PES President Sergei Stanishev pointed out: “Not long ago, the conservative majority in the European Council, in a controversial move, allowed 1,600 billion euro to go to European banks. Ironically, our progressive family have had to fight tirelessly and be backed by thousands of European citizens in order to allocate less than 0.3% of that sum – 6 billion euro – to fight against youth unemployment. This is not acceptable and this is not enough. We need more funds, more actions and less talking. We need to implement the European Youth Guarantee now”.

Introducing a special appeal on Youth Guarantee to the Council, PSOE Secretary General Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba stated: “The next European Council cannot be just another Council: it needs to be an executive Council that adopts specific decisions on youth unemployment and on the access of the SME to credit. It is not only the employment of youth that is at risk, but also the future of the European Union”. Spain has among the highest rates of youth unemployment, with an average that is now over 50%.

You can find here the “Appeal to increase the speed and substance of the European Youth Guarantee” as adopted today by the PES Council.

BACKGROUND

The appeal for a Youth Guarantee, unanimously adopted by the PES Council, strongly demands:

• A significant increase in the allocation from the EU budget for the fight against youth unemployment.
• More funds from the European Investment Bank (EIB) specifically and measurably tied to the creation of jobs or quality apprenticeships for young people. Such loans must complement, not replace, the national and European grants.
• Youth Employment Initiative funding to be made available immediately. It needs to be easily accessible and focused on tailor-made projects identified by each country.
• The quick introduction of national youth guarantees by every member state.
• A quality framework to ensure that education, training and jobs offered under the youth guarantee schemes provide appropriate pay, working conditions and health and safety standards.
• The implementation of ambitious programmes and measures to relaunch sustainable growth in Europe, allowing for a lasting reduction of youth unemployment.

The European Youth Guarantee is a scheme that ensures that every young person in Europe is offered a job, further education or work-focused training at the latest four months after leaving education or after becoming unemployed.