European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the Union address on 15 September, in which she proposed that 2022 be declared the European Year of Youth. JEF Finland welcomes the proposal but stresses the importance of concrete action.
“We thank von der Leyen and the Commission for this excellent proposal. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit young people especially hard, and mental health problems and burnout have increased among young people as a result. Now is the time to listen to young people and repair the damage caused by the pandemic,” comments JEF Finland President Risto Rajala.
Von der Leyen proposed creating an international work exchange programme, ALMA, to accelerate young people’s internationalisation. The programme would also allow young people without a job or a study place to take part in an exchange.
“ALMA is a welcome addition to the range of exchange programmes. The fact that young people who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to go abroad can now do so through this programme is a great step forward,” Rajala says happily.
The Year of Youth would be an excellent opportunity to implement the EU Youth Initiative. The Youth Initiative is a proposal conceived by JEF Finland and backed by a wide range of Finnish youth organisations. It is a discussion initiative to which the European Parliament would commit in principle, allowing minors who do not yet have the right to vote to bring issues they consider important onto the Parliament’s agenda.
“Every young person has the right to have their voice heard in the union’s decision-making. The Youth Initiative would be a concrete way to increase young people’s participation and opportunities to influence decisions. Implementing it would truly make next year the Year of Youth,” Rajala concludes.
More information about the youth initiative here.