YOUTH/INFORMAL COUNCIL : MINISTERS STRESS IMPORTANCE OF MAKING YOUNG PEOPLE PARTNERS.

The informal meeting of Youth Ministers is traditionally an opportunity to send a somewhat hackneyed message to young people to show that Europe has not forgotten them. The meeting held in Bad Ischl from 28 to 30 March was no exception. The Austrian Presidency sought in parallel to stage a meeting with young people on three key subjects - employment, apprenticeship and informal education and the future of Europe - which obliged ministers to listen to young people and yielded the "Vienna and Bad Ischl Declaration" (see box).This declaration was welcomed by Austria's Social Affairs Minister Ursula Haubner who chaired the session: "The content of the declaration shows that Europe's youth is interested in good, professional solutions. Europe only has a future if we listen more to the wishes of young people and try to meet them and resolve problems with them", she added. We must ensure that the current situation in France never happen again", said Secretary of State for Social Affairs Sigisbert Dolinschek.

Following their meeting, Youth Ministers emphasised that "young people's voices must be heard at all levels". In line with the European Youth Pact, "young people and youth organisations must be involved in European policy design in such key...