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International Education in Communities
Annex E: The European White Paper on Youth
A new approach to European policy making
The White Paper initiative was developed in response to a number of observations:
- The European institutions and Member States lack of an overview of youth policy.
- Existing youth structures are unresponsive to the challenges created by the many changes in society.
- Young people are disaffected with traditional forms of participation in public life and need to be mobilised and involved in decision-making in areas which affect them.
Moreover, issues such as enlargement, the biggest single issue facing the EU, which will see the numbers of young people in the EU increase from 50 million in 15 countries to 75 million in 27 countries means a new community instrument for work with young people is required. The current generation of programmes is due to come to an end in 2006.
The White Paper marks a change in an approach to policy making with unprecedented consultation with young people and youth organisations in the two years leading up the White Paper's launch in November 2001.
European co-operation in youth policy
There are two aspects to this response which will form the basis of a new framework for European co-operation in youth policy
The first is method is to encourage enhanced co-operation between Member States, under a process of "open co-operation". In this way Member States will discuss and share good practice and bring grass roots solutions into national policy making.
The key themes to be tackled under an open method of co-ordination are:
- Participation of Young people, through flexible and innovative means, which seek to include young people who do not belong to representative organisations
- Information - information is key to participation and young people need to be involved in its design and implementation
- Voluntary service to be developed and expanded at national and European level through the EVS programme
- Greater understanding of young people through research
In addition to enhanced co-operation between Member States there is to be an integration of a youth perspective across EU policies. Key policy areas to be tackled are:
- The consultation focused on 5 subject areas an analysis of which appears in the White Paper: Education, lifelong learning and mobility - where emphasis will be placed on the recognition of 'informal' learning as being complementary to school and university, so as to prepare young people more fully for work, life in society and responsible citizenship
- Employment
- Social integration
- Racism and Xenophobia which must be brought to the fore in all programmes
- Autonomy for young people
- Participation
- Education
- Employment, Training and Social Integration
- Welfare, Personal Autonomy and culture
- European values, mobility and relations with the rest of the world
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