Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions Promoting young people's full participation in education, employment and society COM(2007) 498 final
Date: 2008-01-17
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: European citizenship, European social policy, economic and social cohesion, education policy, employment policy, young person

17.6.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 151/45

5.16
Furthermore, the Lisbon strategy framework should be
used to encourage, in particular with regard to study leave and
cross-EU teacher mobility, e.g. via study leave, as a vector
(or vehicle) for experiences and innovation to improve lifelong
learning.

5.17
Lastly, appropriate education indicators should be iden-
tified and recognised in all EU countries to assess gains and to
help educational systems achieve the common aim of improving
qualifications and social cohesion.

Brussels, 16 January 2008.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Communication from the
Commission to the Council,
the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of Regions Promoting young people's full participation in education,
employment and society

the European Parliament,

COM(2007) 498 final

(2008/C 151/14)

On 5 September 2007, the Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on

Promoting young people's full participation in education, employment and society

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 19 December 2007. The rapporteur was
Mr Trantina.

At its 441st plenary session, held on 16 and 17 January 2008 (meeting of 17 January 2008), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 137 votes to none, with 3 abstentions.

1. Summary of recommendations

1.1
The EESC agrees with the need to prepare a truly Euro-
pean transversal youth strategy and is ready to contribute to this
process with its means such as direct contact with grass root
organisations and sensibilisation of EU institutions of problems
and solutions on grass root level.

The EESC believes

1.2
the process of building a
that
successful and sustainable transversal child and youth strategy
should be facilitated through a permanent structure within the
Commission (coordinating the work of various DGs involved)
or an interinstitutional group and should be based on setting up
of a monitoring mechanism with clear targets and deadlines.

the first

(independence,

The EESC believes that

1.3
step to increasing
employment in the EU — before doing the utmost to mobilise
older workers — is to get young people into work on a massive
scale, since this would have a far longer impact, both sociolo-
gical
and
economic, in terms of growth, social financing, consumption,
savings and investment (building, etc.). It urges Member States
and European institutions to take the necessary steps to reduce
youth unemployment in Europe, mainly through quicker and
more efficient implementation of the European Youth Pact and
Member States' Lisbon Strategy national reform programmes.

social, birth-rates,

family,

etc.)

The EESC urges that the situation of young people in
1.4
rural areas and poor urban areas be given greater consideration.
The EESC calls on Member States to rise to the challenge of
eradicating child poverty and asks for measures to be added in
order to improve participation of young people with disabilities
in society on equal terms.

1.5
The EESC recommends that the Commission continues
to work on the recognition of voluntary youth work through
engagement with employers' organisations, workers' organisa-
tions, representatives of the formal education system and appro-
priate NGOs.

The EESC repeats its main points on the subject of

1.6
voluntary activities of young people, mainly that:

— the Commission should announce a Year of Volunteers, and
publish a White Paper on voluntary activity and active citi-
zenship in Europe;

— the Commission and Member States should raise the aware-
ness on the contribution of youth work to the development
of young people and the skills, values and attitudes gained
through active involvement
in youth organisations and
youth work activities.

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1.7
The Committee advises against ways of getting young
people into employment that are undependable and offer no
prospects: it is time to stop advocating casual employment and
ever more uncertain working hours and contracts, since there
has been ample proof of their effect on an increasing number of
young people from a range of social backgrounds. Casual
employment offered as a stop-gap solution between completing
initial education and entering working life postpones career
progression and the assumption of responsibility in social and
family life — a fact demonstrated, regrettably, by the studies and
observations of Eurofound, the ILO and the European Employ-
ment Observatory.

The EESC supports

the development of

1.8
structured
dialogue between decision-makers and young people. Such
dialogue should contribute to the development of the European
transversal youth strategy, suggested by the Commission in its
Communication. The EESC welcomes the proposal of
the
Commission to draft an EU report on youth every three years
and recommends that involvement of youth civil society, in par-
ticular the national youth councils, should be ensured in the
development of such a report.

The EESC supports the development of a strong partner-
1.9
ship between the EU and young people in the form of a declara-
tion to be signed between the European Institutions and their
partner on the part of young people — the European Youth
Forum.

2. Introduction

2.1
The EESC has been dealing with the issue of youth for
more than ten years already. Most recent opinions are still rele-
vant and could be repeated here, at least in part (1).

(1) EESC Opinion of 26.10.2005 on the Communication on European
policies concerning youth — Addressing the concerns of young
people in Europe — implementing the European Youth Pact and
promoting active citizenship, rapporteur Ms van Turnhout (OJ C28
of 3.2.2006)
EESC Opinion of 13.12.2006 on voluntary activity: its role in Euro-
pean society and its impact, rapporteur Ms Koller (OJ C 325 of
30.12.2006)
EESC Opinion of 6.7.2006 on Communication from the Commis-
sion Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme: Fostering
entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning, rapporteur
Ms Jerneck (OJ C 309 of 16.12.2006)
EESC Opinion of 12.7.2007 on Employment of priority categories
(Lisbon Strategy), rapporteur Mr Greif (OJ C 256 of 27.10.2007)
EESC Opinion of 14.9.2006 on Making European citizenship visible
and effective, rapporteur Mr Vever (OJ C 318 of 23.12.2006)
EESC Opinion of 10.3.2005 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, rapporteur Mr Rodriguez-
Garcia Caro (OJ C234 of 22.9.2005)
EESC Opinion of 30.5.2007 on Communication from the Commis-
sion — An EU strategy to support Member States in reducing
alcohol related harm, rapporteurs Ms van Turnhout, Mr Janson (OJ C
175 of 27.7.2007)
EESC Opinion on the Communication from the Commission —
Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity: More and better jobs
through flexibility and security, — COM(2007) 359 final, rapporteurs
Mr Janson, Mr Ardhe — SOC/283, on going

On 5 September 2007,

2.2
the European Commission
adopted its Communication Promoting young people's full
participation in education, employment and society,
jointly
prepared by DG Education and Culture and DG Employment,
Social Affaires and Equal Opportunities. Other DGs were
involved in its drafting as well. The Communication deals with
topics such as youth education, employment, health and citizen-
ship, trying to address them in a cross-sectoral way. It is accom-
panied by two Commission Staff working papers — one on
voluntary activities, second on youth employment.

The Communication reacts to some of the interesting
2.3
findings of the report Investing in Youth: an empowerment
strategy, published in April 2007 by the Bureau of European
Policy Advisors (BEPA).

2.4
In general, the EESC welcomes the approach taken by the
European Commission with regard to both the process and
content of
It notes with pleasure that
several DGs were involved in its drafting.

this Communication.

2.5
However, the EESC is concerned about the implementa-
tion of the plans to create this transversal youth strategy. The
Commission does not recommend a process on how to reach
this goal. According to the initial reaction of the Council, none
of the Member States have any plans in this direction so far.

3. Better and more education for all young people

the success of

This chapter deals almost exclusively with formal educa-
3.1
tion, but
the lifelong learning process also
depends on non-formal education which helps to provide the
necessary skills and competences by complementing the work
of school systems. Therefore, they should be given appropriate
consideration.

In general,

3.2
the EESC agrees with the proposals
concerning the improvements in the quality of education, as
they are in line with current strategies and documents.

3.3
The EESC also agrees that a youth-specific element
within Europass, complementary to Youthpass, should be devel-
oped, as Youthpass only focuses on activities done by young
people in the framework of the Youth in Action Programme.
The scope of youth activities which need to be recognised is,
however, much broader.

3.4
The EESC recommends that the Commission continues
to work on the recognition of voluntary youth work through
engagement with employers' organisations, workers' organisa-
tions, representatives of the formal education system and appro-
priate NGOs.

Young people dropping out of school should have the
3.5
opportunity to participate in non-formal training programmes
which would equip them for adult life and successful participa-
tion in the labour market either as employees or entrepreneurs.

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4. Youth and employment: a challenge for Europe

The EESC stresses that youth unemployment in Europe is
4.1
a threat to the future of Europe and urges Member States and
European institutions to take the necessary steps to improve the
situation. Those steps should above all be based on quicker and
the European Youth Pact,
more efficient
where large backlogs exist in many Member States. Today the
European Youth Pact remains more a declaration than a real
working plan.

implementation of

In a previous opinion (2) the EESC requested that the
4.2
following targets be considered for inclusion in Member States'
Lisbon Strategy national reform programmes:

— set targets for each Member State to reduce the number of
young people unemployed by a minimum of 50 % in the
period 2006-2010 (currently 17.4 % in the European Union
for under 25s); this is above the general unemployment rate
in most countries and in most EU Member States is at least
twice as high as for the general population;

— change the target for a reduction in the maximum period of
seeking employment/training places after which young
people are offered a new start from six to four months;

— develop social protection systems that enable young people
to be in a position to make choices to determine their own
future;

— reduce early school leaving by 50 % in the period 2006-

2010 and promote work experience in companies.

4.3
The EESC has recently adopted an exploratory opinion
on flexicurity (3), which could provide a good basis for future
work on the subject. It notes, among other things, that ‘young
people in many Member States face an uncertain labour market
with high unemployment,
insufficient
social security coverage and work below their qualification level’.

fixed term contracts,

4.4
For many young people in Europe and throughout the
world, the social uncertainty that has so far been an intrinsic
and defining element of young adulthood is increasing. They are
no strangers to insecure employment and material hardship, as
the most recent ILO reports make clear. Today's older genera-
tions should also ask themselves what future they are leaving
for those that follow.

4.6
Concerning the Commission's initiative on internships,
the EESC agrees that a kind of European quality framework for
internships should be introduced and offered to companies to
themselves to its principles of clear contracts with
commit
young people. Today, in many cases, young people doing intern-
ships are misused as a cheap labour force instead of learning
and preparing for future jobs.

In

line with

the Commission's

4.7
proposal which
encourages Member States to use national policies and EU funds
for supporting young people's transition from education to
employment, the EESC calls on Member States to reduce the
administrative burden connected with applying for
funding
from EU funds, as they lower the chances of voluntary-based
youth NGOs attaining this type of funding. Pre-financing of the
NGO's projects would also help to improve the chances of their
projects.

5. Using the full potential of all

5.1
The EESC urges that the situation of young people in
rural areas and poor urban areas be given greater consideration.
In many rural and poor urban areas, young people do not have
training, mobility, health
access to high quality education,
services, leisure facilities, employment opportunities or have the
chance to participate in civil society.

5.2
The EESC calls on Member States to rise to the challenge
of eradicating poverty among children and young people, which
has a severe impact on them across a range of issues such as
health, education and even a child's future ‘life chances’ of ever
breaking out of the poverty trap.

5.3
The Communication does not discuss the fundamental
link between the availability and quality of day care for children
and subsequent performance in school and at work. In line with
the objectives of the Lisbon strategy, the EESC recommends
emphasising the importance of day care for children, as prepara-
tion for school and independent life, and as an excellent means
of promoting social integration and compensating for difficul-
ties.

The EESC has already called for the fostering of young
4.5
entrepreneurship by providing financial and technical support
and by minimising the bureaucracy involved in taking over,
transferring and establishing an enterprise. Therefore the EESC
is interested in the proposed pilot project to promote the mobi-
lity of young entrepreneurs.

5.4
The EESC asks for measures to be added in order to
improve participation of children and young people with special
needs, disadvantages or disabilities in society on equal terms:
equal participation in the activities of the Youth Programme;
equal access to information on youth policy and youth projects
and awareness-raising measures.

(2) EESC Opinion of 26.10.2005 on the Communication on European
policies concerning youth — Addressing the concerns of young people
in Europe — Implementing the European Youth Pact and promoting
active citizenship, rapporteur Ms van Turnhout (OJ C28 of 3.2.2006)
(3) EESC Opinion on Flexicurity (collective bargaining and the role of
social dialogue), — COM(2007) 359 final, rapporteurs Mr Janson, Mr
Ardhe — SOC/283, on going

The EESC generally agrees with the analysis of the Euro-
5.5
pean Commission regarding gender issues. However, the EESC
regrets that no new suggestions are made in the Communica-
tion to fight against gender stereotypes.

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5.6
The EESC has already asked the Commission for actions
focusing on the health of children and young people, and parti-
cularly on balanced lifestyles:

— the EESC called for a collective involvement of young people
in the EU platform on Health, Diet and Physical Activity;

— the EESC is concerned at the increase in harmful and hazar-
dous drinking among young adults and children in many
Member States over the last ten years, in particular episodic
heavy drinking known as ‘binge drinking’;

— the EESC has also called for action on the commercial prac-
tice of producing cans of alcohol combined with soft drinks
to encourage young people to consume alcohol regularly;

— the EESC calls for stronger action to counter all forms of
violence against children and young people, together with
improved information and training on prevention and
management.

5.7
In the spirit of recent Committee opinions on solidarity
between the generations (4), solidarity with young adults needs
to be brought into horizontal transversal policies, but in a spirit
of cooperation and solidarity with other age groups in civil
society: children, adults and senior citizens.

Therefore the EESC welcomes

5.8
Commission of a new Health Strategy.

the adoption by the

6. Active young citizens

— young people and youth organisations and social partners
must be consulted on the development of measures for this
initiative with the national Lisbon reform programmes and
on following up implementation.

6.3
The EESC would appreciate if the part of the Communi-
cation, dealing with voluntary activities of young people (point
5.2), could be much stronger and less general. The EESC regrets
that none of
the EESC recommendations stipulated in its
exploratory opinion (5) was included in the Communication.

The EESC therefore repeats its main points on the

6.4
subject:

— a European-level charter establishing the role of voluntary
including their rights and duties should be

organisations,
adopted;

— the Commission should announce a Year of Volunteers, and
publish a White Paper on voluntary activity and active citi-
zenship in Europe;

— the Member States should draw up a legal framework which
would guarantee the right to carry out voluntary activity
independently of an individual's legal or social status and
made provision for insurance and the reimbursement of
expenses;

— the Commission and Member States should raise the aware-
ness on the contribution of youth work to the development
of young people and the skills, values and attitudes gained
through active involvement
in youth organisations and
youth work activities;

6.1
The EESC has been supporting the active participation of
young people through its opinions as well as through offering
its facilities for the European Youth Week 2007.

— the EU should put particular emphasis on the recognition of

competences acquired through voluntary activities.

6.2
In a previous opinion, the EESC stressed the importance
of the active participation and autonomy of young people in
society at large. Therefore, the EESC recommended that:

— young people are placed at the centre of the framework and
are encouraged to actively participate in the development of
policies and given space to express their views using all
necessary means;

— the Member States and institutions must provide the neces-
sary resources, supports and mechanisms to facilitate young
people at all levels to engage in decisions and actions that
impact on their lives. Only real influence will lead to real
responsibility;

— the Commission and Member States should develop and
implement their policies in partnership with young people
and youth organisations and continue to involve them in all
steps;

rapporteur: Mr Bloch-Lainé

(4) EESC Own-initiative Opinion of 16.12.2004 on Relations between
(OJ C 157 of

the generations,
28.6.2005)
EESC Opinion on Promoting solidarity between the generations,
rapporteur: Mr Jahier (CESE 1711/2007 — SOC/277). Adopted at the
plenary session of 12-13 December 2007

6.5
The EESC supports the development of a strong partner-
ship between the EU and young people in the form of a declara-
tion expected to be signed later this year between the European
Institutions and their partner organisation on the part of young
people — the European Youth Forum. It notes with satisfaction
that the European Youth Forum ‘is keen to reflect on appro-
priate means and tools with the partners, to ensure that the
in particular, of young people with fewer opportu-
opinions,
nities, can also be heard and taken into account as part of this
process’ (6).

Furthermore the EESC supports the development of
6.6
structured dialogue between decision-makers and young people.
Such dialogue should contribute to the development of
the
European transversal youth strategy, suggested by the Commis-
sion in its Communication. To this end, the EESC suggests that
a dialogue meeting gathering all relevant Directorates-General of
the Commission, representatives of the Council and European
Parliament and youth civil society should be convened in order

(5) EESC Opinion of 13.12.2006 on voluntary activity: its role in European
society and its impact, co-rapporteurs: Ms Koller and Ms Eulenburg (OJ
C 325 of 30.12.2006)

(6) YFJ

reaction to the European Commission Communication —

7.4.2007

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to lay down a joint roadmap on how to address youth issues in
cross-sectoral manner. The EESC considers that such joint
roadmap would be concrete step in answering the calls made by
young people and youth civil society on the occasion of the
Rome Youth Summit, March 2007.

6.7
Structured dialogue with young people should also make
good use of existing means, namely youth events of EU Presi-
these events
dencies and European youth weeks. However,
should be used for discussions on the progress of the European
transversal youth strategy and their written results should be

linked to this progress. No new declarations need to be written,
there should be no reinventing of the wheel over and over
again.

6.8
The EESC welcomes the proposal of the Commission to
draft an EU report on youth every three years. Such a report
should be linked to the transversal youth strategy and its objec-
tives, with well defined indicators of success or failure. The
in particular the national
involvement of youth civil society,
youth councils, should be ensured in the development of such a
report.

Brussels, 17 January 2008.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

APPENDIX

to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee

The following amendments, which received at least a quarter of the votes cast, were rejected in the course of the debate
(Rule 54(3) of the Rules of Procedure):

Point 6.3

Amend as follows:

‘The EESC would appreciate if the part of the Communication, dealing with voluntary activities of young people (point 5.2),
could be much stronger and less general. It points out that voluntary work is not the same as charity work and that voluntary
work can be paid (1). The EESC regrets that none of the EESC recommendations stipulated in its exploratory opinion was included
in the Communication.’

Voting

For: 17 Against:30 Abstentions: 15

(1) EESC Opinion of 13.12.2006 on voluntary activity: its role in European society and its impact, rapporteur Ms Koller, co rapporteur Ms

zu Eulenburg (OJ C 325 of 30.12.2006)