The President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Karl-Heinz Lambertz, and the First Vice-President of the CoR EDUC commission,Jean-François Istasse, took today part in a conference co-organised by the CoR and the German National Agency for the “Youth in Action” EU Programme (JUGEND für Europa). The conference, entitled "Think European – Act Local: the role of federal states and regions in the EU Youth Strategy", - brought together stakeholders active in youth policies to discuss the role of EU regions in framing youth policies and exchanging good practices.

Original article 

On behalf of the PES Group, Yoomi Renström, Member of Ovanåker Municipal Council (Sweden) and PES Group EDUC coordinator, took yesterday part in a workshop on a European Youth Guarantee, organised in the framework of the 2013 edition of theYES – Young European Socialists Summer Camp, taking place in Turkey at the invitation of the PES sister party CHP (Republican People's Party), between 14 and 21 July.

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The PES Group in the Committee of the Regions has firmly anchored youth employment into its political priorities, and believes that local and regional authorities play a pivotal role in accurately identifying challenges and opportunities, and effectively implementing measures that foster youth employment.Learning from one another and 'comparing notes' on bad or good experiences is a part and parcel of the exercise. 

Original article

'The European Socialist family has just scored a major victory in the fight against youth unemployment. The PES Group in the CoR is proud to have contributed towards today's decision of the Council of Ministers to introduce youth guarantees across the EU', stated the President of the PES Group, underlining that the intense campaign of the Party of European Socialists, which the PES Group has fully supported, has been instrumental in securing rapid progress on this issue.  Thanks to the Irish Labour Party, tackling the issue of youth unemployment has been one of the top priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

See the PES Group website on youth employment

Original article

On behalf of the PES Group, Mercedes Bresso, First Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions, and Henning Jensen, Town Councillor of the municipality of Næstved (Denmark), took yesterday part in a broadcasted political debate with Joseph Muscat, Leader of the Malta Labour Party and former MEP, running as candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming general elections to be held on 9 March. The debate focused on the Labour Party's political priorities with European relevance.

Original article

'Regions and cities are faced with unacceptably high rates of youth unemployment in many parts of the EU, with very little means to combat it', explained the Coordinator of the PES Group in the EDUC commission during the debate in plenary of the Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the same topic. ‘It’s about time Member States stopped dragging their feet; we need resolute action, as the European Socialists have been urging for, for the last two years!’, she said, defending the PES Group position for the introduction of youth guarantee schemes already by January 2014. 

Stavros Arnaoutakis, Governor of Crete, taks about measures to tackle youth unemployment both at local and European level 

Mercedes Bresso, Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions talks about a European Youth Guarantee.

Christian Illedits, member of the Burgenland Parliament (Austria), talks about the European Youth Guarantee.

Karl-Heinz Lambert, President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions and Minister President of the Government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium talks about initiatives taken in his region to tackle youth unemployment and points to measures that could be taken at EU level.