Activites

• 2013/09/11 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0364/2013 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 612 votes to 55, with 19 abstentions a resolution on implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012. Parliament recalls that, in February 2013, the overall youth unemployment rate in the EU stood at 23.5 % and that the economic loss resulting from the disengagement of young people from the labour market in 2011 was estimated at EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1.2 % of EU GDP. In this context, Parliament considers that the budget allocated for the fight against youth unemployment in the future MFF, namely EUR 6 billion, is insufficient and should be significantly increased in the negotiations. It calls on the Council to further enhance the focus on young people by considering youth people as a mainstreamed priority in all EU programmes under the future MFF. Parliament also considers it regrettable the ambitious announcements made by the European Council, as well as the ambivalence shown by the Council, which is advocating additional resources for young people but is delaying negotiations on payments in connection with the amending budget for 2013, thereby threatening Erasmus scholarship payments. EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012: Parliament observes the impact of the EU Youth Strategy in the first cycle (2010-2012) and calls for the recommendations prepared by young people to be better taken into account in the future. It recognises the need for a cross-sectoral and balanced approach to the eight fields of action in the EU Youth Strategy and calls for the prioritisation of a youth policy which is informed and shaped by the voice and aims of young people themselves. Challenges for the next cycle: as regards education, training, innovation and funding, Parliament stresses the need to invest more in the right skills suited to youth employment; it recommends the creation of more flexible programmes, integrating entrepreneurship and transversal skills and the early learning of foreign languages. Parliament recognises that the new ‘Horizon 2020’ programme is an appropriate framework for boosting research, innovation and excellence in science. It warns, however, that spending cuts in education in some Member States are jeopardising its objectives. In particular, Parliament calls for: the total transferability of acquired social benefits so as not to jeopardise welfare protection for young workers who have opted for mobility; methods to increase innovation in national curricula at school level; the strengthening of vocational training and apprenticeships in the Member States; greater involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of policies; involvement of cities and regions in anticipating the needs of young people; the strengthening of lifelong learning and the acquisition of transversal skills, such as ICT skills, leadership skills and language skills, but also informal and non-formal learning for the development of values, aptitudes and skills for young people; the encouragement of women to embark on careers that have generally been considered as typically ‘masculine’, especially in the IT sector; the combating of inequalities at school level, truancy and the reduction of dropout rates; the strengthening of the provision of advice and guidance services at an early stage in order to improve young people’s ability to make sufficiently informed decisions about their future careers; the strengthening of the creative sector. Youth employment and entrepreneurship: Parliament calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the EU Structural Funds for 2007-2013, especially the ESF and on the Commission to keep it regularly informed on the progress made by the Member States. The Funds should be invested in a programme to stimulate investment in training and jobs with a view to combating the unacceptably high rate of youth unemployment, including the encouragement of business development for young people through entrepreneurship. Parliament welcomes the new EU initiative for a Youth Guarantee scheme, to be extended also to young people under 30, which should provide them with the skills needed in the labour market ensuring them high-quality, meaningful and relevant opportunities. However, it underlines that the Youth Guarantee Scheme cannot replace the structural efforts and reforms needed to make the education systems and labour markets in some Member States fit for the challenges of the future. Parliament also calls for: provision to be made for incentives and technical support for young people to create their own businesses, under the slogan: ‘If you can’t find a job, just create one’; incentives for supporting quality employment for young people, such as relief on taxes and social contributions; the strengthening of social enterprises which can play an important role in promoting high-quality jobs and fighting poverty and social exclusion, by investing in education and training for young people; the provision of a safety net in the Member States for failed start-ups. New technologies and social media: in this regard, Parliament calls on the Commission to launch a survey to monitor the impact of new technologies and social media on young people’s lives. The Commission is invited to take advantage of the dynamism of social media in education, training and youth participation in order to increase employability and enhance entrepreneurship, innovation and culture. Parliament also emphasises the need to protect young people from all forms of abuse, including online attacks and abuse relating to their personal data and health. Moreover, it also stresses the need for greater visibility of the Commission’s initiatives in favour of young people (such as the European Youth Portal) and awaits the announced Commission communication “Opening Up Education” aimed at improving the efficiency, accessibility and equity of education, training and learning systems by strengthening the integration of ICT and new technologies in education and training. Youth participation and European citizenship: Parliament calls on the Commission to continue and increase its support for the European youth card, in order to facilitate young people’s access to culture throughout the EU. It also calls for the strengthening of measures encouraging youth participation in sport. It underlines the importance of conveying solid youth-oriented messages on the part of the EU, supported by actual policies in view of the 2014 European elections and calls on the Commission to develop more initiatives to strengthen EU integration and European studies in school curricula. Additional measures are recommended to: (i) develop more outreach programmes for marginalised groups; (ii) encourage the involvement of young people in organisations and volunteering; and (iii) develop actions strengthening youth autonomy and the participation of all young people in society. General principles: lastly, Parliament stresses the importance of eliminating all kinds of discrimination among young people, including discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation.

• 2013/09/10 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2013/07/22 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • A7-0238/2013 summary

    The Committee on Culture and Education unanimously adopted the initiative report by Georgios PAPANIKOLAOU (EPP, EL) on the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012. Members recall that the overall youth unemployment rate in the EU stood at 23.5 % in February 2013 and that the economic loss resulting from the disengagement of young people from the labour market in 2011 was estimated at EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1.2 % of EU GDP. In this context, Members consider that the budget allocated for the fight against youth unemployment in the future MFF, namely EUR 6 billion, is insufficient and should be significantly increased in the negotiations. They call on the Council to further enhance the focus on young people by considering youth people as a mainstreamed priority in all EU programmes under the future MFF. They also consider it regrettable the ambitious announcements made by the European Council, as well as the ambivalence shown by the Council, which is advocating additional resources for young people but is delaying negotiations on payments in connection with the amending budget for 2013, thereby threatening Erasmus scholarship payments. EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012: Members observe the impact of the EU Youth Strategy in the first cycle (2010-2012) and call for the recommendations prepared by young people to be better taken into account in the future. They recognise the need for a cross-sectoral and balanced approach to the eight fields of action in the EU Youth Strategy and call for the prioritisation of a youth policy which is informed and shaped by the voice and aims of young people themselves. Challenges for the next cycle: as regards education, training, innovation and funding, Members stress the need to invest more in the right skills suited to youth employment; they recommend the creation of more flexible programmes, integrating entrepreneurship and transversal skills and the early learning of foreign languages. In particular, they call for: the total transferability of acquired social benefits so as not to jeopardise welfare protection for young workers who have opted for mobility; methods to increase innovation in national curricula at school level; the strengthening of vocational training and apprenticeships in the Member States; greater involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of policies; involvement of cities and regions in anticipating the needs of young people; the strengthening of lifelong learning and the acquisition of transversal skills, such as ICT skills, leadership skills and language skills, but also informal and non-formal learning for the development of values, aptitudes and skills for young people; the encouragement of women to embark on careers that have generally been considered as typically ‘masculine’, especially in the IT sector; the combating of inequalities at school level, truancy and the reduction of dropout rates; the strengthening of the provision of advice and guidance services at an early stage in order to improve young people’s ability to make sufficiently informed decisions about their future careers; the strengthening of the creative sector. Youth employment and entrepreneurship: Members call on the Member States to take full advantage of the EU Structural Funds for 2007-2013, especially the ESF and on the Commission to keep Parliament regularly informed on the progress made by the Member States. The Funds should be invested in a programme to stimulate investment in training and jobs with a view to combating the unacceptably high rate of youth unemployment, including the encouragement of business development for young people through entrepreneurship. They welcome the new EU initiative for a Youth Guarantee scheme, to be extended also to young people under 30, which should provide them with the skills needed in the labour market ensuring them high-quality, meaningful and relevant opportunities. However, Members underline that the Youth Guarantee Scheme cannot replace the structural efforts and reforms needed to make the education systems and labour markets in some Member States fit for the challenges of the future. Members also call for: provision to be made for incentives and technical support for young people to create their own businesses, under the slogan: ‘If you can’t find a job, just create one’; incentives for supporting quality employment for young people, such as relief on taxes and social contributions; the strengthening of social enterprises which can play an important role in promoting high-quality jobs and fighting poverty and social exclusion, by investing in education and training for young people; the provision of a safety net for failed start-ups. New technologies and social media: in this regard, Members call on the Commission to launch a survey to monitor the impact of new technologies and social media on young people’s lives. The Commission is invited to take advantage of the dynamism of social media in education, training and youth participation in order to increase employability and enhance entrepreneurship, innovation and culture. They also emphasise the need to protect young people from all forms of abuse, including online attacks and abuse relating to their personal data and health. Moreover, Members also stress the need for greater visibility of the Commission’s initiatives in favour of young people (such as the European Youth Portal) and await the announced Commission communication “Opening Up Education” aimed at improving the efficiency, accessibility and equity of education, training and learning systems by strengthening the integration of ICT and new technologies in education and training. Youth participation and European citizenship: Members call on the Commission to continue and increase its support for the European youth card, in order to facilitate young people’s access to culture throughout the EU. They also call for the strengthening of measures encouraging youth participation in sport. They underline the importance of conveying solid youth-oriented messages on the part of the EU, supported by actual policies in view of the 2014 European elections and call on the Commission to develop more initiatives to strengthen EU integration. Additional measures are recommended to: (i) develop more outreach programmes for marginalised groups; (ii) encourage the involvement of young people in organisations and volunteering; and (iii) develop actions strengthening youth autonomy and the participation of all young people in society. General principles: lastly, Members stress the importance of eliminating all kinds of discrimination among young people, including discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation.

• 2013/06/18 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2013/06/10 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2012/09/10 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(2012)0495 summary

    PURPOSE: draft 2012 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (EU Youth Strategy 2010-2018). BACKGROUND: The Council Resolution on the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), requires an EU Youth Report to be drawn up at the end of each three-year cycle, with a dual objective: to evaluate the progress made towards the overall objectives of the EU Youth Strategy, and to serve as a basis for establishing a set of priorities for the coming work cycle. This Communication contains a draft EU Youth Report that the Council should adopt in this context. CONTENT: the framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), based on the Communication ‘EU Youth Strategy: Investing and Empowering’aimed to: create more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market, and promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people. This strategy on which Parliament adopted a resolution in 2010 is subdivided into two cycles: 1st cycle of the EU Youth Strategy: the implementation of the first three-year work cycle of the EU Youth Strategy, covering 2010-2012, demonstrated that it is both lasting and flexible as a framework for a whole range of actions by the Commission, Member States and other relevant stakeholders. It has served as a vehicle to forge links between fields of action, including employment and entrepreneurship, education and training and social inclusion, to develop multi-faceted solutions in support of young people. This has proved relevant in looking for answers to address the current high levels of youth unemployment and to support the growing number of young people who are not in employment, education or training. The participation of young people in democratic life is central to youth policy. Deepening and widening the dialogue with young people not only raises both the quality and legitimacy of youth policy, but also raises expectations for the EU and its Member States to deliver. The EU should do its utmost to encourage all of its young people to become involved in shaping the EU's future. 2nd cycle of the EU Youth Strategy: to further its contribution to Europe 2020, the second three-year work cycle of the Strategy (2013-2015) should address the challenges facing young people as a result of the crisis. Emphasis should continue to be placed on: employment and entrepreneurship; increasing access to work; developing the innovative and creative capacities of young people; improving social inclusion, health and well-being. The main actions envisaged in this context are: 1. Strengthening the link between the EU Youth Strategy and Europe 2020: The priorities for the next work cycle should reflect the current overall priorities and activities under Europe 2020. Youth employment will remain high on the EU agenda. Member States should, in particular, target young people who are not in employment, education or training, and therein make full use of available EU funding. They should undertake more efforts to increase young people's access to work, apprenticeships and traineeship contracts and improve their employability. The Commission supports the efforts of Member States with new EU initiatives, such as: "Your first EURES job" initiative, which helps young people find a job abroad, support to the development of Youth Guarantees (which are schemes to be designed by Member States to ensure that all young people receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed (or leaving formal education)) and a quality framework for traineeships; programmes in the fields of education and youth; reinforced cooperation on the ground to offer tailormade approaches to improve the situation of the most vulnerable young people and those on margins of social exclusion; the promotion and recognition of non-formal and informal learning through youth work and in encouraging participation in youth organisations as means to gain transversal skills. 2. Taking implementation forwards: the communication highlights the difficulties in implementation in certain sectors. The Commission notes that intersectoral cooperation may be improved in all policy areas that affect young people. Member States should seek to further enhance inter-ministerial cooperation at national level. Additional efforts should be made to strengthen the evidence base of youth policy and to share examples of good practice through mutual learning. The Structured Dialogue with young people can be further developed by making the membership of National Working Groups more inclusive and ensuring that decision-makers take recommendations from young people more fully into account. The Commission will develop the initiative of the ‘Youth on the Move Card’ in order to make it easier for young people to be mobile across Europe. It will also reach out to, and facilitate dialogue with, all young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, through the new interactive tools of the European Youth Portal. Youth policy will also explore measures to foster the creative and innovative potential of young people when attempting to tackle challenges related to employment, employability and inclusion. The Youth in Action programme and the future EU programme targeting youth will play a particular role in supporting these initiatives.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/', 'title': 'Education and Culture'}, VASSILIOU Androulla

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2012)0495
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0238/2013
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0364/2013

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)