Article 1 Establishment of the programme
1. This decision establishes the ‘Youth’ Community action programme, hereinafter referred to as ‘this programme’, concerning cooperation policy in the youth field, including European voluntary service and youth exchanges both within the Community and with third countries. 2. This programme shall be implemented over the period starting on 1 January 2000 and ending on 31 December 2006. 3. This programme shall contribute to the promotion of a Europe of knowledge by developing a European area of cooperation in the field of youth policy, based on informal education and training. It shall promote lifelong learning and the building up of the knowledge and skills and competences likely to foster active citizenship and employability. 4. This programme shall support and supplement action taken by and in the Member States while fully respecting their cultural and linguistic diversity.
Article 2 Objectives of the programme
1. In order to allow young people to acquire knowledge, skills and competences which may be one of the foundations of their future development, and to exercise responsible citizenship so as to become an active part of society and bearing in mind the importance of promoting equal opportunities, the objectives of this programme are as follows: (a) to promote an active contribution by young people to the building of Europe through their participation in transnational exchanges within the Community or with third countries so as to develop understanding of the cultural diversity of Europe and its fundamental common values, thus helping to promote respect for human rights and to combat racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia; (b) to strengthen their sense of solidarity through more extensive participation by young people in transnational community-service activities within the Community or with third countries, in particular those with which the Community has concluded cooperation agreements; (c) to encourage young people's initiative, enterprise and creativity so that they may take an active role in society and, at the same time, to stimulate recognition of the value of informal education acquired within a European context; (d) reinforce cooperation in the field of youth by fostering the exchange of good practice, the training of youth workers/leaders and the development of innovative actions at Community level. 2. This programme shall also contribute to attaining the objectives of other relevant areas of Community policy.
Article 3 Community actions
1. The objectives of this programme as set out in Article 2 shall be pursued by means of the following actions, the operational content and the application procedures of which are described in the Annex: — Youth for Europe, — European voluntary service, — youth initiatives, — joint actions, — support measures. 2. These actions shall be implemented through the following types of measures, which may, where appropriate, be combined: (a) support for the transnational mobility of young people; (b) support for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the youth field; (c) support for the development of cooperation networks at the European level permitting mutual exchange of experience and good practice; (d) support for transnational projects to promote citizenship of the Union and the commitment of young people to the development of the Union; (e) promotion of language skills and understanding of different cultures; (f) support for pilot projects based on transnational partnerships designed to develop innovation and quality in the youth field; (g) development, at a European level, of methods of analysis and follow-up of youth policies and their evolution (e.g. databases, key figures, mutual knowledge of ‘systems’) and of methods of disseminating good practice.
Article 4 Access to the programme
1. This programme is aimed at young people, in principle between the ages of 15 and 25, as well as those involved in youth work, who are legal residents of a Member State. The age limits may be slightly adjusted, where justified by the specific circumstances of certain projects. Within the framework of actions 1.2, 2.2 and 5 set out in the Annex, this programme may also be aimed at young people, in principle aged from 15 to 25, and those involved in youth work who reside in third countries, without prejudice to the competences of the Member States. 2. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that all young people, without discrimination, have access to the activities of this programme. 3. The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that special efforts are made to assist young people who, for cultural, social, physical, mental, economic or geographical reasons, find it more difficult to participate in relevant action programmes at Community, national, regional or local level, as well as to assist small local groups. The Commission shall accordingly take account of the difficulties faced by these target groups, thus contributing to combating exclusion. 4. The Member States shall endeavour to take appropriate measures so that participants in the programme can have access to health care in accordance with the provisions of Community law. The Member State of origin shall endeavour to take appropriate measures so that participants in the European voluntary service can retain their social protection.
Article 5 Implementation of the programme and cooperation with the Member States
1. The Commission shall ensure the implementation of the Community actions covered by this programme in accordance with the Annex. 2. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall take the steps described in the Annex (action 5) in order to make the best use of what has been achieved through Community cooperative action in the youth field. 3. The Commission and Member States shall take appropriate action to develop structures established at Community and national level to achieve the objectives of the programme, in a user-friendly way, so as to facilitate access to the programme for young people and other partners at local level, to evaluate and monitor actions called for under the programme and to apply transparent consultation and selection arrangements. The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that they take measures to facilitate young people's access to transnational mobility through measures designed adequately to inform them and raise their awareness of this subject. The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that appropriate information and publicity is provided about actions supported by the programme. 4. The Member States shall take the necessary steps to ensure the efficient running of the programme; they shall also endeavour, as far as possible, to adopt such measures as they deem necessary and desirable to remove legal and administrative obstacles to access to this programme. 5. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall ensure the transition between those actions carried out within the framework of the previous Community programmes in the youth field (Youth for Europe III and European voluntary service) and the actions to be implemented under this programme.
Article 6 Joint actions
As part of the process of building up a Europe of knowledge, the measures of this programme may be implemented in accordance with the procedures laid down in Article 8 as joint actions with related Community programmes and actions in the areas of youth, education and vocational training.
Article 7 Implementing measures
1. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to the matters referred to below shall be adopted in accordance with the management procedure referred to in Article 8(2): (a) the arrangements for implementing this programme, including the annual plan of work for the implementation of the programme's actions; (b) the general balance between the different actions of the programme; (c) the criteria applicable for establishing the indicative breakdown of funds among the Member States for the purpose of the actions to be managed on a decentralised basis; (d) the arrangements for implementing the joint actions; (e) the arrangements for evaluating the programme; (f) the arrangements for attesting to participation of young volunteers. 2. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to all other matters shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 8(3).
Article 8 Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months. 3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. 4. The committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 9 Funding
1. The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period specified in Article 1 is hereby set at EUR 605 million. 2. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.
Article 10 Consistency and complementarity
1. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and without prejudice to the individual character and specificity of each programme, shall ensure overall consistency and complementarity with other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions. Particular attention shall be paid to the promotion of equality and to equal opportunities for women and men. 2. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall ensure consistency between the implementation of this programme and the other Community activities relating to youth, in particular in the area of culture and the audiovisual sector, the completion of the internal market, the information society, environment, consumer protection, SMEs, social policy, employment, and public health. 3. The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that the measures of this programme have regard to the employment guidelines adopted by the Council as part of a coordinated strategy for employment. 4. The Commission shall ensure an efficient link-up between this programme and the programmes and actions in the youth field undertaken as part of the Community's external relations.
Article 11 Participation of the EFTA/EEA countries, the associated central and eastern European countries (CEEC) and Turkey
This programme shall be open to the participation of: — the EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions established in the EEA Agreement, — the associated central and east European countries (CEEC) in accordance with the conditions established in the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the decisions of the respective Association Councils, — Turkey, funded by additional appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.
Article 12 International cooperation
Under this programme, the Commission, acting in accordance with the procedures laid down in Article 7, shall strengthen its cooperation with non-Community countries and relevant international organisations, in particular the Council of Europe.
Article 13 Monitoring and evaluation
1. The Commission shall regularly monitor this programme in cooperation with the Member States. This monitoring shall include the reports referred to in paragraph 3 and specific activities. 2. This programme shall be evaluated regularly by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States. This evaluation is intended to increase the effectiveness of actions implemented with regard to the objectives referred to in Article 2 and to ensure that equality of access to the programme as laid down in Article 4(2) and (3) is guaranteed. This evaluation will also examine the complementarity between actions under this programme and those pursued under other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions. In accordance with criteria established using the procedure described in Article 8(2), there will be regular external evaluations of the results of the Community actions. 3. Member States shall submit to the Commission by 31 December 2004 and 30 June 2007, respectively, reports on the implementation and the impact of this programme. 4. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: — on the accession of new Member States, a report on the financial consequences of these accessions on the programme, followed, if appropriate, by financial proposals to deal with the financial consequences of these accessions on the programme, in accordance with the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure and with the conclusions of the Berlin European Council of March 1999. The European Parliament and the Council will take a decision on such proposals as soon as possible, — an interim evaluation report on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the implementation of this programme by 30 June 2005, — a final report on the implementation of this programme by 31 December 2007.
Article 14 Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .