EMPLOYMENT : YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT BACK ON EP PLENARY'S AGENDA.

The European Parliament has reiterated its call for strong measures to tackle youth unemployment. After a two-hour debate, on 10 September, MEPs adopted the following day two own-initiative reports in favour of more ambitious EU action. They suggest the creation of a European youth corps and incentives to support quality jobs for young people.

There was consensus in the assembly on the urgency of the situation: in June 2013, 23.5% of active young people were jobless, with rates ranging from 10% or less in Austria and Germany to 64.2% in Greece. Many are not in education, employment or training (NEET). "The very difficult situation facing young people requires decisive intervention and investment of appropriate financial resources," notes Polish member Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska (EPP) in the report on Tackling youth unemployment: Possible ways out'.

STRENGTHENING YOUTH GUARANTEE

Her resolution, adopted by a large majority, recommends the promotion of mobility, better criteria for traineeships, the encouragement of apprenticeships and cooperation between different players. It calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European youth corps programme enabling young people under the age of 30 to do voluntary work in another member state for a period of up to three months. It also proposes various measures to enhance the youth guarantee, the new tool adopted by the Council in April 2013 with the goal of getting all under-25 jobless persons into a traineeship, education or a job within four months of losing their job or leaving school. The resolution encourages the Commission and member states to develop clear quality standards and indicators on the development of these schemes. Youth guarantee schemes should be facilitated through financial incentives, including...