11 July

Thanks to you the Youth Guarantee is now on top of the EU agenda!

Thanks to your mobilization and to the tireless action of the Party of European Socialists (PES), PES Women and Young European Socialists, the European Youth Guarantee is now closer than ever to become a reality.

In the last weeks, our joint action was decisive in making sure that EU leaders give a chance to young people all over Europe.

•  During the PES Council on 22 June, party leaders launched an urgent and strong appeal to increase the speed and substance of the European Youth Guarantee (EYG).
  
  
• In the run-up to the European Council of 27-28 June, in the debate on youth unemployment, the progressive family in Europe made sure the Youth Guarantee was at the top of the agenda:
  
  
  • PES Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers gathered in Brussels on 27 June to give a concerted and substantial push to combat youth unemployment in Europe in advance of the European Council
    
    
  • In Paris, Harlem Désir, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party (PS) and Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) highlighted that youth employment should be Europe’s absolute priority
    
    
  • On the eve of the EU Council, the PS Belgium organized a conference on youth unemployment, gathering the voice of several progressive leaders in a common declaration calling for a youth guarantee to be urgently implemented in Europe. Participants included PS Belgium President Paul Magnette, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Italian PD Secretary General Guglielmo Epifani, PSOE leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Sp.a Belgium leader Bruno Tobback and S&D Group President Hannes Swoboda
    
    
  • In an article on Financial Times on 24 June, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta clearly stated that the EU should focus on the fight against youth unemployment and strongly endorsed a Youth Guarantee
    
    
  • Swedish Social Democratic Party leader Stefan Löfven and Finnish Finance Minister and SDP leader Jutta Urpilainen published a joint article in the Swedish and Finnish press calling for a European Youth Guarantee
    
    
  • Austrian MEP Evelyn Regner underlined that the EU Council needed to deliver a concrete commitment to the EYG with the corresponding allocation of financial resources
    
    
    
• Thanks to the action of the S&D group in the European Parliament, the fact that the fight against youth unemployment must take priority will be reflected in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework. Not only does the frontloading of earmarked resources means that Europe can start supporting Youth Guarantees immediately and decisively, the flexibility in the budget opens the way for additional funds to be used
  
  
• Following this political pressure, another key event was the PES Social Affairs Ministers’ meeting that took place in Berlin on 3 July.  The Ministers were joined by German Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for Chancellor, Peer Steinbrück and together they issued a strong call to speed up EU efforts to overcome youth unemployment. 

• In its recent report on “Progress on equality between women and men in 2012”, the European Commission acknowledged that women have been harshly hit by the crisis, especially due to the austerity measures introduced by conservatives. In this sense, PES Women is calling for more gender-sensitive youth policies and a better consideration of the gender dimension in the Youth Guarantee
  

• In its latest publication Youth employment: Making it happen, the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions gathers best practices on youth guarantee schemes from all over Europe. Order the book now
  
  
• In Ireland Minister Joan Burton, Emer Costello MEP and Deputy John Lyons marked the announcement of funding for a year-long pilot Youth Guarantee project in Ballymun. Ballymun was selected as one of the first Youth Guarantee schemes to proceed in the EU following funding approval by the European Commission and the Irish Government.

We are closer and closer to have a Youth Guarantee implemented in Europe but, together, we need to keep the momentum going.

We invite you to join the campaign, organize and join events in your region and spread the word to your family and friends. 

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

COMING UP

Dublin, Ireland, 12 July, 9:00am
Public seminar on Youth Unemployment and the Youth Guarantee

Gümüldür, Turkey, 14-21 July
YES - Young European Socialists Summer Camp

On the eve of the European Council of 27-28 June, several progressive leaders gathered in Brussels to define an action plan in the fight against youth unemployment in Europe. Hosted by the Parti Socialiste (PS) of Belgium and its leader Paul Magnette, the meeting saw the participation of Bruno Tobback (s.pa Belgium), Guglielmo Epifani (PD Italy), Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (PSOE Spain), Martin Schulz (European Parliament President), Hannes Swoboda (S&D Group in the European Parliament) and Philip Cordery (PS France, representing Harlem Désir).

Photo by sp.a Belgium

Original article 

“Een Europees minimumloon en het misbruik met interim- en korte termijn contracten aanpakken zijn noodzakelijke maatregelen om de jeugdwerkloosheid in Europa een halt toe te roepen”, zegt sp.a-voorzitter Bruno Tobback op de voorstelling van het Europees plan tegen jeugdwerkloosheid van de sociaaldemocratische leiders in Europa. 

Story originally published on PS Belgium website

(Photo by Parti Socialiste Belgium)

À la veille du Conseil européen de ces 27 et 28 juin, le Président du PS Paul Magnette a organisé ce mercredi une rencontre avec les leaders socialistes européens pour élaborer un plan d’action concret pour l’emploi des jeunes en Europe.

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

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 8^th 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 (28^th 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.

The 8^th 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

Le Parlement européen a voté ce midi sur un projet de résolution relatif à la "garantie européenne pour la jeunesse", visant à permettre aux jeunes, qui ont moins de 25 ans et qui sont au chômage depuis plus de quatre mois, de se voir proposer un travail, une formation ou un apprentissage. Le texte demande aux ministres de l'emploi de l'UE l'adoption d'une recommandation du Conseil en février 2013, afin de mettre en place ce système dans tous les Etats membres.

Campaign update 7

This week and the next one will be decisive in implementing an EU-wide Youth Guarantee.

Our supporters continue to mobilize all around Europe, organizing events and spreading the campaign, but now more than ever we need you to make your voice heard in calling for a European Youth Guarantee:

• Just yesterday, the European Commission presented its Employment pack, including a proposal for a European Youth Guarantee. Thanks to the commitment of Commissioner Laszlo Andor, the model of such a guarantee strongly resembles the one we are demanding, including the deadline of four months to give young people in unemployment a job, professional training or the possibility to pursue further education. Laszlo Andor also made sure that the jobs proposed in this context are ‘quality’ jobs. However, the devil lies on the detail: the funds for such a guarantee are not clearly defined and we risk losing the battle for a lack of clarity and funding. Reactions to the Commission’s proposal included an appeal by German MEP Jutta Steinrück, German MP Michael Roth and Irish MEP Emer Costello for a swift implementation of a Youth Guarantee and its financing by the European Social Fund
  
  
• Next week, as the European Council meets on 13-14 December, we need to make sure EU leaders strongly support a European Youth Guarantee. It is up to you to build pressure on your government ahead of the Council so all EU countries support and implement, without delay, Youth Guarantee schemes tailored to the specific needs of every national context. Furthermore, EU leaders need to make a clear commitment to use the European Social Fund to back the scheme.

If you need more arguments to persuade your national leaders, please feel free to refer to campaign events taking place all over Europe that keep building momentum for our Youth Guarantee demand:

• In Nottingham (United Kingdom), the Labour Party together with the Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament organized a big event to debate youth unemployment. The discussions focused on the extremely high levels of youth unemployment around Europe and the need for a European Youth Guarantee. Dominic Hannigan TD, Chair of the EU Affairs Committee in the Irish Parliament, spoke of the commitment that the incoming Irish Presidency of the EU would give to the Youth Guarantee.
  
  
• In France, campaigners met with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to discuss the situation facing young people in the country and to call on the Prime Minister to support a Youth Guarantee implemented at EU level.
  
  
• Last week, Spanish and Belgium youth representatives met with PES Women President Zita Gurmai in Brussels to discuss youth unemployment. They also handed hundreds of signatures of the petition Rise up to Mrs. Gurmai. “Rise up” is a campaign created by socialist and social democrat youth organizations calling on the European Council to change European eco­nomic policy of austerity and to build a Europe of jobs, democ­racy and ecology.
  
  
• In Ireland, Emer Costello MEP is promoting an active campaign to sensibilise people to the need of a Youth Guarantee. The launch of the campaign gathered Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Hannes Swoboda MEP (Austria), Leader of the EP's Socialists and Democrats Group, and John Lyons T.D.
  
  
• In Switzerland, European Socialists in Geneva organized a conference on youth employment in Europe. The main speaker was Dr. Ernst Ekkehard from the International Labour Organization (ILO)

You too can let us know about your story; tell us how you are contributing to the campaign and join the thousands of campaigners calling for a European Youth Guarantee. 
Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!

COMING UP

7 December – 14.15-15.00

Twitter Chat with László Andor (@LaszloAndorEU) on Youth Employment & the European Youth

On 29 November a delegation of 30 Spanish Socialist Youth members travelled to Brussels to debate the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee with Zita Gurmai, PES Women President, and with David Cordonnier, MJS Belgium President.

Campaign update n°4

Thanks to your work, our campaign continues to build momentum. Your actions continue to deliver great results.


Thanks to you the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee is more and more visible and is gaining more and more support.

• PES Women Annual conference debated the gender perspective of youth unemployment. Under the slogan “Combating young women’s unemployment” over 100 participants have analysed the specific causes of young women’s unemployment and discussed solutions to tackle it, such as gender budgeting, equal access to green jobs and reconciliation of private and professional life

• During the PES Congress ministers, experts and campaign supporters celebrated the campaign achievments so far (watch the video); We also committed to doubling our efforts on the campaign for the rest of the year
• French President François Hollande and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann have given us an enormous boost by publicly speaking out for a European Youth Guarantee
• During the open days of the Committee of the Regions, the PES Group organized a full day workshop on youth unemployment. Watch the videos of high level regional representatives giving their support
• In Belgium, MEP Frédéric Daerden presented the campaign to young socialists gathering in Herstal
• In Bulgaria, campaign supporters from all over the country gathered in Yambol to debate how to stop youth emigration due to the lack of work and how young people can find jobs in times of crisis

You too can join the thousands of campaigners calling for a European Youth Guarantee. Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!


COMING UP
20 October
"The Alternatives to Austerity Debated" - Durham, UK

26 October
Meeting on Youth Guarantee - Clermont Ferrand, France

30 November - 1 October
"Real jobs guarantee" conference - Notthingham, UK

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.