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COM (85) 247 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 115 
  
 
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Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0M(85) 247 final
Brussels, 1 July 1985
MEMORANDUM BY THE COMMISSION  
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR
COM(85) 247 final

e  £ >  a  Â.  y  J-
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR: MEMORANDUM BY THE COMMISSION
INTRODUCTION 1  2
1. Over the last few years, the Commission of the European Communities  
has repeatedly underlined the importance which must be accorded to  
young people - the Europeans of tomorrow - and has continually ex­
pressed its concern at the gravity of the situation of a growing  number of young people.
The Commission has already made a whole range of policy proposals 
in this respect, and these have been reflected in a series of Council 
Resolutions on the employment, education and training of young people 
(see Annex A).
In spite of the measures adopted by most Member States and at Commu­
nity level, the employment situation has not improved. Young people  
today suffer from an unemployment rate three times greater than that  
for adults over 25 and, at the end of 1984, one young person in four  
was unemployed; furthermore, many of those who do find a job will rapidly  
lose it.
For its part, the Commission has mobilised all its available resources 
- albeit limited - in order to ensure progress in the implementation 
of both the general, and specific, policies it has been advocating 
to assist young people.
2. Youth unemployment will remain unacceptably high so long as the Commu­
nity has not achieved tasting economic recovery. The Commission of  
the European Communities is convinced that the present recovery will  
proceed, provided that firms can exploit the full potential of a targe  
market and provided that national economic policies are given more  
coherence and dynamism in the common struggle for growth and employment.  
In particular, the Commission underlines the need for macro-economic  
policies which aim for extra growth with a greater capacity to create  
jobs, but without jeopardising stability.
In addition, it is important above all to accelerate the implement­
ation of specific actions already agreed in the areas of employment,  
education and training, if young people are to cease to bear a dis­
proportionate burden of uo«s»loy«ent and of instabi lity of employment.

- 2 -
Finally, there is a need to deal with the fact that a growing pro­
portion of young people lack any clear place within society. Better  
account should be taken of the aspirations of today's young people  
- whether this be in terms of employment or of lifestyle. In parti­
cular, young people must be able to participate more fully in deci­
sions concerning their personal and professional life - 'participation'  
being one of the basic themes of International Youth Year.
3. International Youth Year is an opportunity for the Commission to take  
stock of progress being made with regard to actions in support of young  
people, and to make its contribution to the strengthening of youth  
policies in the European Community. In presenting this Memorandum,
the Commission considers that the policy proposals already set out  in the past, and summarised below, provide a coherent and appropriate  
framework for actions, even though they need to be continually adapted
and expanded. In particular, new initiatives are needed in the area  
of education and training, in the spirit of the work of the ad hoc
Committee on the 'Citizens' Europe', in order to make Europe more real
and more credible to young Europeans.
THE YOUNG EUROPEANS OF 1985  
A. Employment, education and training
4. More than 5 million 15-25 year olds are unemployed within the European
Community. Although 18 million do have a job, many have little choice  
on the labour market and are working below their full potential. Young
people have been affected disproportionately by reductions in employ­
ment resulting from recession and restructuring. The reduction in
opportunities has been worsened because many of the economic sectors
and occupations which historically absorbed large numbers of young  
people have been particularly hard-hit.
The Commission's Communication in 1983 on 'The Promotion of Youth
Employment' presented a detailed analysis of the causes of youth un­
unemployment and the situation of the young unemployed, together with  
an evaluation of the measures that had been taken at that time. On  
the basis of that analysis, the Commission proposed a series of spe­
cific measures - in addition to the general strategy to combat unem­
ployment - designed to create new employment opportunities by actions
to: ( i )
(i) give priority to young people in the job opportunities  
resulting from the reorganization and reduction of  
working time;

-  3 -
(ii) encourage employers in the private sector to create new  
jobs and to increase the recruitment of young people;
(iii) help young people to develop new enterprises;
(iv) expand non-market sector employment opportunities with  
recruitment concentrated on young people and provide  
jobs for long-t ■ ■ - - m  unemployed through special temporary  
public programmes or quotas;
(v) assist young people to develop their vocational abilities  
and non-vocaticnal interests through better support facili-  
1 1  e  s.
On 23 January 1984 the Council adopted a Resolution on the promotion  
of employment for young people following the lines of the Commission's
proposals.
5. The employment situation of young people remains extremely difficult  
but it should be noted that, over the past 25 years, the European  
Community has achieved major improvements in the education and training  
of its young people. In 1960 fewer than 10 % of the Community's '20-24  
year-olds were in higher education; in recent years the proportion  
has reached 25 %. In response to rising youth unemployment, and the
need to develop more appropriate skills, most Member States have introduced  
new training programmes for school-leavers, or expanded existing ones.  
These are now often massive in scale. The Council Resolution of
11 July 1983 "concerning vocational training policies in the European
Community in the 1980s" commits Member States to do all they can to
offer basic training and/or work experience, and opportunities for  
advanced vocational training, to all young people who need them. 6
6. The speed and scale of technological change is creating new and urgent
needs, not just for considerable numbers of technical specialists but  
for the development of a "technological culture" amongst all young  
people. The European Community faces increasingly tough international  
competition and depends for its prosperity on producing quality products  
and services with high added value. That means that the Community's  
economic strategy must be complemented by action to develop its human  
resources, by securing a well-trained workforce. In a number of newly-
industrialising countries, educational participation rates are now
comparable with those in the1  Community. Furthermore, in Japan and the  
USA, participation rates are significantly higher: 30 % of young Japanese  
and almost 60 % of young Americans are in higher education. These crude  
figures probably give only a partial view of the Community's disadvantage.  
For example, the European Community has only 15 engineers and researchers  
for 10,000 inhabitants, whereas the USA and Japan have over 30. While  
American and Japanese students form part of major national intellectual  
communities, student mobility within the European Community Is tiny:

- 4 -
fewer than 1% of students in the Member States are currently attending  
courses in another Member State.
7· The di stribut ion of employment, education and training opportunities  
within the European Community is uneven. Although all areas of the  
Community suffer from youth unemployment, the average unemployment  
rates vary between Member States and, most particularly, between diffe­
rent social groups within Member States, with the children of manual
workers and farmers being the most adversely affected. A substantial  
minority of young people leave school without formal qualifications.
Their job prospects are worse than those of qualified young people,  
and the rigidities of the education and training systems in many Member
States make it difficult for them to return to learning. Further, many  
young people, regardless of their individual abilities, face special  handicaps from their earliest years: the families of migrant workers,
meeting language and cultural barriers, and often racism; the young  
disabled; and young people living in poverty, who may lack the financial,
Physical and emotional resources to exploit the opportunities which  
are theoretically open to them.
8. In most Member States, the unemployment rate for young women is higher
than that for young men: in 1984, the average youth unemployment rate
in the European Community was under 20 % for men but over 22 % for
women. Though many young women are working, their options are often
limited by stereotyped images of the role of women in society. Thus,
while young men are fairly evenly distributed between jobs in industry  
and services, 2.5 times as many young women work in services as in
indust ry.
9. More positively, many enterprises have made major efforts to maintain
their recruitment and training of young people, often with the aid  
of special Government measures. Young people are well-represented in
a number of the more promising sectors and occupations, such as computing  
or leisure and entertainment. The enthusiasm, energy and initiative
of today's young Europeans represent an enormous resource that, once  
tapped, can bring major benefits. A number of Member States have intro­
duced specific measures to assist young potential entrepreneurs. Local  
employment initiatives, whether or not they are publicly-supported,
provide opportunities for some young people to obtain jobs and to parti­
cipate in the management of enterprises. Some Member States are making  
special efforts to ensure that the most disadvantaged young people  
are not excluded from the labour market.
10.Social, economic, technological and demographic changes have prompted  
innovation in the organisation, content and methods of education and  
vocational training. There have been efforts - at the European Community,  
national and local levels - to break down the barriers between education  
and training and the outside world, especially the world of work. There  
have been some measures to decentralise the management of education  
and training, and change the balance of financial responsibility, so

that those who provide it are more responsive to the needs of the Local
communi ty.
11. The European Community, particularly through the European Social Fund,  
has been actively supporting qualitative and quantitative improvements  
in the employment, education and training opportunities available to  
young Europeans. The number of young people assisted by the Fund has
risen from 900,000 in 1981 to 1.6 million in 1984 - the first year  
of application of new regulations under which at least 75% of the Fund's  
resources must be devoted to young people.
12. The urgent need to reduce youth unemployment is evident. In addition, 
there is growing impatience with education systems which allow millions 
of young people to leave school each year feeling that they have failed,with little or no formal evidence of their abilities, and consequently 
with poor job prospects. The continuing criticism that schools often 
fail to motivate young people and equip them with the basic skills
and knowledge needed in working life, the scale and quality of education
and youth training in the European Community's foreign competitors, 
and the increasing demands upon the Commission of the European Communities 
and Member State governments to encourage the development of innovatory 
approaches to employment, education and training, all confirm the need 
for major change.
B. Young people's participation in the European Community
13.The 48 million 15-25 year-olds in the European Community share to a
large extent certain hopes and fears. Above all, most want a job, and  
the financial independence, social status, and sense of participation  
which a job provides. The current economic crisis has reinforced a  
general social trend extending the period of dependence for millions  
of young Europeans. These can now spend years in a "grey zone" in which  
they are neither fully dependent on their parents nor fully independent,  
neither students nor permanent employees, no longer children but not  
yet able to act as autonomous producers and consumers. Furthermore,
their horizons are often limited in both space (to their immediate  
locality) and time (they often have little sense of the past, and few
specific hopes for the future). Many are scarcely aware of their European
identity: in 1982, the Commission's survey of "The Young Europeans"
suggested that only around 10 % featured the Community at all prominently  
in their hopes and fears for the future-even fewer than amongst the  
ovei— 25s.
14.It is hardly surprising if some young people rebel while others sink  
into passiveness and despair. The costs - both human and economic -  
of wasting the potential of so many of the current generation in^ this  
way are incalculable. A more integrated approach to youth policies,  
designed to increase the participation of young Europeans in the economic  
and social development of the European Community, is needed.

- 6 -
15.The policy approach which follows rests on two basic assumptions:
first, given the opportunity, most young people are eager and able  to develop personally and to participate more in economic, social  
and cultural life. It is therefore essential to expand the opportunities  
available to young people, especially in employment, education and  training;
- second, this needs to be supplemented by specific measures to safeguard  
the vulnerable, promote investment in key human resources, and facilitate  
mobility and co-operation within the Community.
PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
A. Employment, education and training
16. The key to a sustained and substantial improvement in the situation  
of young Europeans is the achievement of job-creating economic growth. As  
long as the overall economic situation and - in consequence - the overall  
demand for labour does not improve, economic activity will continue  
to be concentrated on workers aged between 25-30 and 50. Determined  
action to tackle unemployment will therefore be a major priority for  
the Commission. Extra employment will be sought through a policy mix  
that is more conducive to growth, and through growth that generates  
more employment than in the past, and through the development of more  
up-to-date labour market policies in order to create new job opportuni­
ties.
17. Action to promote the development of human resources is an essential  
element in the overall strategy. The European Community must produce  
quality products and services with high added value. That demands not  
only a nucleus of technical specialists, but a broad spread of techno­
logical understanding and experience throughout the workforce. It also  
requires a much greater sense of European identity, particularly amongst  
today's undergraduates and graduates, many of whom will hold positions  
of responsibility in the European Community of tomorrow.
18. Appropriate actions are necessary, and need to be put rapidly into  
operation. Some of these measures will have a general impact but will  
be particularly beneficial to young people. Others will, of course,  
be targetted directly on the youth of Europe. The following proposals  
should be seen in the light of the recommendations and resolutions  
adopted in favour of young people during recent years (see Annex A).
(a) all young people need certain basic skills and knowledge before  
entering working life - literacy, numeracy, an understanding of  
the new technologies, and social skills. In particular, no young  
people should be expected to compete for employment without a basic  
understanding of the new information and communication technologies.
(1) while of course taking account of existing Community legislation
e.g. in respect of State aids.

- 7 -
Whether acquired within the period of compulsory schooling or imme­
diately afterwards, this represents the "new literacy" of the inform­
ation society. This does not mean that young people have to specialise  
at an early age: on the contrary, work on the new technologies
needs to be integrated into the whole of the curriculum. To succeed  
and prosper, young people will need lively, informed and adaptable  
intellects, and capacities of creativity and entrepreneurship,  
not second-rate skills in computer programming;
(b) as they begin to seek employment, young people should be encouraged
and enabled to move to a clear contractual relationship with an  
employer as soon as they wish. Given the current employment crisis,  
full-time permanent jobs are not available for all who seek them. But  
jobs with reduced working hours, or job-sharing arrangements, parti­cularly when they are combined with education or training, are
preferable to prolonged dependence on State schemes or to remain
ing totally passive. The potential of all such innovative approaches  
to redistributing work, learning and leisure should be maximised.
Furthermore^ efforts to make available more jobs and training places  
for young people should be continued and reinforced. In particular,
special attention should be given to training which leads to stable
and durable employment;
(c) major efforts are needed, especially at the local level, to improve
the working of the labour market, generate more and better jobs  
iiTd education and training opportunities for young people, and  
improve equality of opportunity. Action is necessary, for example,  
to stimulate local employment initiatives, develop better forward  
planning, and increase co-operation between all the agencies involved;
(d) hiqher education institutions need to work more closely with industry
^d wrth the public authorities to identify and meet demands for  
technically specialised staff. This requires both sensitivity to  
short-term local needs, and a framework of longer-term strategic  
planning;
(e) there needs to be an increase in mobility, both geographical and  
occupational. This means
greater ease of movement between different branches of the edu­
cation and training systems;
more flexible approaches combining employment with learning in  
various ways;
mobility, not only within Member States, but also between them;
new styles of course design, assessment, and certification, which  
build on trainees' previous experience and maximise their future
options;

-  8 -
. a greater sense of European identity;
(f) specific action is needed to assist disadvantaged _young people
(s
ee paragraph 7) to gain access to employment, education and
training opportunities. Special advice and counselling, intensive  
pre-training courses, subsidies to employers, and so on, will help  
them gain access to jobs and courses which are available to all. This  
is preferable to maintaining separate provision for such young
people, which will tend to perpetuate and reinforce their sense
of disadvantage. It is particularly important that no young people  
should be left unemployed for more than 12 months without direct  
action to offer them at least work experience, education, or training;
(g) the cultural diversity of the Community, which contrasts with the
relative homogeneTty of the USA and Japan, should be recognised  
and exploited as a major asset, rather than viewed as a problem.  
Employment, education and training policies must take specific  
account of the needs of the 3.5 million young people of foreign
origin within the Community. Without such action, taken in the  
context of an all-out assault on racism, these young people will
be unable to bring to the Community the economic, social and cultural  
enrichment which earlier generations of migrants took to the USA.
19.The Commission of the European Communities will strengthen and deepen  
European Community co-operation in this area on the basis of the overall  
strategy set out in the series of key recent Council Resolutions on  
employment, education and training for young people. (see Annex D).
Action must primarily take place within Member States, with young people,  
the social partners, the education and training services and the public  
authorities working together. However, through the European Social
Fund, its programmes of consultation, and policy-oriented research,  
the Commission will encourage rapid progress. In particular, over the  
next 12 months, it wilt:
i) give priority within the European Social Fund - which sets aside  
three quarters of available funds for programmes of training for  
young people - to those programmes which include 40 hours of training  
broadly related to new technologies;
ii) make further proposals to improve the education and training of
young people, their information, guidance and counselling, and
to extend the second action programme at Community level (1983-1986)  
concerning the transition of young people from school to adult
and working life. AttentionTwi 11 also be given to the most effective  
means of combatting illiteracy by action within schools;
iii) present new proposals to intensify the mobility and exchange of
students and teachers in higher education within the Community,

- 9 -
whatever their discipline. The aim will be twofold :  to double 
the existing scheme which currently involves only 600 university 
•  departments out of a possible total of 3,500 higher education ins­
titutions; and to raise the level of student mobility from the
current 1 % to a target of 10 % by 1991;
iv) present new proposals to launch a programme to encourage uni ver- 
sity-industry co-operat i  on, to include, in particular, European 
Community support for student exchange and placement in firms in 
other European countries;
v) present new proposals for a major expansion of youth exchanges, 
to complement the current programme for young workers. These proposals, 
for implementation from 1986, will emphasize the need to securethe participation of disadvantaged young people and those from
the Community's peripheral regions;
vi) present to the Council a progress report and first proposals for 
action on foreign language teaching in the European Community;
vii) promote positive action for women and assure the implementation 
of new actions ""on equal opportunities for girls and boys in education;
viii) encourage improvements in the management of labour markets and
the introduction of forward planning. A series of local con­
sultations is being undertaken, bringing together employers, 
unions, local authorities and other agencies, in order to identify 
effective practices which can be replicated elsewhere. These 
will lead to a Communication to the Council. In addition, the 
Commission will continue its discussions with enterprises in 
order to identify innovatory approaches to the recruitment of 
young people;
ix) continue to promote the development of local employment initiatives 
through organising local consultations and by financing an information
exchange system between around 50 national or regional centres, 
by supporting conferences and seminars, and by undertaking action
research on practical issues, drawing - in part, and where appro­
priate - on the financial instruments of the Community, for example 
the European Regional Development Fund^
x) develop its work with the school systems on how to stimulate creativity 
and entrepreneurship amongst young people, and examine how best 
the crëàtTon 'of enterprises by young people can be encouraged;
xi) encourage and support Member States' policy efforts to assist
long-term unemployed young people, within the context of the European 
Community action programme to combat long-term unemployment. Particular 
attention will be given to the organisation of the employment
and related services as well as of specific work programmes or

- 10 -
measures ;
xii) present proposals on the employment of disabled people, which 
will give particular attention to the needs of the young disabled; 
and develop further its actions on behalf of young migrants, in 
the light of its recent memorandum on migration policies.
B. Young people's participation in the European Community
20. Young Europeans must themselves participate fully in constructing their
own futures and in the development of the European Community. It is one thing to argue that young people are not responsible for many of 
the problems they now face. That does not mean that they can do nothing 
to help themselves - quite the contrary. The Commission exchanges views 
regularly with the Youth Forum of the European Communities on youth 
questions. Young people need to be actively involved - at the European
Community, national and local levels - in implementing more integrated
youth policies. On many aspects of this, the Commission has an open
mind. Some of the key questions are still only being defined. Some
are controversial. The time is right, however to debate these difficulties 
and seek an agreed way forward.
21. The main barrier to participation is ignorance. Young people need more
and better advice and information about the opportunities available,
not only locally but elsewhere in the Community. Over the next 12 months
the Commission will examine the provision of educational and vocational 
guidance for young people, and in particular for the disadvantaged.
It will also take account of the ways and means by which young people 
can themselves help provide the information and advice services they
need and the role of the new information technologies in this field. 
In the light of this, the Commission will prepare more detailed proposals for action.
22. Another barrier to participation which must be tackled is that too 
often programmes developed for young people seem complex and remote, 
and ill-adapted to local needs. The very speed with which the employment 
prospects of young people deteriorated in recent years meant that policy
responses could not always be properly co-ordinated, and the young 
clients have had difficulty in making their own views known. The Com­
mission thinks it is time to review the structures of employment, edu­
cation and training programmes currently on offer to young people in
the Member States, and the report it is presenting to the Council later 
this year (see paragraph 19 (ii) above) will help stimulate this debate. 
In addition, there is much to be learnt from recent experience in a 
number of Member States in decentralising responsibility for youth
programmes to the local level. Various projects in this field are current­
ly under way, and the Commission plans to issue proposals for discussion

-  11 -
in late 1985 or early 1986.
23.A third barrier to the participation of some young people in economic 
and social life relates to the level of their income. In a number of 
Member States, the issues of the minimum wage and of the income of 
young people on training programmes continue to provoke considerable 
debate. On the basis of the results of the comparative inquiry on this 
subject launched last year, this subject will be examined and discussed 
with all interested parties at European Community level.
CONCLUSION
24.This memorandum sets out the main steps being taken to face up to the problems encountered by young Europeans in the area of employment,
education and training.
The Commission underlines the fact that the primary responsibility 
for improving the situation of young people rests with the public autho­
rities and the social partners in the Member States. Above all, it 
is necessary that the Member States urgently fulfil the obligations 
they have accepted in the context of recent Council Resolutions con­
cerning the employment, education and training of young people.
For its part, the Commission is publishing this document, on the 
occasion of International Youth Year, so as to encourage widespread 
discussion, and in order to assist the implementation of Community 
programmes in favour of young people.

ANNEX A
I.
EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
1. This annex Lists some major recent European Community policy documents 
concerning employment, education and training.
- Council Resolution of 12 July 1982 "concerning measures to be taken 
to improve the preparation of young people for work and to facilitate 
their transition from education to working life"(0J n° C 193 of
28.7.1982) . This launched a second series of Community pilot projects 
testing out innovative approaches to vocational preparation within schools.
_ Council Resolution of 2 June 1983 "concerning vocational training 
measures relating to new information technologies" (OJ n° C 166 of
25.6.1983) . This set up an action programme within the Community, in­
cluding measures to train unemployed young people in the new information technologies.
- Council Resolution of 11 July 1983 "concerning vocational training 
policies in the European Community in the 1980s" (OJ n° C 193 of 20.7.1983). 
The central feature of this Resolution is the commitment by the Member 
States to try to offer all school-leavers at least 6 months of training and/or work experience.
- Council Resolution of 19 September 1983 on "measures relating to the 
introduction of new information technology in education" (OJ n° C 256 of
24.9.1983) . This has led to a programme of activities designed to 
ensure that all young people acquire a basic understanding of new 
information technology before leaving school.
- Council Decision of 17 October 1983 "on the tasks of the European 
Social Fund" (OJ n° L 289 of 22.10.1983). This provided that, in future, 
at least 75 % of the Fund should be spent on young people under 25.
- Council Resolution of 23 January 1984 "on the promotion of employment 
for young people" (OJ 77s C 29 of 4.2.1984). This established a new 
policy framework for action by the Member States to reduce youth unemploy­
ment, together with a supporting programme of Commission action.
Council Resolution of 7 June 1984 "on the contribution of local employment 
initiatives to combating unemployment" (OJ n°C161 of 21.6.1984).
This set out policy guidelines for action by Member States to stimulate 
job-creating initiatives at the local level, and a range of supporting 
activities at Community level.
Council Resolution of 19 December 1984 "on action to combat long-term 
unemployment (OJ n° C2 of 4.1.1985). This called for specific measures 
to assist the long-term unemployed, both to improve their job prospects 
and to reduce the suffering of these remaining unemployed.

- 2 -
2. These policy declarations follow on from detailed background work 
by the Commission, published in a series of memoranda (known as 
Communications to the Council). Among Communications of major interest are the following : -
- C0M(83)211 final of 25 April 1983: "The promotion of employment for young people".
- C0M(84)6 final of 26 January 1984 : "technological change and social adjustment".
- C0M(85)134 final of 29 March 1985 : "Education and vocational training within the European Community".

ANNEX B
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
A. EUROPEAN COMMUNITY - youth unemployment 
1 - Number of unemployed 
Member State
Belgium
Denmark
France
Federal Republic of Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
United KingdomNumber of registered unem­
ployed under-25 (x 1000) December 1984
212.9
67.2
1112.9
572.7
not available
69.4
1353.2
1.3
309.2
1248Percentage in 
total unemployed
35.2
25.3 
44.1 
24.6
not available
30.8
47.9
47.4
38.8
38.8
EC (9) :
Source : EUROSTAT4947 38.7
2. Harmonised unemployment rates
Unemployment rate (estimates for April 1984) 
(Young people under 25) 2  *
B DK GRIRL NL
22.7 17.3 20.9 11.6 28.8 25.1 33.1 7.7 21.6UK
19.7
EC (10) : 20.8
Source : EUROSTAT
* As the results of the Community's 1984 Labour Force Survey are not yet 
available, the 1983 results have been updated by estimation to give 
figures for April 1984. The method of estimation has been developed in 
co-operation with the national Statistical Offices, and essentially 
involves updating the 1983 Labour Force Survey results by means of national indicators.

-  Z -
B. UNITED STATES - youth unemployment (1984, 4th quarter)
Number of unemployed Percentage in total
16 - 24 year-olds Cx 1000) unemployed
3.028 38.1
Source : OECD
C. JAPAN ~ youth unemployment (1984, 4th quarter)
Number of unemployed Percentage in total
15 - 24 year-olds (x 1000) unemployed
307 20.4
Source :  OECD

ANNEX C
A. Educational participation rates in Europe, the USA, Japan/ and selected 
other countries
Percentage of 20-24 year-olds in higher education (1982 unless
otherwise stated)
European Community
Belgium 
Denmark (1981) 
France
Federal Republic 
of Germany27.8 
28.4
26.9
30.2
16.9Ireland (1981) 
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands 
United Kingdom Greece (1979)
Community average (weighted by population)
Others
USA (1981) 58.0 
Japan 30.0 
Spain (1981) 23.5 
Portugal (1980) 11.2 
Mexico 14.8Brazil (1980) 
Venezuela 
Republic of Korea 
Philippines (1981) 
Thailand22.4
25.4 
2.6*
31.4
19.4
25.7 (approx.)
12.0
21.5 
21.0
26.6 
22.3
B. Number of ____,  scientists and engineers working in Research and
Developmen
t per 10,000 inhabitants 
European Community
Belgium 14
Denmark 12
France 14
Federal Republic 
of Germany 21
Greece 3Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands 
United Kingdom8
9
not available
20
15.5
Community average (weighted by population): 14.5 (approx.)
USA 30
Japan 42
Source : UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1984
* Most Luxemburgers pursuing higher education attend institutions outside their own country

TIMETABLE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION IN
Action
R«« European Social  
f  miW 'ëuïéitl  J'nM ' '
m u approaches to the education  
and training of young peop'te
extension of the second Community 
on the "transition of young people 
fro® school to adult and workingm ? — — — - — -a-
action to combat illiteracy
new programme to increase the 
mot* i city and ex change of students 
â^nd~tëicïïers
new programme to encourage 
uni varsity-industry co-operation
in- ■ •  ■M il     ^nιm ιι> M ι■ιι■  iin«ini >■'mi n  1 1  « ir'iim  i muYi· * —■  ■ n ^ « i·  
v programme to encourage youthReference in
Commission
memorandum
19 (i)
19 (ii)
19 (ii)
19 (ii)
19 (iii)
19 (iv)
19 (v)ANNEX D 1
-ATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE, 1985-86 1.
Preparatory work Council 
decision
approved by Commission in April 1985
proposals to be submitted by the 
Commission to the Council in 
December 1985 or January 1986
report to be produced by Education 
Committee for Council and Ministers 
of Education in October 1985
report to be produced for Council 
in spring 1986
proposals to be submitted to Council 
in December 1985
proposals to be submitted to Council 
in July 1985
proposals to be submitted to Council 
in summer 1985no Council action required; 
for implementation in 1986
Resolution in June 1986
y (S’ ; ·
Resolution in December 1985
Resolution in June 1986
Resolution/decision in 
June 1986
Decision in December 1985
Resolution in December 1985

Action Reference in
Commission
memorandum
action on foreign Language teaching
action on equal opportunities for 
girls and women
action to improve the management 
of labour markets and introduce 
forward planning
Action to encourage innovatory 
approaches to the recruitment 
of young people
action to encourage local 
employment initiatives
action to stimulate creativity 
and entrepreneurship amongst young 
people at school
action to encourage the creation 
of enterprises by young people19 (vi)
19 (vii)
19 (vi ii)
19 (viii>
19 (ix)
19 (x)
19 (x)Preparatory work Counci I  
decision
Report for Council and Ministers of 
Education in spring 1986
exploratory phase (6 consultations) 
in April - June 1985 
full programme of consultations in 
1986
Commission communication end 1985 
programme of regional consultations 
June 1985 - September 1986 
interim report issued in October 1985
second Community programme of 
consultations takes place 1985-1986; 
Community information exchange system 
(ELISE) operational 1985-1987; 
various conferences and seminars in 
1985Agreement in June 1986.
Resolution to be adopted 
in June 1985
follow-up to Council 
Resolution of 
23 January 1984
follow-up to Council 
Resolution of 
7 June 1984
See above "New approaches to the 
education and training of young people" 
(I9(i i))
seminar is being held in June 1985

1
Action
action to assist long-term 
unemployed young people
new proposals on the 
employment of disabled people
action on behalf of young migrantsReference in
Commission
memorandum
19 C xi)
19 C x i i )
19 Cxii)Preparatory work Council
décision
1985 will see a continuation of  
the Commission's research in this  
area
proposals to be submitted to 
Council in autumn 1985
Communication on migration policy 
published in March 1985 (C0M(85)48 
final)follow-up to Council 
Resolution of 
19 December 1984
Resolution in 
June 1986
Resolution ih  
June 1985