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PES promises action for Europe’s youth at high level launch

Date

16 Jun 2016

Sections

Social Europe & Jobs

The Party of European Socialists has launched a major campaign for a European Youth Plan to provide young people with more access to education, jobs, culture and childcare. The campaign launch included speakers from European youth organisations and trade unions who urged European leaders to act for Europe’s youth. It was attended by Ministers, party leaders, civil society, MEPs and party activists.

PHOTOS of the launch

The four pillars of the youth guarantee are as follow:

-       20 billion funding for a permanent youth guarantee for young people up to 30

-       An extended Erasmus scheme for secondary and technical students

-       Funding for a Child Guarantee ensuring children’s rights to healthcare, education, childcare, housing and nutrition

-       European Youth Culture Cheques empowering young people as culture consumers and creators

Sergei Stanishev, President of the Party of European Socialists:

“One in five young Europeans is unemployed. That is as wasteful as it is wrong and today we are taking action to change it. We are proposing four measures to improve the lives of our young people and we are determined to deliver for on them. This will be the plan for the youth, of the youth and with the youth.”

Laura Slimani, President of the Young European Socialists:

"We, socialists, need to be the ones to prove that a decent future is possible for my generation. We need to do so if we want to keep young people on board the European project. This is why Young European Socialists fully support this plan and will get involved in order to raise awareness about it among young Europeans."

Minister Nicolas Schmit, Chair of the PES Social Affairs Ministerial Network:

“The European Youth Plan is a strong political initiative to improve young people‘s prospects in Europe. We want to build on the success story of the Youth Guarantee and extend it to more young people, ensuring they receive a genuine steppingstone to employment. Investing in youth, in quality education, in quality jobs is an investment into our future.”

Pervenche Berès MEP, Chair of the PES Social Europe Network

“Our political family is proud of our role in creating a European youth guarantee; this is how a progressive structural reforms looks like. Now we want to make it permanent and available to young people up to the age of 30.”

The Party of the European Socialists is planning a series of similar events such as the one in Brussels to introduce the plan in other European cities.  “We are delighted to have the support of the PES member parties in Europe as well as youth organizations, NGOs and the unions for the plan. Investing in youth is investing in Europe”, Stanishev added.

Speakers at the event:

  • Sergei Stanishev, PES President
  • Laura Slimani, Young European Socialists President
  • Laurette Onkelinx, Parti Socialiste Belge Vice-President
  • John Crombez, SP.a President
  • Allan Päll, Secretary General European Youth Forum
  • Thiébaut Weber, ETUC Conferderal Secretary for Youth

A number of MEPs also attended the event and committed to Act for Youth:

  • Pervenche Bérès
  • Brando Benifei
  • Javi Lopez
  • Demetris Papadakis
  • Iratxe Garcia
  • Victor Negrescu
  • Javier Moreno
  • Phillip Cordery
  • Nawarl Ben Hamou
  • Lofti Mostefa

Photos of the launch

Party of European Socialists (PES)
http://www.pes.eu/