The European Commission pledged on Wednesday to better reflect young people’s views in the policies it puts forward to the EU, following lessons learned from the European Year of Youth 2022.
When formulating EU policies, a ‘youth impact assessment’ will be conducted, the Commission stated. This is to systematically consider the effect of these policies on the younger generation, as part of a strategy involving 60 actions.
The use of consultations and impact assessments will be ‘fully leveraged,’ it promised. It also spoke of planned meetings between young people and commissioners, roundtable discussions on youth integration, and a new youth stakeholders’ platform.
One of the key initiatives, expected by mid-2024, is a shared European Diploma. Based on common European standards, it is designed to acknowledge the value of the transnational experiences gained by higher education students and reduce administrative formalities.
Fair pay for internships, access to social protection, school wellbeing, and integration of disadvantaged youth into society and the job market, are among the other priorities identified for the upcoming months. These are areas seen by young people as being of utmost importance.
