Brussels, 27/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 27 April, the European Commission, which is well aware that young people are the future of Europe and wishes to improve their well-being, presented a new action strategy in favour of youth for the coming decade, entitled "Youth- Investing and Empowering". "Youth is our present and our future- and we must make a concerted effort to open up as many avenues as possible to young citizens, especially in the light of the current economic and financial crisis", said Commissioner Jan Figel', who is responsible for education, training, culture and youth. In parallel, the Commission has published the first European report on youth, on the basis of statistics gathered by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. This report, which is to be published every three years, is designed to increase knowledge of the field of youth.
The number of young people is falling in Europe: currently, they represent around 20% of the population, but this proportion is set to fall to 15% by 2050. Although more advantages are available to them than in the past, young people are increasingly faced with difficult and complex situations such as dropping out of school, unemployment or social exclusion. The Commission's new strategy is part of plans to extend the renewed social agenda presented in 2008 and targeting three major objectives, to respond to the issues of greatest concern to the young people of Europe today: 1) extending the options opened up to young people in the sectors of education and employment (access to informal learning for those who leave the school system early); ; 2) improving their social inclusion and full participation in society; 3) developing solidarity between young people and society. The Commission hopes to give young people the means to benefit from the opportunities open to them in terms of participation in civic and political life, the voluntary sector, creativity and entrepreneurship, sports and commitment to international causes. It will be a transversal approach, meaning that the Commission will seek to improve the situation of young people by means of all European policies, and will propose that the member states undertake appropriate actions and coordinate their actions in the framework of a new-improved European strategy, to be more flexible and simplified, and which offers reinforced links with the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment.
The adoption of the new strategy for youth comes after a broad process of consultation started in 2008, which involved the national administrations, the European Youth Forum and youth organisations. Young people were also directly consulted and are now invited to react to the proposals of the Commission in the framework of a new phase of ongoing dialogue between the European Union and young people.
The report on youth can be consulted at: http: //ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm (I.L./transl.fl)