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 objective: to increase participation by young people in the system of representative democracy
Date: 2005-06-10
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: civics, political participation, youth policy

10.6.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 141/3

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 objective: to increase
participation by young people in the system of representative democracy

(2005/C 141/02)

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 ‘Euro-
pean governance’ (1), presented on 30 July 2001, places
openness and participation at the top of its list of five prin-
ciples underpinning good governance.

(2) The European Commission's White Paper entitled ‘A new
impetus for European youth’ (2), presented on 21 November
2001, sets out a new framework for European cooperation
on youth affairs.

youth field, and must
Member States and the principle of subsidiarity;

the powers of

respect

the

(c) 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.

(6) The European Union is founded on both principles of
representative democracy and participatory democracy.

HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF the work accomplished under the
Irish Presidency,
the informal Ministerial
Conference in Clare, and of the discussions launched as part of
cooperation with the Council of Europe.

in particular at

(3) The Council,

in its conclusions of 14 February 2002 (3),
considered the White Paper to be a starting point for devel-
oping a framework for cooperation on youth affairs.

ARE AWARE THAT:

(4) In its Resolution of 27 June 2002 (4), the Council

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

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

(a) young women and men continue to have a keen involve-

ment and interest in societal issues;

(b) young people's readiness for active citizenship does not
automatically lead them to engage with the institutions of
representative democracy;

(c) young people's participation and interest in the institutions
of representative democracy tend to decline in many EU
Member States;

(d) this lack of

interest

in democratic institutions is often
reflected in a reluctance to make a long-term commitment
to youth organisations, low turnouts at elections, declining
membership of political parties and their youth sections.

(5) In its Resolution of 25 November 2003 (5), the Council:

RECALL, HOWEVER, THAT:

(a) adopted common objectives for the first two priorities,
namely participation by and information for young
people, setting increased participation by young people
in the system of representative democracy as one of the
common objectives for the participation priority;

(a) representative democracy is one of the mainstays of our

society;

(b) democracies need the participation of all their citizens;

(b) recalled that implementation of the common objectives
must be flexible, incremental and appropriate for the

(c) in particular, the participation of young women and men
in the institutions of representative democracy is crucial if
democracy is to function properly;

(1) 11574/01 – COM(2001) 428 final.
(2) 14441/01 – COM(2001) 681 final.
(3) OJ C 119, 22.5.2002, p. 6.
(4) OJ C 168, 13.7.2002, p. 2.
(5) JO C 295, 5.12.2003, p. 6.

(d) young people do not form a homogenous group, and the
issue of their non-participation in the institutions of repre-
sentative democracy presents various challenges, depending
on gender, level of education, ethnic origin or other factors.

C 141/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.6.2005

EMPHASISE:

(a) the value of an ongoing dialogue at national level between
young women and men and political leaders in creating a
climate conducive to participation in the institutions of
representative democracy;

(b) the importance of the Commission guideline on a struc-
tured dialogue between young people and political repre-
sentatives;

(c) the key role played by non-formal education and by youth-
oriented information in providing quality civic education
on a broad basis;

(d) the special importance of youth organisations and associa-
tions in providing opportunities for young women and
men to learn about democratic mechanisms and active,
critical citizenship;

AGREE:

(a) that action to achieve these objectives cannot target young
women and men alone but must also be directed at the
institutions of representative democracy themselves;

(b) that the commitment of those participating in representa-
tive democracy should be highlighted and encouraged;

the

(c) that when implementing

common objective of
increasing the participation of young women and men in
the system of representative democracy, particular attention
should be paid to creating a climate which encourages
young women and men to participate, taking into account
the important role played by the education system, youth
organisations, political parties and the family;

(e) to involve young people and youth organisations in devel-

oping specific implementing measures.

INVITE MEMBER STATES TO:

— encourage political parties' awareness of the importance of
increasing their youth membership, having more young
women and men on their organisational bodies and more
young women and men on their lists of candidates;

— encourage, where applicable, the placing of young people

on the electoral register;

— mobilise the support of regional and local authorities for
young people's participation in representative democracy;

— make young people aware of the importance of partici-
in particular,

pating in representative democracy and,
through casting their votes.

INVITE THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES:

— under the common priority regarding greater understanding
and knowledge of youth, to make an inventory of the
existing knowledge about obstacles to young people's active
participation in representative democracy;

— to pool measures already undertaken and examples of good
practice for achieving the common objective of increasing
participation by young people in the system of representa-
tive democracy, at both Member State and European level;

— to strengthen dialogue between young people and political

leaders, for example by introducing regular meetings;

(d) that particular care should be taken to tailor measures to
their target groups and the groups' specific characteristics;

— to meet in 2006 to review progress on this objective on the

basis of national reports on the participation priority.