Shaping Fair and Viable Intergenerational Policies for the Future

FAIRGENs addresses the challenge of intergenerational fairness in the context of demographic change and socio-economic transformation in Europe. The project conceptualises intergenerational fairness as the equitable distribution of financial, time, and care resources across generations, ensuring sustainability and resilience of welfare systems. It adopts a life-course and crossgenerational perspective, integrating quantitative and qualitative methods.
FAIRGENs leverages two European SSH research infrastructures: SHARE and GGP, as well as the generational economy focused National Transfer Accounts Network to measure public and private transfers, care provision, and generational equity. It develops a multidimensional Intergenerational Justice Index and applies microsimulation models to forecast fairness under diverse policy scenarios. The project introduces European National Inclusion Accounts and Generational Wealth Accounts to assess disparities and transmission of advantage.
Citizens’ perceptions of fairness are explored through participatory experiments and qualitative research, informing inclusive policy design. An important innovation is the Agora platform, a digital space for co-creation and dialogue among citizens, researchers, and policymakers. FAIRGENs culminates in a Policy Action Plan offering evidence-based strategies to reduce intergenerational imbalances.
Key impacts include: strengthening social and economic resilience; boosting inclusive growth and reducing vulnerabilities; enhancing evidence-based policymaking; and empowering citizens and stakeholders to shape intergenerationally fair, future-oriented policies.
FAIRGENs aligns with EU priorities and global frameworks (e.g. SDGs), fostering a systemic shift toward sustainable, intergenerationally just governance.