6.9.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 342/271 Thursday 17 February 2022
1.
Welcomes the fact that President von der Leyen designated 2022 as the EYY; considers that 2022 should provide an additional impetus for the proper and full implementation of the European youth strategy through ambitious actions to address challenges faced by young people, in particular the negative effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and through the concrete implementation of other existing tools such as the reinforced Youth Guarantee to combat the unemployment and social effects resulting from COVID-19; calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that all policies targeting young people are intersectional and take into account the diversity of young people across Europe and the challenges they face; considers that the EYY should contribute to the implementation of principles 1 and 3 of the European Pillar of Social Rights;
2.
Highlights that the COVID-19 crisis has already left many people jobless, in particular young people who find themselves more often in precarious employment, are more likely to work under temporary contracts or part-time, and are without savings; welcomes, in this context, the Commission’s plans to strengthen the Youth Guarantee, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the fight against youth unemployment a priority;
3.
Notes with great concern the high level of youth unemployment in a number of Member States and the fragility of young workers’ employment contracts, particularly in sectors seriously impacted by COVID-19; calls for a reinforced Youth Guarantee instrument that has the objective of reducing long-term and youth unemployment by at least 50 % by 2030, and also includes criteria for quality job creation in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; believes it is time to make the reinforced Youth Guarantee both binding and inclusive for all Member States, including active outreach measures towards long-term NEETs and young people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, such as young persons with disabilities, young LGBTIQ+ and young Roma people;
4.
Commends the inclusion of mental health as one of the priorities in the youth goals as specified within the EYY, and calls on the Commission to also prioritise mental health in the upcoming EU care strategy; underlines that the link between socioeconomic factors, such as unemployment, housing insecurity, mental health and wellbeing, must be addressed to ensure a holistic and comprehensive approach towards mental health at EU level; highlights that uncertainty about the future, including the impact of climate change, is having a detrimental effect on the mental health of youth; calls on the Member States, therefore, to make mental health an integral part of the EU’s socioeconomic recovery from the pandemic and an occupational health priority, in particular in educational and workplace environments; calls for mental health care to be made accessible and affordable for all age groups, in particular for young people and children, and for health inequalities to be addressed through the provision of adequate support to vulnerable groups of young people; calls on the Commission to conduct a thorough study on the different causes of psychological pain among young people in Europe;
5.
Stresses the vital role that young people must play in shaping employment and social policies in Europe; welcomes the EU youth dialogue and the youth work and youth organisations that bring the EU closer to young people, provided that youth participation processes are followed by concrete initiatives from decision makers; encourages the promotion of the co-management principle in the development of youth policies, where young people and youth representatives are included in the development process; calls on the Commission to recognise the positive impact of the third sector, including youth organisations, and the non-formal and informal learning opportunities that they provide through opportunities such as volunteering and youth participation, and to formally recognise the knowledge and skills gained by young people through the third sector in order to help young people strengthen their perspectives on the labour market; encourages the recognition of civic engagement as meritorious work experience during the hiring process; calls on the Commission to consider supporting the European Youth Capitals project as a continuation of the EYY; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider a youth clause assessing the impact of an initiative on young people when putting forward new initiatives across all policy areas;
6.
Highlights that it is necessary for Member States to continue investing sufficient ESF+ resources into measures that support youth employment; underlines that Member States must therefore allocate at least 15 % of their ESF+ resources under shared management to targeted actions and structural reforms to support quality youth employment; recalls the need for a binding, more effective and inclusive Youth Guarantee within a clear quality criteria framework that provides remunerated traineeships, apprenticeships, and internships for all NEETs;