Youth employment

The European Commission today proposed an EU Youth Employment Package, including a youth guarantee scheme and a communication on promoting youth employment. The Greens have been strongly pushing for EU measures to address the high levels of youth unemployment in Europe and have been advocating a youth guarantee scheme from the outset (1). The group welcomed today's proposals and called on EU governments to swiftly follow up. Commenting on the proposals, Greens/EFA vice-president and employment spokesperson Emilie Turunen (MEP, Denmark) said:

"With youth unemployment at record levels in a number of EU member states, today's proposals from the Commission are most welcome and not a moment too soon. The Greens have been to the fore in advocating for a binding youth guarantee to address the problem of youth unemployment, with the European Parliament having adopted my report to this end in 2009 (1). The proposals from the Commission are the first step: EU governments must now move swiftly to ensure they are put into action.

"With crisis-hit EU member states those most affected by rocketing youth unemployment, EU support is essential. To this end, we welcome the targeting of EU structural funds, particularly the European Social Fund, with view to providing concrete measures, such as training schemes. The 7.5 million young people in the EU currently not in employment, education or training need to be given some kind of perspective.

"The commitment to specifically monitor youth employment through the European Semester is also welcome. This is clearly a key indicator in the current context. It is also encouraging that the social and employment targets under the European Semester are being generally strengthened."

(1) The report by Green MEP Emilie Turunen adopted by the European Parliament in 2009 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2009/2221%28INI%29&l=en