European Commissioner for Youth wants young people to be at heart of policy making

Cluj Napoca, Romania, 21st November 2014 // Today the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, addressed the General Assembly of the European Youth Forum and said that young people will be at centre of future policy making.

The Commissioner, in his first public appearance in this role, laid out his priorities for the mandate, which include strengthening and extending the consultation and dialogue with young people by, for example, reaching out to one million young people over five years; involving young people more in democracy; and enhanced and better recognised informal and non-formal learning.

Commissioner Navracsics addressed around 250 young people representing the Youth Forum’s 99 member organisations from all over Europe, as well as local young people, and was joined in a discussion by the Mayor of Cluj Napoca, Emil Boc, as well as the Romanian Sectretary of State for Youth, Cristian Cosmin.

Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said:

"Young people in Europe are facing unprecedented challenges today. I want to move them to the centre of our policy-making. And I am looking forward to having an open and honest dialogue with the European Youth Forum to help make this happen. I would like all young people in the EU to know: I am your Commissioner."

Peter Matjašič, President of the European Youth Forum, comments:

“We were very pleased to welcome Mr Navracsics to our General Assembly and were delighted that he chose to address us as one of his first public appearances, signalling we hope the importance he places on working with young people and with youth organisations.

“It was good to hear that, although we have differences of opinion, we have very similar priorities for tackling the huge problems that young people across Europe face today and we will take him up on his offer to enter into a strategic alliance with youth organisations.”

The Youth Forum’s General Assembly continues tomorrow and will include the elections of the Youth Forum’s board for 2015-16. The Youth Forum’s members will also decide upon policy documents and resolutions, including on TTIP, mobility and a code of conduct and youth work.

The three-day meeting is being hosted by Cluj Napoca, European Youth Capital 2015.

[ENDS]

Notes to the editor:

About the European Youth Forum

The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents 98 National Youth Councils and international youth organisations from across the continent. The Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. For more information, visit www.youthforum.org