Commission launches consultation process on European Youth Pact

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Published 01 June 2005, updated 29 January 2010

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Young Europeans will have until the end of 2005 to put forward their ideas on the European Youth Pact via the internet. The Commission has put forward its proposals in a communication on the pact and youth policy in general.

A debate on the European Youth Pact with young Europeans has launched a consultation process with European youth on how they believe the pact can be best applied. The debate saw Education and Culture Commissioner Ján Figel and European Youth Forum President Renaldas Vaisbrodas field questions submitted electronically on issues covering three areas - mobility, training, education and volunteering; employment and social inclusion and active citizenship.

Throughout the year young Europeans will be invited to fill in a questionnaire on the European Youth Portal providing their input.

The process will culminate in an 'Etats Generaux'. This brings together young people from across Europe, commissioners, MEPs and other policy makers to discuss youth policy in December 2005. This will be part of a special 'European Youth Week'.

Two key areas where the Commission is considering further initiatives: - The French summer jobs pilot project 'jobs d'été' may be extended across Europe as part of efforts to encourage young students to be more mobile, to learn valuable job skills and to experience life in another European country. - An additional 'Youthpass' element to the Europass whereby young European citizens could gain recognition for non-formal voluntary youth work undertaken. The Youthpass would cover both certification and self-assessment. The test phase for this will start in 2006 and will look at ways of how youth work can be validated.

Positions:

Commission's communication on European Youth Pact and youth policy

The European Youth Forum has welcomed the Commission's communication as it is the first time that the Commission has tackled youth policy across a range of sectors such as education and employment.

Responding to the European Youth Forum's wish for a co-ordination structure, the Commission department responsible pointed out that the European Council considered that no new structures should be set up for implementing the Lisbon strategy, of which the pact is a part. Responding to the European Youth Forum's wish for a yearly EU seminar to discuss progress on applying the European Youth Pact, the Commission said: "Regular updates on progress would be held and pointed to the meeting of the Youth 'Etats Generaux' in December 2005. The Commission is also planning an annual meeting of commissioners and young people on youth policy as a whole. This will include discussion on the European Youth Pact."

European Youth Forum's twelve-point proposal on the European Youth Pact

This proposal sets out specific targets for member states on points such as reducing school drop-outs, non-formal education, cutting unemployment and reducing the number of young people in poverty.

Other areas on its wishlist include the development of action plans on housing and accommodation for young people aged between 18 and 30, underpinned by the commitment from governments to spend a specific percentage of GNP per annum. It also wants member states to improve the working conditions of young people (especially gender equality and immigrants), member states to make it easier for more young people to study outside their country of origin and develop a more effective integration policy for young immigrants.

Active citizenship

Figures appearing in Le Soir show that 62% of French people aged between 18 and 29 years old voted against the Constitution.

"Figures from the French vote on the Constitution suggest that a high percentage of young people voted against the Constitution. This disenchantment with the EU is due to a lack of information. Hence our aim to develop more channels of information such as the ‘Four minutes for the Constitution website’," said European Youth Forum President Renaldas Vaisbrodas.

Next steps:

The Commission will adopt a communication on entrepreneurship education and learning in 2005, stressing the link between entrepreneurial skills and basic life skills for young people.

The European Year of Worker Mobility 2006 is to include special actions for young people.

External Links

Background:

The European Youth Pact was agreed by EU heads of state and government in March 2005 - the first time a Youth Council had sent a contribution to a European Council (see EurActiv 24 March).

The aim is to improve the education, training, mobility, vocational integration and social inclusion of young Europeans while helping them to balance their family and working lives.

Under the revitalised Lisbon strategy, member states must come up with national reform programmes by autumn 2005. The pact makes young people a key part of the new Lisbon strategy.

The Commission has produced a communication setting out how member states can apply the pact by drawing on the integrated guidelines for growth and jobs. The communication explicitly refers to the need for the "fuller utilisation of the potential embodied by European youth as recognised by the European Council in adopting the European Youth Pact". Adapting education and training systems is one of the eight employment guidelines listed in the document.