Youth

Education, youth and culture ministers adopted a Council Resolution on 16.November 2007 in which they pledged to co-operate more closely on the common objectives in the field of youth volunteering agreed in 2004.The Resolution invited Member States to hammer out their own national strategies and to identify priority action areas.

It also emphasises the importance of developing cross-border mechanisms that recognise the validity and value of volunteering work carried out in another country. The Council also invited the Commission to propose ways of promoting and raising the recognition of voluntary activities and to explore the potential for organising a European year to promote volunteering.

The Council of youth ministers on 16 November 2007 adopted conclusions on a transversal approach to youth policy, with a view to enabling young people to fulfil their potential and participate actively in society.In the Conclusions the Council supports the Commission's view that investment in youth must start early and must follow a transversal approach. It also underlines that the structured dialogue with young people should be reinforced. The Council underlines the importance of different forms of education – from formal to non formal and entrepreneurship education - as well as the European Youth Pact in addressing young people's transitions into the labour market and integration in society in general.

The Portuguese presidency youth event, "Volunteering: A Challenge for Youth Empowerment in the 21st Century" was organised 14 – 17 September in Lisbon, with around 120 young participants from all over Europe. Commissioners Jan Figel and Vladimir Spidla addressed the young people to explain the recently adopted Communication on Youth. The event coincided with a youth fair which attracted some 20 000 young people, with concerts, shows and exhibitions. You can read more about what happened in the event on

14.09.07 - Impact of the White Paper on European Youth Policies
Did the White Paper on Youth serve any purpose? Pierre Mairesse, director of youth in the European Commission, replies with a firm "yes". This article summarises the history of European cooperation on youth policies over the past 15 years, shows some of its achievements and identifies some challenges for the years to come.