Youth Forum welcomes European Commission proposal to speed up financing for youth employment

Brussels, 4th February 2015 // The European Youth Forum welcomes the proposal, announced today, that the European Commission plans to speed up Member States’ access to financing to undertake actions under the Youth Employment Initiative in 2015.

Today’s announcement demonstrates that the Youth Guarantee and youth employment is still high on the European agenda. The increase in the pre-financing rate, from 1% to 30%, should support Member States who have been asking for more flexibility and easier access to funding. It shows that the European Commission does have the ability to monitor and boost the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative and to encourage Member States to prioritise the fight against youth unemployment in their national budgets.

It is, however, crucial to make sure that the initiative is part of a coherent strategy to ensure social inclusion of young people. Young people and youth organisations should be involved in the design and monitoring of the schemes and, in particular, of the Youth Guarantee, to ensure that they efficiently reach out to young people and provide answers adapted to their needs.

Johanna Nyman, President of the European Youth Forum, said:

“We are pleased to see that the European Commission is finally giving youth employment the priority that it deserves. The ball is now in the court of Member States to support this proposal and to ensure that this funding reaches young people and to take action to provide quality jobs for young people and schemes to get them into these jobs. It is high time that young people are pulled out of the crisis that has engulfed them for so long!

“We expect the European Commission to continue to give youth unemployment the priority that today’s announcement implies with increased funding and close monitoring of schemes’ implementation to ensure that they are having a strong impact.”

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Notes to the editor:

Spokespeople from the European Youth Forum are available for interview, contact Sarah Farndale, European Youth Forum, + 32 2286 9436 sarah.farndale@youthforum.org / press@youthforum.org

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, visit www.youthforum.org