The European Parliament adopted by 546 votes 96 with 28 abstentions a resolution tabled by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on a Youth Guarantee, and strongly supports the initiative by the Commission to propose a Council Recommendation on Youth Guarantee schemes.

Recalling that the youth unemployment rate has soared to 23.4 %, leaving 5.68 million young people unemployed, it notes that a Youth Guarantee would contribute to the attainment of three of the Europe 2020 strategy objectives, namely that (i) 75 % of the population aged 20-64 should be employed, (ii) early school-leaving rates should be below 10 %, and (iii) at least 20 million people should be lifted out of poverty and social exclusion.

Accordingly, Parliament calls on the Member States’ ministers for employment and social affairs to agree on a Council recommendation during the EPSCO Council in February 2013 aimed at implementing Youth Guarantee schemes in all Member States. It emphasises that the Youth Guarantee is not a job guarantee but an instrument ensuring that all young EU citizens and legal residents up to the age of 25 years, and recent graduates under 30, receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education or apprenticeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. Members underline that Youth Guarantee schemes should be eligible for specific forms of European funding, especially in the Member States with the highest youth unemployment rates. Parliament takes the view that the European Social Fund (ESF) in particular should be structured to enable the Youth Guarantee to be financed, and that the ESF should therefore be allocated at least 25% of Structural Funds. However, it feels that it is important to strive for an appropriate balance between EU and Member State funding. Members stress that the cost to the EU of inaction on the problem of young people with no employment, education or training (NEETs) is estimated to be about EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1.2 % of the EU’s GDP, and there are currently 7.5 million NEETs under 25 in the EU. Youth Guarantee schemes should effectively improve the situation of NEETs.

Members recognise that Member States have different levels of readiness for the adoption of Youth Guarantee and they call on the Commission to support those Member States that are undergoing financial constraints. Within the framework of the European Semester, the Commission should closely monitor the implementation of Youth Guarantees and name those Member States who fail to establish Youth Guarantees.

Furthermore, the resolution stresses that the effective implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes requires close cooperation between the Commission and Member States and, at national level, among social partners, local and regional authorities, public and private employment services and local and regional education and training institutes. 

Lastly, Parliament welcomes the Commission’s suggestion to provide, through an ‘Employment Committee’, multilateral surveillance of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee schemes, and asks to be associated with this committee.