The European Youth Forum meets high-level decision-makers on the margins of the EU Council for Youth.

On 20th May in Brussels, the 28 EU Member States’ Ministers for Youth met in the Council of the EU to adopt important decisions concerning young people. The main focus is on a resolution concluding the structured dialogue with young people during the Council Presidency Trio (Ireland-Lithuania-Greece) and a first-time ever EU Work Plan for Youth for 2014-2015. Conclusions on promoting youth entrepreneurship to encourage social inclusion of young people were also at the agenda of the Ministers for Youth.

Alongside the institutional meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, an informal high-level forum brought together the European Youth Forum, the Ministers for Youth of the Council Presidency Trio, representatives from national youth councils, as well as Commission Director General for Education and Culture, Jan Truszczynski.

During this meeting, the decision-makers and youth representatives mainly discussed the topic of youth entrepreneurship (which is the main priority of the Greek Presidency in the field of youth). They discussed ways in which youth entrepreneurship could be supported and promoted among young people and the key role of youth organisations in this field. Mr. Truszczynski mentioned that "entrepreneurship is not a panacea but part of the solution. In order for it to work, it has to be joined up with other initiatives in other policy sectors."

An entrepreneurial way of thinking can enhance young people’s employability as well as their autonomy and their personal development. The European Youth Forum also underlined the importance of non-formal education processes and youth organisations to develop this kind of entrepreneurial mindset and skills.

The Youth Forum’s Secretary General, Giuseppe Porcaro, called upon the decision-makers to improve youth entrepreneurship through better access to credit for young people, encouraging mentoring mechanisms for young entrepreneurs, addressing the misuse of self-employment and fostering more cooperation across policy areas. He emphasized that responsibility should be carried by public authorities at national and EU levels and by the financial institutions.

Read more: Draft Council conclusions on promoting youth entrepreneurship to foster social inclusion of young people