how in undertakings; whereas abolition of official early-retirement schemes would not stem the spate of ever earlier withdrawals from the job market observed in certain Member States; Whereas many Member States have introduced phased retirement schemes, thereby enabling the changeover by older workers to part-time work to be offset by recruitment of persons in difficulty on the job market and young workers; Whereas the organization of work must take into account productivity requirements; Whereas it is important to take account of the availability of financial resources, national priorities and balances within national systems; Whereas account should be taken of ...