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Although there are few concepts which are promoted as intensively by the EU Commission as Active European Citizenship (AEC) its results are often more than frustrating:

• The general attitude towards the concept of the EU is "reserved" to "negative" in many countries as well as within many social groups;
• In all EU countries participation in democratic elections, volunteer work and social engagement is decreasing;
• Some social groups seem to be extremely resistant to being convinced that the EU and AEC is for their own benefit.

One of these EU sceptic groups is senior citizens, as they:

• were exposed for a longer period of time to other political and social concepts with their own identity different to  that of the EU (lack of identification);
• feel less considered and included in political and social decisions making processes, especially at transnational level (lack of engagement);
• are less addressed by information and promotion campaigns introducing the EU and AEC (lack of information);
• feel less benefit than other social groups from advantages that the EU provides, e.g. economic development; easier mobility,  and feel they suffer more from disadvantages (lack of benefits).

On the other hand, it would be critically important to motivate senior citizens to care about the EU and its values and to contribute actively to EU Citizenship. Senior citizens:

• are the only rapidly growing social group with a large degree of  political power at all levels;
• influence the opinion of others and/or are responsible for the transfer of attitudes (e.g. in family learning situations);
• have engagement and experience that is needed to keep political and social structures working, e.g. in voluntary work.