Brussels, 20/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - Under the chairmanship of the French secretary of state responsible for sport, youth and associations, Bernard Laporte, youth ministers held an exchange of views on Thursday 20 November on a number of aspects of action conducted at European level on youth policy. The Council adopted, moreover, a resolution concerning the health and wellbeing of young people and a recommendation on the mobility of young volunteers in Europe. “Discussion shed interesting light on the years ahead”, Mr Laporte said. In their exchange, member states spoke of their efforts to promote the mobility of young people in the European Union, integrate young people in policies specifically for them (structured dialogue) and meet their expectations when it comes to reconciling the professional and personal life of young people (as set out in the European Youth Pact). Ministers said dialogue with the young is not currently deep enough and they promise to rectify the situation by calling for structured dialogue. They also stressed that voluntary activities by young people give them an enriching experience in an informal educational context and may be an important tool for promoting education, employment and social cohesion. Some delegations deplored the lack of advertising on volunteer activity that could lead to positive openings for the young. In the media, emphasis is all too often placed on youth crime when there are so many positive things being done by young people, ministers said. The Czech Republic, which is to take over from France to hold the EU Council Presidency, has promised to pursue efforts made to stimulate voluntary activity and especially the mobility of young volunteers. A conference is already on the agenda (12-14 March 2009), the conclusions of which will be relayed to the next Youth Council in May 2009. (I.L./transl.jl)