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Implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012

2013/2073(INI)

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:

  1. to evaluate the progress made towards the overall objectives of the EU Youth Strategy, and
  2. 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.