The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU: what plans for young people?

On the 1st of January 2015, Latvia began its presidency of the Council of the EU. Rotating between different member states every six months, the presidency aims to provide continuity and direction at the head of the Council. When holding the presidency, member states work together in groups of three (‘trios’), collaborating on an overarching eighteen-month agenda. Latvia has taken on the mantle after Italy (July-Dec 2014) and before Luxembourg (July-Dec 2015), and spoke to us about their priorities for the coming term.

For young people, Latvia’s key focus is on increased political participation, falling in with the EU’s Work Plan on Youth 2014-15, which is available here. The Presidency will be inviting youth delegates and policy makers to participate in the EU Youth Conference from the 23-26th of March, as part of the 4th cycle of the EU’s ‘Structured Dialogue’ with young people. The conference will consult relevant stakeholders on questions developed at the previous EU Youth Conference in Italy, such as increasing trust, improving youth turnout, and fostering diverse participation patterns, before delivering recommendations on these issues. This will be followed by the “formulation of concrete actions” for a Council Resolution during the upcoming Luxembourgish Presidency. A second Eastern Partnership Youth Forum is also planned, aimed at strengthening cooperation with young people in Eastern Europe.

In addition, the presidency says it wants to develop youth policy in a cross-sectional manner, given that young people are affected by so many diverse areas, such as education, health, and employment. A key goal here is to tackle youth-related elements of the Europe 2020 Strategy, a 10-year scheme intended to boost the EU economy. Youth unemployment, reducing early school leaving rates, and boosting enrolment in tertiary education are singled out as specific priorities in this regard. An “inclusive and sustainable labour market” is also emphasised as crucial to getting young people back to work, and investment in sport is seen as a means to develop young people’s transversal skills and overall health.

The European Youth Forum is pleased that the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU recognises that young people must be at the heart of its priorities, and looks forward to fruitful cooperation in this regard. During the coming term, it’s important that Europe’s youth can see clear, focused results from these plans – that they amount to more than just words and good intentions. All 28 member states need to involve themselves, cooperate, and propose concrete solutions that can be implemented nationally. The Youth Forum will be working to ensure that youth rights remain high on the agenda during this process.

For more information on the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, see their website here: http://www.es2015.lv/en/