European Parliament adopts two youth focused reports

The plenary session of the European Parliament - during which MEPs - debate and vote on texts submitted- is taking place this week in Strasbourg. In a positive step for youth inclusion the Culture and Education Committee reports “Learning EU at school” and “Erasmus+ and other tools to foster mobility in vocational education and training” were adopted on Tuesday 12 April.

The European Youth Forum provided input to the drafting of both documents and we are pleased to see that many of our recommendations have been included. These own-initiative reports are not directly binding, but they do put political pressure for related policies to be adopted at European and national levels.

“Learning EU at School” includes mentions of youth organisations, youth work and non-formal education providers in the context of citizenship education, and acknowledges the role of youth organisations in involving young people in democratic processes.

The European Parlaiment report “urges the Member States to acknowledge and support social partners and civil society organisations, in particular youth organisations, in bridging the gap between the EU institutions and the European citizens in a structural and sustainable way, promoting and strengthening participatory and direct-democracy tools”

Similarly, in “Erasmus+ and other tools to foster mobility in vocational education and training,” we are particularly pleased by points that recognise the importance of Non-Formal Education, as well as those focusing on disadvantaged groups’ access to vocational education and training. The report:

“Encourages further measures to promote the recognition and validation of learning outcomes, including those developed through non-formal and informal learning”

and,

“Encourages further measures to facilitate access by disadvantaged groups and people with special needs to Erasmus+ mobility actions”

The European Youth Forum will ensure to follow up on these positive reports, by continuing to engage with their proponents and support the promotion of these important points at different levels.

Image from European Parliament on Flickr