Youth Employment Package: proposal welcomed but reservations on 'youth guarantee' remain.

"The EPP Group welcomes the so-called Youth Employment Package proposed by the European Commission. This plan represents a major step in the fight against the alarming levels of youth unemployment in the European Union. The Group is, however, not fully content with the introduction of the 'youth guarantee' at Member-State level," said MEP Csaba Őry, EPP Group Coordinator in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee and Joanna Skrzydlewska MEP, Rapporteur on Youth Employment.

Today, the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal aiming to tackle youth unemployment, the so-called Youth Employment Package.

"We welcome the goals and the proposals of the European Commission aiming to tackle youth unemployment in general. We especially welcome that, besides national initiatives, there are now EU-level proposals," said Csaba Őry. The Hungarian MEP continued: "There is no disagreement that we need to tackle unemployment and to place special focus on youth employment. However, the EPP Group has reservations about the possible introduction of the 'youth guarantee' at Member-State level. This is not the right answer. All 27 Member States face different challenges in the field of youth unemployment, requiring special, tailored solutions. A commitment taken by the Member States to guarantee jobs which in reality do not exist is not part of the solution and would only further trigger difficulties and tensions on the labour market. The 'youth guarantee' suits some Member States well, but is not the silver bullet for all of them".

"The financing of such a guarantee raises also several questions, especially in the face of the recent uncertainties about the new Multiannual Financial Framework. We must make it clear that the cohesion funds should remain untouched and should be used on concrete projects. Funds for real job creation should not be diverted," emphasized Csaba Őry. The EPP Group Coordinator in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee concluded: "The EPP Group puts job creation first in tackling unemployment. The key to reaching that goal is to generate economic growth via responsible budgetary and smart investment policies".

Joanna Skrzydlewska MEP, Rapporteur on youth unemployment, hopes that the legislative package presented by the European Commission will be a success. "Our goal should be to integrate young people into the labour market permanently and efficiently and not only find them some occupation until the European economy improves. Further education should correspond to the actual needs of the market and the internships which young people are offered should be linked to an opportunity of employment. Otherwise we will not improve the situation but only change statistics," concluded Joanna Skrzydlewska.