Intergenerational Fairness

A younger and an eldery person are walking arm in arm

The concept of intergenerational fairness is gaining prominence in political discourse. Accordingly, political decisions should be designed in such a way that the benefits and burdens of society are distributed equitably across generations.

Intergenerational fairness encompasses social, political, economic, and environmental dimensions. It is therefore not a standalone policy area, but rather a cross-cutting approach that should be applied across all policy sectors.

There are various perspectives on between which generations intergenerational fairness should be established. However, these are often linked:

Between the different generations currently living,
between the current generation and the future generation.

Intergenerational fairness has also recently gained visibility at the European level. In the political guidelines for 2024–2029, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen identifies intergenerational fairness as priority. To this end, she appointed a Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport and tasked him with developing a strategy for intergenerational fairness.

Projects

Strategy of the EU-Commission on Intergenerational Fairness

Strategy of the EU-Commission on Intergenerational Fairness

The first Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness was adopted by the European Commission on March 4, 2026. It was developed through a multi-phase process involving the EU Policy Lab and a European Citizens’ Panel.

The strategy aims to establish intergenerational fairness as a guiding principle in policymaking, ensuring that current decisions always take into account the long-term consequences for all generations. This is intended to ensure a fair distribution of opportunities and burdens among all generations.

The EU Focus Monitoring examines the European Commission's strategy on Intergenerational Fairness.

Please note that the EU focus monitoring is only published in German.