Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council creating the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007-2013 (COM (2004) 471 final — 2004/0152 (COD))
Date: 2005-03-09
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU programme, budget, financing, social participation, young person, youth movement, youth policy

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Official Journal of the European Union

22.9.2005

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision of the
European Parliament and of the Council creating the Youth in Action programme for the period
2007-2013

(COM (2004) 471 final — 2004/0152 (COD))

(2005/C 234/11)

Procedure

On 9 September 2004, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementiond proposaL.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 18 February 2005. The rapporteur was
Mr Rodríguez García-Caro.

At its 415th plenary session, held on 9 and 10 March 2005 (meeting of 10 March), the European Economic
and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 196 votes to none, with three abstentions:

1. Introduction

1.1
Since 1988, through the successive phases of the Youth
for Europe programme, the European Voluntary Service for
Young People programme and the current YOUTH programme
(which includes the actions of its predecessors), the European
Union has initiated a series of measures to implement Article
149(2) TEC, which states that
‘Community action shall be
aimed … at encouraging the development of youth exchanges
and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors’.

The

various

specific

youth-oriented

1.2
programmes
adopted have been — and continue to be — much appreciated,
and their actions have seen a high level of participation from
target populations. These programmes have enabled Member
States to focus their efforts on those initiatives that enable their
young citizens to strengthen links and acquire experience and
knowledge through exchanges between the different partici-
pating countries. These exchanges are not connected to labour
or educational issues.

1.3
The importance assigned to EU citizenship in Articles
17 to 22 TEC underpins the role that the programme must
play in the near future. This focuses on promoting the active
citizenship of young people and strengthening their sense of
belonging to Europe.

The

first

two phases of

1.4
the Youth for Europe
programme dealt essentially with two main types of action:
direct support
for youth projects involving exchanges and
mobility of young people between participating countries, and
study and in-service training visits for youth workers.

The third phase, from 1995 to 1999, extended the exchange
and mobility measures to third countries and continued the
actions geared towards youth workers.
It also introduced
actions to promote youth-oriented activities, boost cooperation
between Member States in terms of youth policies and informa-
tion campaigns targeting young people, and encourage research
into youth-related issues.

1.5
The European Voluntary Service for Young People
programme (which ran from 1998 to 2002) opened up youth
initiatives to include specific volunteer and solidarity activities,
as part of the policy for cooperation in the youth field. The
aim was to boost young people's involvement, encourage enter-
prise and initiative and promote the European ideal.

Lastly, the YOUTH programme,

1.6
in force until 2006,
encompasses the previous programmes in the youth field, revi-
talising and modernising them in the light of the new chal-
lenges. As well as maintaining the cooperation and mobility
initiatives, it includes other concrete actions to support innova-
tive, creative projects set up by young people.

1.7
In recent times, the Council of Ministers and European
Councils have, on several occasions, clearly emphasised the
need to ensure the continuity of the current programme. The
European Parliament has also been actively involved, calling on
the Commission to draw up a programme to replace the
current one, in order to cater for the growing needs in the field
of youth policy.

Likewise,
the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe
builds on the provisions of Article 149 TEC, stating that Com-
munity action should aim to encourage the participation of
young people in democratic life in Europe.

In addition to the above reasons (which themselves
1.8
justify the extension of measures aimed at young people), both
the interim evaluation of
the current programme and the
public consultation launched by the Commission have revealed
the need to maintain a specific programme that will sustain
actions and promote young people's European identity and
active citizenship.

Together, these aspects have led to the presentation of
1.9
the Youth in Action programme for 2007-2013; under Article
149(4) TEC,
sought on the
programme.

the Committee's opinion is

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2. Content of the proposal

— Support for policy cooperation

2.1

Broadly, the programme aims to:

— promote the active participation of young people in civil

society;

— foster the values of tolerance, solidarity and intercultural

dialogue among young people;

— encourage European citizenship.

The programme's general objectives, which correspond

2.2
to the actions it comprises, are as follows:

— to promote young people's active citizenship in general and

their European citizenship in particular;

— meetings of young people and those responsible for

youth policy;

— support for activities to improve knowledge of youth;

— cooperation with international organisations.

2.4
The programme, scheduled for 2007-2013 and with a
budget of EUR 915 million, is aimed at young people aged
between 13 and 30.

— to develop solidarity among young people, in particular in
order to reinforce social cohesion in the European Union;

3. Comments on the Proposal

— to foster mutual understanding between peoples through

young people;

— to contribute to developing the quality of support systems
for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society orga-
nisations in the youth field;

— to promote European cooperation in youth policies.

The actions of the programme (which refer clearly to
the general objectives mentioned above) and the

2.3
each of
measures that these comprise are as follows:

— Youth for Europe

— youth exchanges;

— support for young people's initiatives;

— participative democracy projects.

— European Voluntary Service.

— European Voluntary Service (individual);

— European Voluntary Service (groups);

— cooperation between civil or volunteer services.

— Youth of the World

— cooperation with the neighbouring countries of

the

enlarged Europe;

— cooperation with other countries.

— Youth workers and support systems

— support for bodies active at European level in the field

of youth;

— support for the European Youth Forum;

— training and networking of youth workers;

— projects encouraging innovation and quality;

— information activities

for young people and youth

workers;

— associations;

— support for the structures of the programme;

— adding to the value of the programme.

3.1
The Committee has consistently supported previous
youth-oriented programmes. It therefore welcomes the current
proposal for a decision on the whole, and is pleased that Com-
munity action in this area is to be continued.

Since 1986, the Committee has supported this type of action,
putting forward views and observations aimed at improving
the content of the actions. The following opinions have been
issued by the Committee:

— Opinion on the Proposal for a Council Decision creating

the Youth for Europe programme. (1)

— Opinion on the Proposal for a Council Decision adopting

the Youth for Europe programme (2nd phase). (2)

— Opinion on the Proposal for a European Parliament and
Europe

the Youth

adopting

for

Council Decision
programme (3rd phase). (3)

— Opinion on the Proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Decision establishing the European Voluntary
Service for Young People programme (4).

— Opinion on the Proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Decision establishing the programme for Youth (5).

— Opinion on the Proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Decision establishing a programme to promote
bodies active at European level in the field of youth (6).

3.2
The Committee is encouraged to note that the text of
the proposal includes recommendations expressed in its own-
initiative Opinion on the White paper: youth policy (7). As an inte-
gral part of European civil society, the Committee acts as a
channel of communication between civil society and the Euro-
pean institutions, bringing its experience and knowledge to
bear on all actions benefiting EU citizens.

(1) CES 769/1986
(2) OJ C 159 of 17.06.1991
(3) OJ C 148 of 30.05.1994
(4) OJ C 158 of 26.05.1997
(5) OJ C 410 of 30.12.1998
(6) OJ C 10 of 14.01.2004
(7) OJ C 116 of 20.04.2001

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3.3
The fact that the actions established by the previous
youth programmes are being continued makes it clear that,
independently of the objectives set out in these programmes,
the actions are still useful and worth continuing.

the Committee considers

However, while the need for the proposal and all its positive
that,
points are acknowledged,
overall, it is more of an extension of the current programme's
actions than an initiative comprising innovative measures to
further the programme's main objective, i.e. to promote young
people's active citizenship and their sense of belonging to
Europe. The Committee considers that support should be given
to new measures in some of the Programme's actions, such as
promoting projects for participatory democracy (contained in
Action 1) and specifically to measures for organising dialogue
between decision-makers and young people, setting up youth
parliaments or projects for raising awareness about active citi-
zenship.

Although the main aim stated above still applies, it is important
that the programme be consistent with the concept of life-long
and life-wide learning,
including learning acquired through
experience. The non-formal education received by young
people through the programme will be complementary to
other forms of education and learning, as supported through
other EU programmes.

3.4
The Committee would like the following to be added as
a new measure under the Action entitled ‘Support for Policy
Cooperation’:

Thematic seminars, conferences, study visits, feasibility visits
organised by youth organisations targeting young people on
various subject matters of European interest.

that

3.5
The budget for the actions set out in the programme is
EUR 915 m. over seven years. This sum comes close to the
the Committee deemed necessary for the
EUR 1 bn.
YOUTH programme for the period 2000-2006. In effect, the
budget
is being increased from the EUR 657 m. or so
earmarked for the YOUTH programme to EUR 915 m. for the
Youth in Action programme.

This positive fact warrants two comments. Firstly, the YOUTH
budget covers a period of five years, while the Youth in Action
programme will cover seven years. Secondly, the population
group targeted by the current programme comprises 50
million young people, while the future programme will be
aimed at 75 million.

the YOUTH programme. Specifically,

3.6
The Committee wishes to highlight one of the recom-
mendations made in the proposal resulting from the interim
evaluation of
the
Committee strongly agrees that the new programme, aimed at
all youth sectors, should focus particularly on young people
with fewer opportunities, in the widest sense of the word. In
this context it is also very important to ensure that resources
are distributed equally between young women and young men.
The Committee reiterates the support that it has shown for
these groups of young people ever since its first opinions were
issued in the field of youth. It also wishes to have precise infor-
mation on the actual level of participation in this programme
for young people who have the fewest opportunities.

3.7
Also as a result of the recommendations made in the
wake of the interim evaluation of the YOUTH Programme, the
Committee believes that the profile of the new Youth in Action
programme should be raised to ensure that effective informa-
tion about the programme and its actions reaches as many
young people and associations as possible. The Committee
believes that this information should be readily available in all
educational establishments, employment agencies, sports clubs
and federations, and in any other institution or organisation
where large numbers of young people are to be found.

3.8
Fostering the concept of European citizenship and
encouraging a sense of belonging to a European Union that is
steadily gaining in substance are objectives which we all
support. Community action is geared towards this goal, and
one of its specific areas of activity is covered in the proposal
under consideration.

In the communication entitled Making citizenship Work: fostering
for Youth,
European culture and diversity through programmes
Culture, Audiovisual and Civic Participation (9), the Commission
highlights the need for European citizens to have the opportu-
nity to feel that they belong to the EU, but it also states that, in
fact, many citizens experience the Union as a distant and
remote political and economic entity.

The Committee believes that actions of this kind are needed to
encourage a sense of citizenship and belonging to the EU.
However,
it also believes that the institutions and Member
States must assess their own responsibility for not meeting
these objectives fully, and for the fact that the EU is seen by
many as a collection of governmental economic interests that
occasionally come up for discussion.

This means that EUR 12 continue to be allocated per young
person, which falls short of the EUR 20 recommended by this
Committee in its opinion on the YOUTH programme (8).
Clearly, therefore, the budget allocation is still insufficient.

Fostering values based on tolerance, solidarity, mutual
3.9
understanding and dialogue with other cultures and between
generations is an objective that must be supported strongly and
unreservedly. These values are explicitly included in the
proposal and the Committee is in favour of seeking to achieve
them.

(8) OJ C 410 of 30.12.1998

(9) COM (2004) 154 final.

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adults who have

fewest opportunities,

Given that
the programme is specifically aimed at young
people and certain age groups in particular (adolescents) and
young
the
the
Committee considers that the proposal should place specific
emphasis on certain equally important values that are not
covered by the current text. These values, which are essential in
order for young people to play an integral and active part in
society, are to do with responsibility, the satisfaction of a job
well done, compliance with social norms, and so on. In an
advanced society where citizens are clearly informed of their
to seize every opportunity to
rights,
is also important
communicate these values
to citizens, particularly young
people. The Youth in Action programme could be an instru-
ment for fostering these values.

it

The significant linguistic diversity of the EU is further
3.10
its cultural wealth. The Committee regularly
evidence of
stresses the importance of
to
enhance knowledge and understanding among the citizens of
the EU.

language learning in order

The Committee believes that the Youth in Action programme
should also help to promote language learning, as a reference
to this is included in its general and specific objectives.

The Committee proposes that linguistic diversity be mentioned
in Article 2(3) of the proposal, together with Europe's cultural
and multicultural diversity.

Objective 1 d) of Article 3 should therefore be worded as
follows:
‘fostering intercultural and language learning among
young people.’

3.11
One of the more important aspects of the programme,
as regards the transmission of values to young people, is the
European Voluntary Service initiative. Since it was set up as a
specific programme in 1998, it has been a valuable tool for
promoting solidarity among young people and enriching
personal development. The Committee therefore supports the
wide variety of fields of action covered by this initiative, and is
again pleased to note the Commission's sensitivity to the
Committee's previous recommendations on the subject.

To the Committee,

the funding earmarked for this
3.12
action (the amount allocated in the
statement
financial
appended to the proposal) seems extremely high, given that
only a relatively small number of young people participate in
it. On the other hand, feedback from some Member States
suggests that the interest of young people in voluntary work
exceeds the capacity of organisations. This may have to do
with the application requirements for this action and its effec-
tiveness. In this context, the Committee therefore believes that
Action 1, Youth for Europe, is more likely to generate partici-
pation and thus have a greater effect on young people with
fewer opportunities, and therefore feels it is necessary to assess
the extent to which the budget distribution between the indivi-
dual actions reflects demand. At the same time, options for
boosting the effectiveness of each action should be considered.

3.13
‘Youth policy should seek to involve young people at
all stages in the decision-making process in order both to
benefit from their first-hand experience and to motivate them
as active and responsible citizens’. This sentence, which forms
part of the recommendations of the own-initiative Opinion on
the White Paper: youth policy, (10) defines the aims that could
serve as the frame of reference for the programme. Insofar as
the programme follows this guideline, it will bring together the
two basic principles set out in its objectives: citizenship and
participation.

Outsourcing a high proportion of the programme's
3.14
activities means that additional efforts will be required to
ensure consistency and transparency. The Committee appreci-
ates the need to keep management close to ordinary people,
but it believes that the Commission should remain involved in
the decision-making process when it comes to selecting the
organisations eligible for funding from the programme.

devolved

Large-scale

the
3.15
programme at national, regional and local level, with the exten-
sive participation of organisations and individuals, will require
maximum stringency, transparency and visibility to ensure that
public funds are properly used.

implementation

of

3.16
In this process of selecting organisations and allocating
funds to the projects they propose, vigilance is required of the
Community institutions and competent institutions in partici-
pating countries to make sure that funds from the Youth in
Action programme are not used to finance any association or
organisation which tolerates or harbours — whether by design
or omission — any intolerant, violent, racist or xenophobic
responsible for
attitudes. To this end,
selecting and approving projects, both at Community level and
within Member States, should identify organisations with such
a history and exclude them from any selection process.

the organisations

In selecting organisations eligible for Community funding,
it
must also be ensured that such organisations are genuinely
representative and have a certain number of members.

3.17
The Committee agrees with the statement in the text of
the proposal that its European added value is directly linked to
the nature of the actions, i.e. promoting collaboration between
States in order to allow young people to move between
different countries. Countries could not achieve this by them-
selves. It is therefore paramount that all the participating coun-
tries take into consideration the provisions of Article 6(5) of
the proposal, and take every possible step to eliminate any
remaining obstacles to mobility.

The Committee has commented on this aspect on a number of
occasions, in opinions on other phases of this programme and
on problems related to mobility (11).

(10) OJ C 116 of 20.04.2001
(11) OJ C 133 of 28.4.1997 - Opinion on the Green Paper on education,

training and research: obstacles to cross-frontier mobility
OJ C 149 of 21.6.2002 - Opinion on the proposal for a European
Parliament and Council directive on the right of citizens of the
Union and their family members to move and reside freely within
the territory of the Member States.

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In these opinions, the Committee has strongly emphasised the
need to accelerate initiatives to make it possible for citizens,
particularly young people, to participate in the programme,
without being hampered by bureaucratic problems that restrict
its accessibility and which should have been ironed out by the
Member States.

3.18
The extension of the age range of participants, by redu-
cing the lower age limit to 13 and increasing the upper limit to
30, is a noteworthy achievement that is in line with previous
recommendations of this Committee. This means opening up
the programme to a large section of the population, with 75
million potential participants. The Committee considers that a
study should be drawn up to give a clearer picture of this age
group (unprecedented in history not only in its diversity, but
also in its unity) and thereby underpin the youth programme
in the European Union, especially if the latter wishes to follow
the recommendations of the High-Level Group on ‘the future
of social policy’, which seek to change the generational pact.

However, the Committee reiterates its suggestion to extend the
age for participating in exchange initiatives to 11: although this
age group can be considered as pre-adolescent, there is no
doubt that learning and the transmission of values are absorbed
in specific ways when they take place at an earlier age. This
participation should always take place as part of a properly
organised scheme and never on an individual basis.

Article 15 of the proposal for a decision calls for the
3.19
mandatory interim and ex post evaluation of the programme.
As regards the interim evaluation, the Committee believes that
one of the important aspects to be evaluated is the program-
in the various participating countries. Having
me's impact
assessed its impact, we could then concentrate on raising
awareness of the programme in those countries where partici-
pation in the Youth in Action initiatives is low. Thus we could
try to weight the distribution of funds, so that they are not
concentrated in structurally strong areas with extensive experi-
ence of developing this type of action, at the same time helping
to transfer this experience to regions with lower levels of parti-
cipation in the programme's actions.

As already noted in this opinion, the Youth in Action
3.20
programme builds on the actions of previous programmes in

Brussels, 10 March 2005.

the youth field. Therefore, the social partners must participate
in the initial preparation and subsequent assessment work, and
youth organisations must be involved in implementing some of
the programme's actions, particularly those which involve
unpaid work. This will help avoid potential distortions of the
labour market and prevent voluntary work from being used as
a substitute for paid work, especially skilled work.

stresses

the Committee

3.21 Moreover,
the need for
increased collaboration between the social partners and youth
or youth-oriented organisations, as regards the measures to
support youth initiatives under
the Youth for Europe
programme. The experience of our organisations can serve as a
strong stimulus for initiative, enterprise and creativity among
young Europeans.

3.22
The Committee welcomes the inclusion of measures to
support youth associations as a means of encouraging young
people's involvement in civil society. It therefore feels that par-
ticular emphasis should be placed on promoting such associa-
tions in places and among groups of young people poorly
served by existing organisations.

In relation to the financial provisions included in the statement
accompanying the proposal, the Committee is dissatisfied with
the reduction in the budget earmarked for organisations active
at European level in the field of youth. The Committee believes
that
the new
programme, the proportion allocated to this action must not
drop below the levels in the YOUTH programme.

to remain consistent with the objectives of

The Committee welcomes the new initiative launched
3.23
by the Heads of State and Government of France, Germany,
Spain and Sweden to sign a Pact for European Youth as part of
the Lisbon Strategy, in order to develop new ways of involving
young people in politics.

The Committee believes that the pact should be seen as a
means of obtaining results in fields such as employment, social
inclusion and education, in the European Union's youth policy
and the Youth in Action programme, and as a new issue on
the European Youth Policy agenda.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

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APPENDIX

to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee

The following amendment, though rejected, received at least one-quarter of the votes cast:

New point 3.14

The Commission should make sure that the work of National Agencies administrating the Youth programme is coordi-
nated in such a way that the decentralisation of its implementation in Member States does not create new barriers for
the access to this programme.

The work and practices of National Agencies should be monitored and evaluated by a Committee composed of European
Commission officials and relevant social partners in the course of implementation of the new Youth in Action
programme.

Reason

The Youth in Action programme proposal is much more decentralised than the current Youth programme. In the
course of implementation national youth agencies of the countries participating in the programme play the major role
and render the important decisions, they set national priorities and decide upon many details of the programme imple-
mentation. Decentralisation is a big problem for many European youth organisations and networks, due to different
national priorities of National Agencies and their different approach to partnership, European youth organisations and
their branches from different countries cannot cooperate in a desired manner.

Result of the vote

Votes for: 51

Votes against: 72

Abstentions: 30