The idea for ENIEC was conceived as a Dutch-Danish collaboration, on a terrace in Copenhagen on the afternoon of 12 April 2005. by the founding members Grete Madsen and Jan Booij. It was the concrete realisation of an initial idea that had emerged on 23 September 2003 in Bonn.
The founding idea emphasised the exchange of ideas and practices between individual members in Europe who are enthusiastic and committed about developing and improving the quality of life of older people with a migrant background. After two years of preparation and extensive consultations, a two-day inaugural meeting was held in Copenhagen on 1st and 2nd March 2007, supported by the cities of The Hague and Copenhagen. The meeting was attended by 38 professionals from across Europe.
At the inaugural meeting in Copenhagen, participants elected a first board with the authority to formally establish ENIEC as a members’ network. In 2007, ENIEC was officially registered as a Dutch association with the Chamber of Commerce in The Hague. To this day, ENIEC’s official domicile and address remain in The Hague.
Since its inception, ENIEC has organised annual meetings each year: Nijmegen (2025), Helsinki (2024), Gdańsk (2023), The Hague (2022), Online (2021), Bristol (2019), Madrid (2018), Pécs (2017), Frankfurt (2016), Istanbul (2015), Oslo (2014), Brussels (2013), Amsterdam (2012), Gothenburg (2011), Helsinki (2010), Frankfurt (2009), The Hague (2008), and Copenhagen (2007).
The 2026 Annual Meeting will take place in 2026 from April 15–17 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
