Parliament confirmed its decision to organize activities and initiatives focused on young people and for young people in all EU countries during 2022.
The European Year of Youth 2022 will focus on restoring positive prospects for young Europeans who have been negatively impacted by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Designating 2022 as a year for young people means making greater efforts to include youth priorities in relevant EU policy areas and at all levels of EU decision-making.
MEPs supported this decision with 604 votes in favor, 25 against and 68 abstentions.
The European Year of Youth will aim to involve young people in key consultation processes such as the Conference on the Future of Europe, and in other policies at European, national and local level. Thanks to the solicitation of MEPs, special attention will be paid to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and to the management of mental health problems.
The European Year of Youth will include conferences and initiatives to promote young people's participation in decision-making, as well as awareness campaigns for a more inclusive, green and digital Union and studies and research on the situation of young people in the EU.
Increase in appropriations
MEPs secured an additional € 8 million financial envelope for Erasmus + programs and the European Solidarity Corps, to support the activities of the European Year (the amount was previously agreed during the conciliation negotiations of the 2022 budget with the Council, and already approved by Parliament).
Additional funding for the implementation of the activities will be mobilized in 2022 from relevant Union programs and instruments. Finally, MEPs added the option to mobilize EU funds even after 2022, in order to create a long-lasting legacy for the European year.
CITATION
Before the vote, rapporteur Sabine Verheyen (PPE, DE) said: "The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect young people, who face challenges related to continuing their education, access to labor market (...), to make new acquaintances and discover other countries. Young people have accepted and supported the restrictions in place out of solidarity. Now is the time to put them in the foreground. "
"Next year will lay the groundwork to provide young people with a stronger platform to make their voices heard (...) We need the commitment and participation of all young people to create a better, greener, more digital and inclusive in Europe, "he added.
To watch the video of the debate, click here.
NEXT STEPS
The activities of the European Year of Youth will be organized by national coordinators in each EU country, together with the European Commission and civil society organizations, and will be supervised by the European Parliament. MEPs successfully negotiated the obligation to involve young people and youth organizations, at national and EU level, in the planning phase of activities.
In Italy, the activities will be planned and coordinated by the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civil Service of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
CONTEXT
The intention to dedicate 2022 to young people was announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2021 State of the Union address to the European Parliament.
Comments