Brussels, 14/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission took the opportunity of the youth employment conference in Paris (see EUROPE 10961) on Tuesday 12 November, to take stock of how the youth employment initiative has been implemented, and to look at funding estimates that eligible member states can expect to access in 2014. It transpires that only six of the 28 member states have so far submitted application plans and that Spain and Italy will be the greatest financial beneficiaries of the youth guarantee, by far.
As Commission President José Manuel Barroso remarked in Paris, “the Youth Guarantee is the best way for member states to help young people to get a job and to reduce the unacceptable levels of youth unemployment” affecting them. The aim of the youth guarantee is to propose a job, work placement or quality training, whether the young person is unemployed or not, in the four months following the end of their education or when their job finished. Youth guarantee implementation, however, varies according to the different policies and public employment services in each country (see EUROPE 10946).
In 2014, €3 billion will be available as part of the NEETs initiative (“not in education, employment or training”) in the regions where youth unemployment is already above 25%. According to the Commission, 20 member states will be able to benefit from this funding: Belgium (€39.64 million); Bulgaria (€51.56); Cyprus (€10.81); Czech Republic (€12.71); Greece (€160.24); Spain (€881.44); France (€289.76); Croatia (€61.82); Hungary (€46.49); Ireland (€63.66); Italy (€530.18); Lithuania (€29.69); Latvia (€27.1); Poland (€235.83); Portugal (€150.2); Romania (€99.02); Sweden (€41.26); Slovenia (€8.61); Slovakia (€67.43); United Kingdom (€192.54). Just as British Prime Minister David Cameron did not attend the conference in Paris, the United Kingdom does not want to take part in this initiative, despite the “carrot” of €200 million available to the country.
The Commission pointed out that most of the EU28 have already begun reforms, particularly structural, as a means to gradually implement the youth employment guarantee. A particularly strong incentive to do so was not simply the European funding due on 1 January 2014 but also because this initiative could also help support projects that have already been in place since 1 September 2013 (the principle of retroactivity). Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Slovakia have already provided the Commission with their action plans, whilst all the other countries are due to do so by the end of December. (JK/transl.fl)