Brussels, 21/12/2005 (Agence Europe) -The Youth Forum has welcomed the agreement of the European Council on the budget, but regrets the fact that the initial proposal of the European Commission, which is even more ambitious, was not retained. Referring to the adoption of the European Youth Pact, which recognises the importance of giving young people the attention they deserve as they are the future strength of Europe tomorrow, at the last European Council in the spring, the Forum calls for an adequate budgetary line to be adopted: "The Youth Forum is asking for 1.2 billion EUR to be granted to the "Youth in Action" programme, as this is a concrete instrument to implement social inclusion for young people and their education, as an integral part of the Lisbon Agenda". The adoption of the budget paves the way for discussions on the future of Europe, which must include all the citizens, particularly young people, the association reiterates.