YFJ campaign for a written declaration on devoting more attention to young people in EU policies
On 21 April 2008, five Members of the European Parliament, Christa PRETS (PSE
- Austria),
Marie PANAYOTOPOULOS-CASSIOTOU (EPP-ED - Greece), Ramona Nicole MÅNESCU (ADLE - Romania),
Bart STAES (Greens - Belgium) and Marie-Hélène DESCAMPS (EPP-ED - France), tabled a written declaration (33/2008) calling on the European Commission to take young people into account when developing policies that affect them, and to ensure that the main policy areas that affect young people are taken up in the dialogue between youth organisations and the European institutions.
With this written declaration, these MEPs and the European Youth Forum want to give impetus to the second component of the EU White Paper on youth, “taking more account of youth in other policies”. The EU White Paper “A new impetus for European youth” was launched in 2001. Whereas the first chapter, outlining the four priority areas for the specific field of youth has set in motion a real policy process and several initiatives, the commitment to develop a more horizontal youth policy, which was endorsed by the Council, has not yet been translated into concrete steps.
The written declaration calls concretely on the European Commission to consider the impact on youth when preparing legislative proposals, in particular in the policy fields of particular importance to young people, to ensure that the structured dialogue with youth organisations through the European Youth Forum encompasses these policy fields, and to incorporate the impact on youth and the results of the structured dialogue in relevant legislative Commission proposals.
Read the entire declaration here in your language:
Join the European Youth Forum in promoting the written declaration and encourage MEPs to sign!
Do you need arguments? Well, here are already a few:
1.- |
It is a formal recognition of the need of a horizontal youth policy, as identified in the White Paper |
2.- |
It is a concrete action implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed and ratified by all EU Countries |
3.- |
It is a major breakthrough in the recognition of youth as a specific target group, with needs differing from other groups in society |
4.- |
It increases participation of young people in European decision-making and the relevance of the EU for young people |
5.- |
It would strengthen civil society and a more participative democracy in the EU |
So far, 276 MEPs have signed the declaration. You want to see who has signed and who has not? Check it here.
