EN
The ageing of European societies does not necessarily have to decrease the productivity of economies. After some preliminary conditions have been met, targeted actions built on a selection of forms of work and work organization solutions suitable for older workers can be launched to increase their economic activity. The Lisbon Strategy approved in March, 2000 explicitly requires EU member states to attain predetermined levels of employment rates for persons aged 55-64 years. In Poland, which is a relatively young country in demographic terms, employment rates among older workers belong to the lowest. The action plan developed by the Polish government to correct the situation (so-called Hausner Plan) was rejected by the society and so its implementation was given up. Therefore, it seems a correct approach to try to identify opportunities and risks faced by other member states, more successful in that area than Poland is. when considering the possibilities of improving the position of older workers in Poland. Special attention is given to issues such as investments in human capital and the duration of economic activity, types of jobs taken by older workers in the EU labour market, the scale of older workers’ exposure to low quality jobs in the EU, reactions of British employers to proposals for keeping older workers in employment.