The European Commission adopted on Sunday the proposal to make 2022 the European Year of Youth. This proposal will be discussed by the EU Parliament and Council.
Europe needs the vision, engagement and participation of all young people to build a better future, that is greener, more inclusive and digital, transmitted the European Commission in a press release.
The goal is to offer support to the generation that has sacrificed the most during the pandemic, giving them new hopes, strength and confidence in the future; to promote opportunities for EU youth; and also to draw inspiration from the actions, vision and insights of young people to further strengthen and invigorate the common EU project.
“The European Year of Youth should bring a paradigm shift in how we include young people in policy and decision-making. The objectives of the Year are to listen, engage and promote concrete opportunities for youth,” said Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
“We also need to bridge the gap between generations. Today’s young people are less interested in traditional forms of participation, but they are active in standing up for what they believe in, engaging in new ways,” she added.
The Commission will organise a number of activities throughout the year at European, national, regional and local level. The scope of activities will cover issues that mostly affect young people, following the priorities highlighted in the Youth Goals, such as equality and inclusion, sustainability, mental health and well-being, and quality employment.
They will involve young people beyond the EU. The Commission calls on Member States to appoint a national coordinator responsible for organising their participation in the European Year of Youth.
The European Year of Youth will contribute to drawing the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe in 2022, including the perspective of young people. A third of the participants in the discussion panels and the conference plenaries will be representatives of young people.
Photo credit: Facebook / European Commission
