The outcomes of the EU Youth Conference in Hungary

While statistics on youth unemployment show continuous growth in Europe, the EU Youth Conference and DG Meeting of the first cycle of the Structured Dialogue in the framework of the current Trio Presidency (Spain, Belgium and Hungary) delivers 8 concrete policy recommendations and proposals of actions to improve youth employment policy in Europe. The results will be transferred to the Council of the European Union to be adopted in a Council Resolution on the Structured Dialogue in May 2011.

The EU Youth Conference arrives at the right time, as youth unemployment rate of the 27 EU member states has reached 20%, one of its highest peaks. The current thematic cycle tries to put youth employment policy at the centre of the policy-making, not only as a problem but as a fundamental component of the solution to get out of this period of crisis. As part of the EU Youth Strategy, the Structured Dialogue is based on National Consultations run by National Working Groups in the different Member States that feed in the EU Youth Conference.

During the 18 months process, consultations were held at least once in all the EU Member States, allowing young people and youth organisations to express their expectations and needs related to youth employment. The three days of workshops resulted in 8 policy messages put forward jointly by youth representatives and decision-makers.

The compiled conclusions include concrete proposals highlighting the need for Member States to integrate career-oriented training, information and guidance in preparation for career search and to create tools that will further recognize skills and competences gained through non-formal Education. The 8 recommendations are the results of the workshops organized during the EU Youth Conference in Hungary. Additionally, the participants propose some actions and consider the possible contribution of young people, local communities and youth organizations to support the implementation of the recommendations.

“Strong outcomes came out of this 18-month long process,” says Peter Matjašič, President of the European Youth Forum, “that we now expect to be transformed into effective policy measures to improve the situation of young people in Europe. In terms of giving young people the opportunity to have a say on the policies that affect them directly this process has been a great success. We are convinced that this experience will lead the way to an improved cycle of the Structured Dialogue within the next Trio Presidency in 2011-2012.”

“Youth organisations are major providers of non-formal education, informal learning and wider mobility opportunities outside the formal education context. Therefore, sustainable long-term financial support is essential in order for them to equip young people with skills and competences to become active citizens and ease their access to the labour market, which is an important step in achieving the aims of the Europe2020 strategy and building a competitive, knowledge-based and sustainable Europe.” – says a recommendation of the complied conclusions which was finalized during the EU Youth Conference and DG Meeting in Gödöllő and Budapest.

This first cycle of Structured Dialogue focused on youth employment and aimed at creating the ground at national level to set the right measures in regards to the forthcoming national implementation programmes of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives. The EU Youth Conferences of the first cycle were organised by the Spanish (Jerez, 13-15 April 2010), the Belgian (Leuven, 1-3 October 2010) and the Hungarian Presidencies of the Council of the European Union (Gödöllő/ Budapest, 2-4 March 2011). The Hungarian Youth Conference hosted also a Chinese delegation as a flagship event of the EU-China Year of Youth.