Campaign update 8

After the winter break, the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee is back with great news!

• On January 16, European Parliament members voted overwhelmingly for a resolution by socialist MEP Pervenche Berès proposing a European Youth Guarantee. This resolution backs the EU Commission’s proposal from December, tabled by EU Social Commissioner László Andor, and puts an emphasis on quality framework for education and training, as well as on the role of the European Social Fund in the financing
  
  
• Last week, French President François Hollande announced a youth guarantee scheme to be implemented at national level. The measures include a minimum salary for unemployed citizens aged 16-25 who have not complete secondary education  and a first professional experience for young unemployed in public and private enterprises with a contract of up to three years. President Hollande also underlined the importance of intergenerational solidarity by the implementation of a ‘generation contract’, benefiting employees over 57 and young workers with a temporary contract.

But it is not all good news.

While your actions have made it possible to get a commitment from the EU to a youth guarantee and while progressive leaders work hard to tackle youth unemployment, conservatives in Europe continue to oppose to a European Youth Guarantee:

• In the UK, the Tories refused to back the plan proposed by the Labour Party to implement a national compulsory jobs guarantee for the long term unemployed 
• Despite its 546 votes in favour, the youth guarantee resolution overwhelmingly approved by the European Parliament still faced the stubborn opposition of conservative MEPs

In addition, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) draws our attention to the total number of young unemployed worldwide (73.5 million). The report mentions that the number is likely to further increase by half a million by 2014.
Concerning Europe, the ILO estimates that because of the crisis and the lack of growth and job creation, youth unemployment rates and the average duration of unemployment are set to rise further.

 So you see, we are close to implementing a system that can efficiently tackle youth unemployment, but we won’t get there without your help.

Conservatives are ready to take us back to square one. Your engagement is crucial in making sure this does not happen!

Join our campaign, organize events in your region, support MEPs campaigning for a youth guarantee and spread the word to your family and friends.

Coming up:

Genoa, 8 February, 5.15 pm
Debate on a European Youth Guarantee

Dublin, 8 February
PES ministers meet ahead of the EPSCO Council to discuss a European Youth Guarantee

Brussels, 28 February, 9.00 am
Youth Disengagement - what costs and what remedies?