European Youth Forum Gathers Support for Youth Rights at ALDE Congress

Brussels, 1 February 2014 // Today (1st February 2014) the European Youth Forum gathered support from ALDE MEPs and candidates for its Love Youth Future campaign, which aims to get candidates for May’s elections to sign up to the Youth Forum’s 11 pledges to make the next European Parliament a youth-friendly one.

The European Youth Forum attended the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)’s congress in Brussels and received strong support for its election campaign “Love Youth Future”. Love Youth Future aims to get candidates for the European Parliament to sign up to its pledges to make Europe a better place for young people to live, study and work.

The European Youth Forum is taking the opportunity of the main party congresses in the run up to the European Parliament elections in May to push for young people’s rights at this crucial time for Europe.

The European Youth Forum believes that the EU brings benefits to young people, helps ensure their rights and is open to having young people’s voices heard. However, in the rush to emerge from the economic crisis, young people’s rights are being overridden. The EU needs to do more to guarantee youth rights in order to create an EU where young people have access to jobs, quality education and free movement in a Europe where they define their own future.

The Love Youth Future campaign includes pledges on protection for young workers, volunteers and interns; quality education; the implementation of the Youth Guarantee; reducing barriers to the mobility of young people; and encouraging Member States to lower the voting age to 16.

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

“The European Youth Forum is delighted to have received strong support from ALDE MEPs and candidates. We believe that this coming Parliament has the opportunity to be the most pro-youth ever and are urging MEPs and candidates to sign up to our Love Youth Future pledges and make this a reality.

“Europe-wide problems, such as job security, unemployment and mobility need Europe-wide solutions and that is why the rights of Europe’s young people are best fought for in an EU context. And this is why a better Europe for young people will be forged in the EU rather than in increasing nationalism and isolationism of Member States.”

ALDE MEP Catherine Bearder, adds:

“It is so important that we politicians do more to engage with young people. Young people are the most underrepresented group on the electoral registers of Europe and that needs to change. Voter registration of young people is an issue I am particularly passionate about and will be working to help register 250,000 16-24 year olds on the UK’s National Voter Registration Day on Wednesday.”

[ENDS]

Notes to the editor:

About Love Youth Future

Love Youth Future is the European Youth Forum’s campaign to get MEPs to sign up to 11 pledges which outline how the European Parliament can show its love for young people, both now and in the future. More information on Love Youth Future can be found here www.loveyouthfuture.eu

About the European Youth Forum

The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents 99 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, visitwww.youthforum.org