Council Conclusions

of 6 May 2003

regarding the future of youth activities in the context of the new generation of programmes

(2003/C 115/01)

WHEREAS

(1) the Treaty provides that Community action is to be aimed at encouraging the development of exchange programmes for young people and youth workers;

(2) the European Parliament and the Council have by Decision 1031/2000/EC of 13 April 2000 established the "Youth" Community action programme concerning a cooperation policy in the youth field, in order to allow young people to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies which may be one of the foundations of their future development, and to exercise responsible citizenship so as to become an active part of the European society;

(3) the Laeken Declaration, annexed to the Conclusions of the European Council of 14 and 15 December 2001, on the Future of the European Union, states that one of the basic challenges facing the European Unions is "how to bring citizens, and primarily the young, closer to the European design and the European Institutions";

(4) the Commission's White paper of 21 November 2001 entitled "A new impetus for European youth" has been a starting point for the establishment of a framework of European cooperation in the youth field;

(5) the European Coucil of Copenhagen at 15 and 16 December 2002 endorsed the results of the accession negotiations for the enlargement of the European Union;

(6) the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 December 2000, concerning an action plan for mobility, notes that the mobility of young people is a major political goal and the Youth programmes represent appreciable progress and play an essential role for the achievement of this goal;

(7) the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 December 2000, on the social inclusion of young people, noting that young people, particularly the most vulnerable are particularly susceptible to social, political and cultural exclusion, invites the Commission and the Member States to promote broad access by a wide range of young people to Community and national initiatives and programmes designed for their benefit;

(8) the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 February 2002 on the added value of voluntary activity for young people in the context of the development of Community action on youth, invites the Commission and the Member States to take measures to strengthen and to further develop the role of voluntary activity for young people;

(9) the Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 28 June 2001, on promoting young people's initiative, enterprise and creativity: from exclusion to empowerment;

(10) the Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 27 June 2002, regarding the framework of the European cooperation in the youth field endorses participation, information, voluntary activities among young people and greater understanding and knowledge of youth, as its four thematic priorities;

(11) the Resolution of the Council, of 27 June 2002, on lifelong learning.

(1) HAVING REGARD to the preparation of the future generation of programmes in the field of education, training and youth;

(2) UNDERLINES that the existing "Youth" Community action programme constitutes the basic means and the lever to promote European Cooperation in the youth field and the most important instrument for creating and implementing youth policies, in a more complete, more coherent and more intersectorial way;

(3) NOTES that there is a need for links with other relevant Community programmes in the context of horizontal consideration of youth in other policies;

(4) RECALLS that the "Youth" programme offers young people, and particularly young people in difficulty, the chance of acquiring experience and skills by participating in activities outside school, thus contributing to their personal development in the context of non-formal learning;

(5) RECALLS that, in the field of youth, the European Union has strengthened its relations with third countries under the actions of the "Youth" programme;

(6) NOTES that the enlargement of the European Union introduces new geographical, demographic, sociological and cultrual factors affecting young people;

(7) RECOGNISES that young people play a crucial role in the promotion of European citizenship and identity;

(8) NOTES the intention of the Ministers to contribute to the reflection launched by the Commission concerning the future programmes, but without prejudice to the results of national consultations on the future generation of programmes and the impact assessments of the existing programmes, and in full respect of the Commission's right of initiative;

(9) STRESSES the need to maintain and develop the existing Community instruments specifically addressed to young people, which is essential for the development of Member States' cooperation in the field of youth, in the context of the future generation of programmes;

(10) STRESSES moreover that the priorities and objectives of these instruments should be aligned with the new Framework of European Cooperation in the field of Youth.

UNDERLINES the importance of pursuing efforts in order to:

(1) increase participation of all young people, especially for those threatened by or experiencing social exclusion;

(2) strengthen dialogue and cooperation between young people in Europe and the rest of the world;

(3) encourage young people's initiatives fostering innovation and entrepreneurship from local to European level;

(4) promote voluntary activities, not only as a mean for acquiring skills but also as a core value of active citizenship;

(5) respect and disseminate the universal values of democracy, equality, and respect for human rights, as well as combat racism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination against and among young people;

(6) promote mobility and new technologies as well as investigating other innovation methods as means for supporting youth strategies.