Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1719/2006/EC establishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013 COM(2008) 56 final — 2008/0023 (COD)
Date: 2008-05-29
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU programme, European citizenship, cooperation policy, youth policy

30.8.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 224/113

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a decision of the
European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1719/2006/EC establishing the
Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013

COM(2008) 56 final — 2008/0023 (COD)

(2008/C 224/25)

On 6 March 2008 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the

Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1719/2006/EC estab-
lishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 7 May 2008. The rapporteur was Mr Czajkowski.

At its 445th plenary session, held on 28 and 29 May 2008 (meeting of 29 May), the European Economic
and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 78 votes to 0 with 1 abstention.

1. EESC opinion

The European Economic and Social Committee welcomes
1.1
the Commission's
for
awarding project-based grants and for the management of the
Youth in action programme, which should ensure that funds are
distributed more quickly to applicants under the programme.

initiative to change the procedures

supports

this departure

The Committee

from the
1.2
previous procedure, as prolonged decision-making, the lengthy
project evaluation process, data verification by the programme
committee and the National Agencies lead, at best, to delays and
— at worst — to substantial financial problems or even bank-
ruptcy for some of the applicant organisations, as well as the
non-utilisation of funds.

2. Introduction

The Youth in Action programme, planned for the period
2.1
2007-2013 and adopted by Decision No 1720/2006/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council, is an EU programme
for non-formal learning. It is primarily aimed at those persons
for whom non-formal education is the only opportunity avail-
able for individual and personal development and the acquisi-
tion of the knowledge and skills needed in the modern world.

2.2
The principal objectives of the programme are to over-
come the barriers, prejudices and stereotypes which exist among
young people, to support their mobility and to promote active
citizenship, seen as a dynamic learning process. The programme
provides funding for projects which support the personal devel-
opment of young people. It acts as a stimulus for people to get
involved in their local communities and helps promote toler-
ance. It encourages various kinds of action promoting the idea
of a united Europe.

The European Commission has ultimate responsibility
2.3
for the operation of
the Youth in action programme. The
Commission oversees the day to day management of the budget

and sets the programme's priorities, objectives and criteria. In
addition, it directs and monitors the programme's overall imple-
mentation,
and
as project
as well
programme evaluations at EU level.

follow-up activities

2.4
The Commission's tasks also include the comprehensive
monitoring and coordination of the activity of the National
Agencies — the offices established by the authorities responsible
in each country participating in the
for
programme. The European Commission works closely with the
National Agencies and supervises their activities.

youth policy

2.5
The EU Member States, as well as the other participating
countries, are jointly involved in managing the Youth in Action
programme, particularly through the programme committee, to
which they appoint representatives. The authorities in these
countries also appoint the National Agencies and monitor their
activities; the latter task is carried out jointly with the European
Commission.

2.6
The Youth in Action programme is primarily realised on
a decentralised basis, which makes it possible to cooperate as
closely as possible with beneficiaries and to take account of the
specific nature of the various systems and conditions governing
young people's lives in the different countries. A National
Agency has been set up in each participating country. These
National Agencies are responsible for the promotion and imple-
mentation of the Programme at national level and act as a link
between the European Commission, project promoters at local,
regional and national level, and the young people themselves.

2.7
Project promoters wishing to receive grants are required
to follow a procedure for calls for proposals established and
published by the National Agencies. Under the procedure, the
Commission subsequently makes selection decisions concerning
proposals for the award of grants; as measures to implement the
programme,
follow a specific inter-institutional
procedure.

these must

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EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.8.2008

2.8
The Council, in the acts which it adopts, confers on the
Commission powers to implement the rules which the Council
lays down and may impose certain requirements in respect of
the exercise of these powers; these requirements come under the
heading of ‘comitology’. This means that it is compulsory to
consult a committee on the implementing measures which are
determined by the basic instrument. Before the consultations are
completed, the Commission already formally has at its disposal
the resources earmarked for the projects. The committee which
the
assesses the projects is composed of representatives of
Member States and is chaired by a representative of
the
Commission.

the
There are various types of committee procedure;
2.9
basic instrument establishing the Commission's implementing
powers may provide for the application of these various proce-
dures in order to carry out the implementing measures

3. Conclusions — in view of the new situation

3.1
The Committee welcomes the Commission's initiative to
change both the procedures for awarding project-based grants
and management procedures. The Parliament's right to monitor
the implementation of legislative instruments adopted under the
co-decision procedure, which allows it to contest any measures
envisaged by the Commission combines
responsibility for
projects with a safeguard mechanism under the co-decision
procedure.

3.2
The European Parliament has one month in which to
examine a draft measure before the Commission takes the
formal decision, in accordance with the procedures provided for
in the Council decision.

At present,

3.3
the management procedure used for the
Youth in Action programme for 2007-2013 applies to all deci-
sions, including those for high-value grants, politically sensitive
projects and grants in excess of EUR 1 million, as well as
smaller-scale projects.

3.4
The Commission proposes that decisions relating to
smaller projects of under EUR 1 million should not be subject
to the comitology procedure. In return, the Commission has
undertaken to inform the programme committee and the Euro-
pean Parliament immediately of any selection decisions which
have not been subject to the management procedure. The EESC
fully endorses this declaration addressed to the Council and the
European Parliament.

Brussels, 29 May 2008.

3.5
The Committee supports this departure from procedure
in the case of small-scale projects, as prolonged decision-
making, the lengthy project evaluation process, data verification
by the programme committee and the National Agencies lead,
at best, to delays and — at worst — to substantial financial
problems or even bankruptcy for some of the applicant organi-
sations, as well as the non-utilisation of funds.

3.6
The Committee, after consulting the statistical data
provided by the individual National Agencies, notes that the vast
majority of applicants are small organisations, associations and
foundations for whom the whole procedure and process of
sufficiently costly and time-
waiting for
consuming to a decline in interest in the programme over the
long term. The administrative costs of servicing the programme
could have a negative impact on the programme budget in the
future.

results are

the

3.7
The EESC welcomes the Commission's arguments which
provide an accurate assessment of the consultation procedure.
Projects are usually realised over a very short time frame after
the submission of an application; accordingly, a consultation
process of at least two to three months can jeopardise the
execution of many projects, which will have a negative impact
on the effectiveness of the programme as a whole.

The EESC also welcomes the fact that the programme
3.8
committee has agreed to amend its rules of procedure in order
to reduce the time required for consultations concerning selec-
tion decisions which are subject to the consultative procedure.
The committee now uses the written procedure and has a
period of five days in which to comment on the selection deci-
sions submitted for its opinion. The European Parliament has
also accepted a temporary arrangement which reduced the time
required for its right of scrutiny from one month to five days
during the previous summer period. This development has
allowed the Commission to speed up work on adopting projects
for realisation, but it is treated as a temporary solution.

In view of the above arguments, the current consultation
3.9
procedure should be lifted and be replaced, on the basis of a
Commission declaration, by a procedure whereby the Commis-
sion provides the programme committee and the European
Parliament with immediate information on the selection deci-
sions which it adopts.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS