Interim Evaluation of the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme

The Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the Community's participation in the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme (AAL JP) foresaw that the European Commission shall carry out an Interim Evaluation of the AAL Joint Programme two years after its start, but no later than 2011. This report accordingly presents the findings of the Interim Evaluation of the AAL JP prepared by a High-Level Expert Panel, appointed by the European Commission/DG Information Society & Media and chaired by former European Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, between April and July 2010.

The Interim Evaluation addressed the first two years of operation of the programme and covers:
• the quality and efficiency of its implementation, including scientific, management and financial integration of the AAL Joint Programme,
• progress towards the objectives set out in the Annex to the aforementioned Decision,
• the appropriateness of the level of financial contributions by participating countries,
• recommendations on the most appropriate ways to further enhance the Programme.

This report was timely as it came when the European Commission was proposing new ways to address the demographic ageing challenge through innovation, notably with the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, seeking to maximise the benefits of ICT for ageing well solutions through research and deployment coordination, and cooperation with public health and e-health initiatives.