Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of 24 May 2005 meeting within the Council on implementing the common objectives for youth information
Date: 2005-05-24
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: information policy, youth policy

10.6.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 141/5

Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of
24 May 2005 meeting within the Council on implementing the common objectives for youth
information

(2005/C 141/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTA-
TIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES MEETING
WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Whereas:

1. The European Commission's White Paper entitled ‘A new
impetus for European youth’ (1), presented on 21 November
2001, sets out a new framework for European cooperation
on youth affairs.

2. The Council,

in its conclusions of 14 February 2002 (2),
recognised the White Paper as the starting point for devel-
oping a European framework for cooperation on youth
affairs.

3. In its Resolution of 27 June 2002 (3) the Council

(c) recalled that

implementation must be flexible,

incre-
mental and appropriate for the youth field, and must
respect the powers of the Member States and the prin-
ciple of subsidiarity;

(d) invited the Commission to convene, where appropriate,
representatives of the national administrations dealing
with the youth field, in order to promote the exchange
of information on the progress made and on best prac-
tice.

RECALL THAT

— youth information is important for each Member State and
common objectives cannot be implemented unless the
subsidiarity principle is upheld;

(a) adopted the open method of coordination as the new
cooperation on youth policy and
framework for
approved four thematic priorities: participation,
infor-
mation, voluntary activities and greater understanding
and knowledge of youth;

— the promotion of information supply services which take
into consideration the specific needs of young people is
crucial to providing young people with access to informa-
tion;

to prepare an evaluation report

(b) invited the Commission, no later than the end of the
first implementation exercise for the four thematic prio-
in association
rities,
with the Member States on the framework for coopera-
tion, covering in particular an evaluation of the open
method of coordination and, as appropriate, suggestions
for its modification, and to submit that report to the
Council for consideration.

4. In its resolution of 25 November 2003 (4) the Council

— young people form a heterogeneous group whose needs
socioeconomic

vary depending on their age, gender,
circumstances and geographical location;

— by its very nature, youth information is a highly diverse
area affecting many young people in different circum-
stances;

— participation by young people in producing and dissemi-
nating information remains the key to providing them with
information to meet their needs;

(a) adopted common objectives for the first two priorities,
namely participation by and information for young
people;

(b) agreed on the following common objectives in the area

of youth information:

— implementing the common objective with regard to infor-
mation has resulted in an Internet portal, which the
Commission has launched in association with the Eurodesk,
ERYICA (European Youth Information and Counselling
Agency) and EYCA (European Youth Card Association)
networks.

(i) improving access for young people to information

services,

(ii) increasing the provision of information for young

people,

(iii) increasing participation by young people in youth

information;

(1) 14441/01 – COM(2001) 681 final.
(2) OJ C 119, 22.5.2002, p. 6.
(3) OJ C 168, 13.7.2002, p. 2.
(4) OJ C 295, 5.12.2003, p. 6.

AGREE THAT, TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMON OBJECTIVES IN THE
INFORMATION PRIORITY AREA, SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE
FOCUSED ON

— stepping up networking among youth-oriented information
structures in various sectors at local, national and European
level;

— continuous training of those involved in youth information
with regard to content, most suitable methods and use of
available technology, so that young people can recognise
quality information easily.

C 141/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.6.2005

CALL ON THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES

— with this in mind, to use European programmes when

— to use existing means and work with established European
networks to propose guiding principles in order to enable
youth information structures to develop quality assessment;

— to raise the profile of quality youth information in Europe

and thus make it more accessible;

— to promote and develop cooperation, networking and the
exchange of good practice between national youth informa-
tion sites and portals across Europe, together with analyses
of the use of such sites and portals;

working with youth information to develop

— a greater insight into young people's information needs,

— an exchange of experience between youth information
experts at various levels at European seminars and
training sessions,

— a regularly updated database of innovative approaches
and examples of good practice, with particular reference
to networking among youth information structures in
various sectors.