Tackling youth unemployment, facilitating the integration of minorities and preventing exclusion and radicalisation are just some of the challenges that have been dominating the news and citizens' minds in recent weeks. In a debate with Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, today, Csaba Borboly, the CoR's rapporteur on European cooperation in the youth field, called for a more ambitious, inclusive and cross-sectorial policy towards youth.
Addressing the rapporteur's concerns that the joint 2015 report of the Council and the Commission fails to acknowledge the key role of cities and regions in this field, Commissioner Navracsics noted: "Under my portfolio, which covers Education, Culture, Youth and Sports and the Joint Research Centre, the local dimension is not an afterthought. It is the sine qua non." Moreover, he emphasized that "it is in regions and cities that we need to overcome exclusion and radicalization."
The EPP Group in the CoR highlights the importance of matching skills with employers' needs a crucial factor in youth unemployment and further development of young people's career prospects, and the promotion of professional training initiatives which should be tailored to regional specificities and specific skills. On this topic, Maria Byrne intervened to highlight the need for a digital and entrepreneurial dimension to the new skills agenda, which is due to be published in the spring.
Despite a growing percentage of young people at risk of poverty and exclusion, budgetary cuts in several Member States and a reduction to education investment are a concern. "With the current, unprecedented migration flows to Europe, these issues are even more relevant. Local and regional authorities should be provided with adequate, directly accessible financial resources to allow the integration of young people from migrant backgrounds" Mr Borboly stressed. The Commissioner was quick to respond with a number of proposals to increase investment, not least through the European Fund for Strategic Investments. "The Investment Plan has had a great start. But so far, unfortunately, no education-related projects have been selected for funding. Since the regions and local authorities are responsible for the majority of public investment in the European Union, you have an important role to play here" he said.
