Date of release : 21-02-2005

Policy area : Education, Youth and Culture Education, Youth and Culture

Event : Education, Youth and Culture Council

During a meeting held under the Presidency of Mady Delvaux-Stehres, Minister for Education, on Monday, 21 February, the Education, Youth and Culture Council adopted a contribution of the Ministers for Youth with a view to the European Summit in spring.

This contribution welcomes the initiative of the Heads of State of France, Germany, Spain and Sweden calling for recognition of the importance of young people in realising the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy by adopting a “youth pact". For its part, the Commission included this initiative in its communication on the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy.

For the Ministers for Youth, this contribution is made in the continuation of the priorities adopted in its resolution of 27 June 2002, which was made in accordance with the Commission's White Paper "A New Impetus for European Youth". The Ministers for Youth have always been sensitive to the crosscutting themes of youth policy, which also reflect the concerns of youth and their position in life.

In this context it is particularly important to emphasise – faced with the demographic changes that Europe is experiencing – the important role that young people are called upon to play in the economic, social and political development of Europe.

Europe also should be able to count on young people’s capacity to innovate, their spirit of initiative, but also on open attitudes towards mobility and multicultural integration. In this context, the Ministers for Youth underlined the importance of a concerted, coherent and crosscutting approach for youth.

The Ministers for Youth invite the spring European Council to adopt the initiative on the “youth pact" proposed by the Commission in its communication. This pact should focus on the areas of jobs, education, training and finding a balance between family and professional life.

The Ministers for Youth came out in favour of having young people and youth organisation participate in reflections on the pact.

It must also be made clear that the European youth pact should be included in the existing mechanisms of the Lisbon Strategy, from which it should adopt its rhythm and follow-up mechanisms. It will not foresee the implementation of new community youth programmes, nor will it create a new process, nor will it become a new financial instrument. The processes and programmes in place are a sufficient basis for realising the objectives of the pact.

Finally, the Ministers viewed favourably the intention of the Commission to issue a communication on the pact by mid-May.