Speaking up at the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth

On 17th November 2017, the European Youth Forum took part in the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg, Sweden. We were joined by six of our member organisations: The Young European Federalists, The National Youth Council of Slovenia, the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations, the German Youth Council, the Consejo de la Juventud de Espana and the British Youth Council. Together we discussed with EU leaders the steps to be taken for a more Social Europe.

Luis Alvarado Martínez, president of the European Youth Forum spoke during the plenary session. Here he addressed decision makers, and called on Europe to put citizens back at the heart of the European project. Young people are ready to engage and be the driving force for change, for a better future for Europe, but we need Europe to do more for its citizens, and its young generation in particular. If Europe counts on us, we need to be able to count on Europe. The message is clear: Let’s #YouthUp Europe.

The European Youth Forum called for more investment in the Youth Employment Initiative and Erasmus + to ensure that young people are well equipped to take on new challenges such as new forms of work and flexibility and where’s our social protection systems offer more safeguards against precariousness.

The European Youth Forum took part in three workshops on access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and transitions in between jobs to defend young people’s rights to quality education, fair working conditions and decent living standard to all!

The Social Summit ended on the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which has the potential to be a turning point for Social Europe, on the condition that it is implemented in practice, which will need commitment both from the EU and its Member States.

The European Youth Forum is ready to push for the principles and rights enshrined in the Pillar to be translated into practice. Our work already started before the Summit, when we launched a Social rights Communications Campaign together with Social Platform, taking over social media for a month to call on the EU to adopt concrete measures to build a more Social Europe.

We will continue to work in the upcoming months and years, starting by taking part in the public consultation on a possible EU action on access to social protection for all workers, as well as by working with partners to push for the Work-life balance package.