Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 16 November 2007 on a transversal approach to youth policy with a view to enabling young people to fulfil their potential and participate actively in society
Date: 2007-11-24
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: EU policy, European citizenship, cooperation policy, social participation, youth policy

C 282/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.11.2007

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States,
meeting within the Council of 16 November 2007 on a transversal approach to youth policy with a
view to enabling young people to fulfil their potential and participate actively in society

(2007/C 282/12)

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

HAVING REGARD TO:

(1) the Commission White Paper ‘A new impetus for European
Youth’ adopted in 2001 (1) highlighting the importance of
developing opportunities for young people to fulfil their
potential and actively participate in society;

(2) the Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 (2) adopting the
open method of coordination as a new framework for
European cooperation in the youth field;

(3) the conclusions of

the European Council of 22 and
23 March 2005 (3) adopting the European Youth Pact as
one of the instruments contributing to the achievement of
the Lisbon objectives for growth and jobs by developing a
youth dimension in other relevant European policies;

(4) the conclusions of

the European Council of 23 and
24 March 2006 (4) emphasising the need to implement the
European Youth Pact, in association with young people and
youth organisations, and reinforce links between policies on
education, training, employment, social inclusion and mobi-
lity so as to improve the situation of young people in the
labour market and to reduce significantly youth unemploy-
ment whilst also supporting policies that promote reconci-
liation of family life and working life, equal opportunities,
solidarity between the generations, health, and lifelong
learning;

(5) the Commission Communication (5) and Council Resolution
on participation by and information for young people in
view of promoting their active citizenship (6), launching a
genuine dialogue with young people, structured from the
local to the European level;

(6) the

conclusions of

the European Council of 8 and
9 March 2007 (7) calling for further development of policies
which promote inter alia the role of young people, including
their transition from school to working life;

(1) COM(2001) 681 final.
(2) OJ C 168, 13.7.2002, p. 2.
(3) 7619/1/05.
(4) 7775/1/06 REV 1.
(5) COM(2006) 417.
(6) OJ C 297, 7.12.2006, p. 6.
(7) 7224/1/07 REV 1.

(7) the

study of

the European Commission's Bureau of
European Policy Advisers (8) which calls for a renewed
comprehensive youth investment strategy covering areas
such as young people's well-being, health,
education,
employment and citizenship,

RECALL THE RELEVANCE OF the Council conclusions of May
2007 on future perspectives for European cooperation in the
field of youth policy (9) emphasising the central role of the
Council
in improved mainstreaming of the youth dimension
into, and cross-sectoral coordination with, related policy fields
with the aim of improving young people's quality of
life in
Europe AND CONTINUE TO CONSIDER the relevant proposals for
future cooperation in the field of youth policy made therein;

that

the Commission Communication of
ACKNOWLEDGE
5 September 2007 entitled Promoting young people's full participa-
tion in education, employment and society (10) — accompanied by
two staff working documents, on youth and voluntary activities
and on youth employment in the EU (11) respectively — makes
a highly relevant analysis of the current challenges in the youth
field in Europe and puts forward concrete initiatives.

UNDERLINE THAT:

(1) Europe's growth and prosperity depend on an active contri-
bution and participation by all young people, especially
since their number relative to the population as a whole is
shrinking;

(2) young people will have to bear the growing cost of an
ageing population, which calls for an intergenerational
response;

(3) it is important for the economic, cultural and social devel-
opment of the EU to create favourable conditions for young
people to develop their skills, to work and to participate
actively in society, particularly in the light of globalisation
and knowledge-based economies;

(4) many of the problems young people face, such as high rates
of child poverty, poor health, dropping out of school and
youth unemployment, indicate a need to review the invest-
ments Europe is making in its youth;

(8) http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/policy_advisers/publications/index_en.htm
(9) 8771/07.
(10) COM(2007) 498 final.
(11) SEC(2007) 1084 and 1093.

24.11.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 282/17

(5) a healthy lifestyle is a prerequisite for building human

(4) strengthen youth issues in all policy fields impacting on

potential and for full participation of young people;

young people;

(6) there is a need for a truly comprehensive knowledge-based
from a strong cooperation
youth policy which stems
between policy-makers and stakeholders,
including young
people, youth organisations, youth leaders, researchers in
the youth field and youth workers at European, national,
regional and local levels;

(5) raise awareness of youth issues among all relevant stake-
holders such as policy-makers, labour and education institu-
tions, enterprises, youth workers, researchers, families, social
partners and organisations working for and with young
people, and involve them in finding solutions.

(7) there is a need for a transversal youth strategy,

forging
closer links between the European youth policy framework
set up since the adoption of the White Paper on Youth (1),
and other policies impacting on youth, with the aim of
developing a coherent approach to youth policy as a key to
obtaining real progress towards the identified youth policy
goals;

(8) the successful

the objectives of

implementation of

the
European Youth Pact depends on an improved cooperation
between policy makers and other relevant stakeholders at
both political and technical level and calls for better links to
be established between ongoing processes and policy instru-
ments at European, national, regional and local levels.

NOTE THAT THE COMMISSION WILL:

(1) on the basis of regular reporting exercises undertaken by
the Member States within ongoing processes, draw up an
EU report on youth in association with young people every
three years, starting with a first report in 2009.

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION TO:

(1) establish closer links between the European youth policy
framework and other policies impacting on youth thus
developing a truly transversal approach with the aim of
working towards young people's full participation in society;

For a truly transversal youth policy

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:

(1) endeavour to invest better, and earlier in young people to
promote their education, employment,
inclusion,
health and active citizenship in a lifecycle approach, taking
into account
the diversity among young people and
avoiding any kind of discrimination;

social

(2) reinforce their commitment to improving the implementa-
tion and monitoring of youth policy at all levels of decision-
making, while paying special attention to the Lisbon
Strategy;

(3) commit themselves to an improved implementation of the
European Youth Pact within the Lisbon Strategy for Growth
and Jobs — as it offers a wide potential for better ‘social
and professional integration of young people’ — inter alia by
addressing youth issues in the National Reform Programmes
in a more visible, systematic and improved way, and better
monitor the implementation of the European Youth Pact;

(1) Resolution of

the Council and of

the
Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council,
regarding the framework of European cooperation in the youth field
(OJ C 168, 13.7.2002, p. 2).

the Representatives of

(2) take measures aiming at

links between
existing processes, such as the Lisbon Strategy, health strate-
gies and various open methods of coordination in the fields
of education, inclusion and youth.

forging closer

For active youth participation

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:

(1) implement the reinforced common objectives for participa-
tion by and information for young people in the framework
of the open method of coordination in the youth field;

(2) further

implement

the structured dialogue with young
people and youth organisations ensuring that young people
with fewer opportunities and those that are not members of
an organisation are included in the structured dialogue;

(3) promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming in poli-

cies and actions affecting youth;

(4) encourage young people to take an active role in the
context of national activities and for the planned action
within European thematic years, such as the European Year
on intercultural dialogue;

C 282/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.11.2007

(5) facilitate the access of young people to culture, taking note
of the Commission's intention to undertake a study on the
subject;

(6) facilitate the recognition of
learning in the youth field.

the results of non-formal

(5) addressing discrimination, stereotypes and difficulties that

might hamper the opportunities of young people;

(6) analysing the effects of policy measures on the labour
market position of young people and taking them into
account when designing flexicurity strategies.

INVITE THE COMMISSION TO:

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:

for Citizens’ (4)

the Lifelong Learning Programme (2),

(1) use relevant EU programmes, such as the Youth in Action
Programme (1),
the
Culture Programme (2007 to 2013) (3),
the programme
‘Europe
and the Seventh Framework
Programme of
the European Community for Research,
Technological Development and Demonstration Activities
(2007-2013) (5)
to
in a coordinated
promote young people's participation,
approach;

in cooperation with Member States,

(2) finalise

the adaptation of Europass
non-formal learning in the youth field.

to the needs of

For a strengthened partnership with young people

(1) STRESS the relevance of the structured dialogue with young
people at all levels and in the fields impacting on their lives,
and the need to discuss ways to enhance such dialogue.

(2) NOTE

context

in this

the Commission in its
that
Communication of 5 September 2007 has invited the
European Institutions and young people to reinforce their
partnership and has suggested a joint declaration.

(1) promote the acquisition of key competences (6) for lifelong
learning in education and training from an early stage as a
combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate
to a specific environment;

(2) promote, in particular in this framework, the sense of initia-
tive and entrepreneurship (key competence No 7) which
relates to an individual's ability to turn ideas into action and
includes creativity, proactiveness, independence and innova-
tion in personal and social life as much as at work;

(3) encourage training programmes
conditions

for young people and
improve
e.g. by
promoting the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme
amongst businesses and financial
institutions to facilitate
access to finance for the start-up of SMEs by young entre-
preneurs;

young entrepreneurs

for

(4) use EU funds, in particular the European Social Fund, the
European Regional Development Fund and the Rural Devel-
and
opment Fund or
programmes, for supporting young people's transition from
education to employment.

relevant EU funds

any other

Improved employment opportunities for a full participa-
tion in society

RECOGNIZE THE RELEVANCE OF:

(1) quality education and training from an early stage and
following a lifelong learning approach, when addressing the
participation of young people in employment and educa-
tion;

(2) making full use of the existing mechanisms and creating,
to prevent early

where appropriate, other mechanisms
school-leaving;

(3) working

towards modernised education and training

systems that anticipate the needs of the labour market;

(4) providing counselling and career guidance, and promoting
quality internships with a strong link to the training or
study curriculum, as well as partnerships between schools
and companies and public administrations, with the aim of
facilitating transitions between education and training and
the labour market and avoiding mismatches between educa-
tion outcomes and labour market requirements;

(1) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 30.
(2) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 45.
(3) OJ L 372, 27.12.2006, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 32.
(5) OJ L 54, 22.2.2007, p. 30.

Messages to the European Council

CONSIDER THAT:

(1) it

is necessary to empower young people and broaden
opportunities for young people to fully participate in educa-
tion, employment and society;

(2) young people are key actors with regard to their participa-
tion in society and must develop a sense of responsibility
for their education, employment, health and active citizen-
ship;

(3) it is necessary to develop a transversal approach to youth
policy as a key to obtaining real progress towards the identi-
fied youth policy goals;

(4) it is necessary to improve the implementation and moni-
toring of youth policy at all levels of decision-making, while
paying special attention to the Lisbon strategy;

(5) young people's full participation in society is reliant upon a
strong partnership between young people, youth organisa-
tions and those responsible for political decision-making
impacting on youth.

(6) Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong
learning (OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10).

24.11.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 282/19

INVITE THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO:

(1) call on the European Parliament,

the
Council and the Member States to invest better and earlier
in youth in view of the challenges young people are facing
and their shrinking number relative to the population as a
whole;

the Commission,

European Parliament,
the Member
and

(2) call on the
the Commission,
a
the Council
to adopt
transversal approach when addressing issues impacting on
lives, building on cooperation between
young people's
policy-makers and stakeholders
at European, national,
levels and strengthening the focus of
regional and local
young people in policies impacting on them;

States

(3) further encourage Member States, when preparing their
national reform programmes, and the Commission,
in its
Annual Progress Report, to report more systematically and
more visibly on youth policies within the Lisbon Strategy, in
order to facilitate the monitoring of the progress made;

(4) call on the European Parliament,

the Commission,

the
Council and the Member States to reinforce their partner-
ship with young people and youth organisations through
the structured dialogue put in place in 2006 enabling the
participation of young people in discussions and in deci-
sion-making affecting their daily lives.