Campaign update 9

 6 billion secured for the Youth Guarantee at EU Council - thanks from the PES, PES Women and ECOSY! 

European Youth Guarantee campaign

The PES campaign ‘your future is my future’ has been fighting since its launch to ensure that the appropriate funding is allocated to the implementation of youth guarantees

  • Following the huge efforts of social democratic and socialist Prime Ministers, the European Council (meeting on 8th February) decided to include 6 billion € in the Multiannual Financial Framework (EU budget) for youth guarantees

  • Thanks to the action of PES Heads of State Prime Ministers, Ministers, Commissioners and the members of the European and national parliaments, that brought your voice into the core of EU decision-making, such a youth guarantee is now firmly on track

  • Thanks to your mobilization and to PES ministers’ tireless work, the youth guarantee could be approved by European Social Ministers already by the end of the month (28th February)

 

These are great steps, and everyone at the PES thanks you all for your efforts to get so far, so quickly.

Now we need to ensure that the funds are used quickly and efficiently. There are 5.7 million young people around Europe who are waiting for words to become action.

We need to make sure that the these funds will actually be paid out, that they will be matched by national funds for youth guarantees and that they will be used to create new, decent jobs for young people and to improve education and training systems as soon as possible.

And we need, with the European Parliament’s help, to make sure that the 6 billion dedicated to tackling youth unemployment is the start rather than the ceiling.


European Youth Guarantee campaignThe 8th of February was a big day for the youth guarantee across Europe:

  • In Brussels PES Heads of State and Prime Ministers were making sure that there was 6 billion secured to start the European-wide Youth Guarantee. A budget line dedicated to young people in Europe, providing the funds to implement the youth guarantee in all European Member States was adopted

  • At the same time, in Dublin, EU ministers in charge of Employment and Social Affairs ministers (EPSCO) met to discuss the Commission’s proposal for a European-wide introduction of the youth guarantee. The social democratic and socialist ministers met ahead of the EPSCO to discuss a common line, ensuring that an ambitious Council recommendation is adopted as soon as possible. They are very committed to bring young people back to work as soon as possible, for example by creating new jobs, improving active labour market policies and enhancing vocational and educational training systems

 

So, this is a really important victory, but the devil lies in the detail…

  • Funding – it is important that the agreement on a youth guarantee in Europe will be given the means to become a concrete policy. We said we would need 10 billion for a genuine European-wide guarantee – we will keep pushing for this!

  • Implementation – once the Council recommendation is adopted, we need to ensure that it is actually implemented. We need to increase the pressure on every national government to introduce an ambitious youth guarantee as soon as possible

  • Keeping the pressure on – In order to make sure the youth guarantee becomes a reality, we need you to keep the momentum for a European Youth Guarantee

  • What can you do?
    • Join our campaign, organize and join events in your region and spread the word to your family and friends. Need more ideas?
    • Activists from Italy have been very active in promoting the European Youth Guarantee campaign, spreading the word via conferences, articles and online actions
    • We have the example of the engagement of the Irish Labour Party fighting to advance on a youth guarantee during the Irish Presidency of the EU. Make sure you support MEPs campaigning for a youth guarantee

 

Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!

 

COMING UP

Brussels, 28 February, 9.00am
Youth Disengagement – what costs and what remedies?
Joint event by the Eurofound and European Youth Forum

Järna, Sweden, 7-10 March
ECOSY - Young European Socialists Congress

Budapest, 8-10 March
PES activists Forum

italy belgium Hungary Ireland Sweden
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"Your future is my future - a European Youth Guarantee now!"
The Party of European Socialists (PES), Young European Socialists (YES) and PES Women are running the campaign "Your future is my future" and calling for a European Youth Guarantee to tackle youth unemployment.

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