“PanDanubia” Youth Conference
Vienna, 8 February 2008

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank the PanEuropa organisation for their kind
invitation. It is a pleasure for me to take part in this conference.
As you know, my portfolio as European Commissioner includes,
apart from youth, education, training and culture. In this capacity, one
of my main objectives is to ensure that all the policies developed at
European level which have an impact on young people are developed
as close as possible to them and take their needs and aspirations in due
account.

I believe that we cannot develop truly youth–targeted policies
without listening to young people on all the issues that are important
to them. This is why dialogue and consultation have always been the
bases of our action, and we intend to reinforce this approach in the
future. I am happy to report that the EU attaches an increasing
importance to youth and to its role in today’s and tomorrow’s society.
One of the main objectives of EU action in favour of youth is to
encourage more and more young people to become active, responsible
citizens and to play an active role in the life of their community. We
want to involve young people in a more structured dialogue with
policy–makers from the local to the European level.

We want to make sure that the development of our youth
policies takes into consideration the real needs of young people and it
is even more important today that the needs and aspirations of young
people change rapidly. Policy makers at all levels—local, national and
European—ought to understand these developments and adapt to
them.

Cooperation is another factor that lies at the heart of youth
policy development at European level. The European Commission
works closely together with the Member States in a political process
of cooperation. This work is directed towards a few common
objectives; let me give you some of them.

We want to favour mobility
: every year, dozens of thousands of
Europeans benefit from our programmes (200.000 for the Erasmus
programme alone, additional for Leonardo placements). There should
be no barriers within the Union that prevent young people from
following their aspirations.

We want to support the social and occupational integration of
young people
. Many of Europe’s societies have become difficult
places for young people, who are more exposed than other classes to
poverty and marginalisation.

Finally, we want to create the best conditions for young
people to become active citizens
and to participate in public life.

This last objective is one of the four priorities identified in the current
framework of cooperation, together with, information, voluntary
activities and better knowledge and understanding of youth.
In the coming months, the focus will be on volunteering

We would like to encourage young people from different backgrounds to
develop a stronger sense of solidarity. Participation in voluntary
activities can do just that. Our task is to help young people realise the
benefits that derive from volunteering—both for them and for those
they help.

Other items on the current EU youth policy agenda include:
exchanging good practices regarding the participation of young
people with fewer opportunities;

debating the issues of intercultural dialogue and young people in
the context of the European year of intercultural dialogue; and
in a few months’ time we will begin to work more specifically on
health issues related to youth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The current policy cycle will come to an end in 2009 and new
proposals will have to be collected until then. As a consequence, this
will be a crucial year of reflection. To this end, extensive
consultations on the future youth strategy for Europe will take place in

2008. 
      More than ever, we count on the active contribution of youth.
      This is why an event like yours is important: your ideas,
      comments and suggestions are essential to us. It will be our job to
      translate them into action.
      In parallel to the policy work that I have just outlined, the EU
      supports young people through funding granted to individual projects
      via the Youth in Action Programme. It is a programme for all young
      people regardless of their educational, social and cultural background.
      It aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance
      among young Europeans and to involve them actively in shaping the
      future of the Union.
      The Programme promotes mobility within and beyond the
      borders of the EU, it promotes non–formal learning, youth work
      development and intercultural dialogue. The guiding principles of the
      Programme are inspired to the broad values that underpin the Union,
      such as solidarity, mutual understanding, and respect for cultural
      diversity. The Programme supports genuine intercultural experiences
      that can help young people to get to know different cultures. This is
      crucial to develop a sense of belonging to Europe, because it allows us
      to identify the values we share with people from different countries. In
      other words, intercultural experiences allow us to touch unity in
      diversity with our own hands. Every time we come into contact with
      other languages and cultures we enrich and consolidate our identity as
      Europeans and as citizens of the world.
      Intercultural skills associated with a culture of dialogue,
      solidarity, mutual knowledge and respect are fundamental assets to
      live in and adapt to such a complex reality. As you know, 2008 is the
      European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The actions we have
      planned intend to put intercultural dialogue firmly on the table
      Our youth policies will contribute to the European Year. They
      will take special care to promote voluntary activities, exchange and
      cooperation not only within the EU but also with our partners around
      the world.
      There is a specific strand of the programme called “Youth in the
      World”. This action encourages openness to the world and supports
      cooperation across the borders of the European Union. The goals
      include fostering mutual tolerance and solidarity and breaking down
      prejudices and stereotypes. It may be a small step, but it’s a step in the
      right direction. The ultimate goal is to help Europeans build inclusive
      and creative societies that are based on common understanding and
      respect. This action supports projects in cooperation with the partner
      countries of the Union, especially with its neighbours to the East and
      around the Mediterranean Sea.
      The news from last year, the first year of implementation of this
      programme, is good. “Youth in the World” could support 350
      projects involving over 7,000 participants generating a growing
      interest in the opportunities offered by this strand of the programme.
      But the international side of the Programme goes beyond the
      neighbouring regions to reach virtually any country in the world.
      Every year, about 2 million euros are devoted to cooperation with
      partner countries beyond our neighbours.
      Again, our goal is developing solid and lasting partnerships and
      networks between youth organisations across the globe. Our next call
      for proposals will have a specific focus on intercultural dialogue. This
      will create more opportunities for young people, youth workers and
      youth organisations in Europe to interact with their counterparts from
      around the world.
      I would like to spend a final word on volunteering, which is
      another element that can promote international cooperation and
      intercultural dialogue. Through the European Voluntary Service,
      young volunteers can develop their sense of solidarity and active
      citizenship by participating in projects that benefit local communities
      in a different country of the world.
      Ladies and Gentlemen,
      Dialogue and cooperation are the pervasive principles of the
      European youth policies and the active participation and commitment
      of young people is essential to ensure the success of any action
      designed to involve them.
      Open and unfettered dialogue is also an essential ingredient for
      peaceful and productive relations between the Union and its partner
      countries around the world. Dialogue, openness and inclusiveness are
      the main tools with which the European project has been built over the
      past 50 years. Our very existence and our remarkable achievements
      are evidence of their power.
      This is the ultimate political significance of our actions. Our
      common foreign policy is still in embryonic state, but we can already
      propose to the world a model that has ensured peace and prosperity to
      a whole continent. I think this is fully in the spirit of your founder,
      great European, Richard Coudenhove Kalergi.
      Thank you.