Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Added22. Invites the Commission, the Member States, national, regional and local authorities to focus on youth mainstreaming efforts on key priority policy areas, and to strengthen synergies between the EUYS and related EU instruments, including the Youth Guarantee, the basic skills action plan and the intergenerational fairness strategy;

RemovedYouth mainstreaming across policy areas

Removed16. Welcomes the progress in traditionally youth-focused areas, but stresses the need to systematically integrate youth perspectives into other key sectors, based on current and emerging youth priorities;

Youth participation and inclusion

Youth participation and inclusion in society

Change 20

Changed17.23. StressesEmphasises that young people areshould expertsbe onrecognised theiras ownimportant livesstakeholders in policymaking and mustthat betheir recognisedperspectives ascan activecontribute rights-holdersto more effective, inclusive and co-creatorsforward-looking ofpolicies, policiesand thatcalls affectfor them,their meaningful involvement across all policy areas, rather than treating them merely as beneficiaries or consultees;

Change 21

Removed18. Emphasises that ensuring equal living conditions for all young people across the Union must be a fundamental priority of the future EUYS;

Added24. Calls on the Member States to ensure that the principle of inclusion and equality is embedded within their national and regional youth strategies and underlying actions, while preparing for the EUYS post-2027;

Removed19. Calls for specific measures to help rural youth overcome the physical barriers of living in isolated rural areas;

Added25. Emphasises the importance of preventing youth radicalisation by addressing social exclusion and a lack of opportunities; calls for targeted support, such as accessible counselling services, strengthened community-based youth work and targeted inclusive measures for marginalised and under-represented young people;

RemovedYouth unemployment (and other elements from EMPL opinion)

Added26. Emphasises that reducing structural inequalities affecting the conditions under which young people live, learn and participate across the EU should be a core priority of the future EUYS, in order to strengthen social cohesion, foster resilience and allow young people to fully achieve their potential, while improving access to quality education, employment, healthcare and housing and preventing youth homelessness;

Removed20. [EMPL opinion]

Added27. Calls, in particular, for targeted measures to support young people from rural and remote areas in overcoming physical, social, digital and economic barriers, including reduced access to education, cultural, sporting and mobility opportunities, as well as barriers related to transport, affordability, youth information and services, with particular attention to NEETs;

Removed21. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to propose a legal framework that effectively bans unpaid internships, traineeships and apprenticeships, as these constitute a form of exploitation of young workers and block fair access to the labour market for young people without financial resources; demands that all employment relationships involving young people be fairly remunerated and provide access to social protection;

Added28. Calls on the Member States to consider introducing targeted cultural vouchers for young people in order to reduce financial barriers, especially in rural and less accessible areas;

RemovedMental health and well-being

AddedQuality youth employment and social inclusion

Removed22. [SANT opinion]

Added29. Calls on the Commission to intensify targeted support, policy coordination and enhanced monitoring in Member States facing structural youth unemployment, and to increase resources for programmes and projects, with the aim of ensuring that EU instruments effectively address long-standing labour market failures;

Removed23. Urges the Commission and the Member States to draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, to guarantee free, timely and non-discriminatory access to mental healthcare for all young people as part of public health services, and to develop youth-specific preparedness strategies for future crises to ensure that young people are not disproportionately affected;

Added30. Stresses the importance of a strong and independent ESF+ in supporting youth employment, skills development and active labour market policies, particularly for young people with disabilities;

RemovedSport and physical activity

Added31. Stresses the need to promote participation in STEAM disciplines, including among young women and under-represented groups, through investment in digital, green and critical-thinking skills in order to strengthen innovation, competitiveness and social cohesion;

Removed24. Reiterates that sport and physical activity promote physical and mental well-being, social inclusion and cohesion, youth development and active citizenship;

Added32. Calls on the Member States to strengthen VET, including dual learning systems and work-based learning, in order to support skills development and access to quality employment opportunities in the green transition, particularly for young people with fewer opportunities;

Added33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the integration of young people into the labour market by promoting access to stable and quality employment, fair working conditions and equal opportunities; highlights the need to tackle age-based discrimination with regard to wages and working conditions;

Added34. Underlines the need to better understand the impact of technological developments, including AI, on youth employment and to support the development of relevant skills through education and training systems, including AI in education and training curricula, in order to equip young people for the labour market in the digital age;

Added35. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote quality and fairly remunerated traineeships that are accessible to all young people and to strengthen the legal framework on traineeships to effectively identify and combat practices that circumvent their purpose and the use of standard employment relationships disguised as traineeships;

Added36. Highlights that young people are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis, which limits their access to affordable and quality housing; underlines that this negatively impacts their employment opportunities, mobility and social inclusion; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support affordable and sustainable housing solutions for young people, including students, and stresses that housing should be one of the key pillars of the post-2027 EUYS;

Added37. Emphasises that the post 2027 EUYS should encourage the promotion of youth entrepreneurship and start-ups through simplified administrative procedures, improved access to finance and targeted skills support, including in emerging sectors such as the circular economy and sustainable innovation;

Added38. Calls on the Commission, in the context of the European strategy on intergenerational fairness, to ensure that long-term perspectives are effectively integrated into the EU’s employment, education and social policies, so that the interests of present and future generations are taken into account in policy design and implementation;

AddedHealth and well-being

Added39. Observes with concern the growing challenges faced by young people due to the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the excessive use of social media, socio-economic insecurity, war and conflict, social isolation and environmental factors; highlights the need for a cross-sectoral approach and for the next EU youth strategy to include sustainable public health interventions, school-based support and community based initiatives to address these cross-cutting challenges, while also tackling unhealthy lifestyles that disproportionately affect vulnerable groups;

Added40. Calls for stronger protection of young people online by addressing addictive design, cyber risks, cyberbullying and harmful online content, in alignment with the Commission’s forthcoming action plan against cyberbullying and the planned EU-wide inquiry on the impact of social media on the mental well-being of young people;

Added41. Stresses the importance of accessible and affordable mental health services, including early detection and intervention for children and young people; stresses the importance of integrating mental health awareness and education into school, youth work, sport and community settings; calls on the Member States and the EU to strengthen access to mental health support and counselling services in schools and universities, including for students participating in mobility programmes such as Erasmus+, and to invest in training teachers and caregivers to better identify mental health conditions;

Added42. Expresses concern about the growing use of tobacco, vaping and other nicotine products, as well as drug use among young people, and calls for stronger prevention, awareness-raising and health literacy measures that target addictive behaviours and lifestyle-related health risks;

Added43. Stresses that youth health measures must pay particular attention to young people in vulnerable situations and those with fewer opportunities, as they often face greater barriers to healthcare and psychosocial support;

Added44. Reiterates that sport and physical activity promote physical and mental well-being, social inclusion and cohesion, youth development and active citizenship by tackling rising rates of obesity, addiction and violence; emphasises the importance of grassroots sport organisations, local clubs and volunteering structures in providing accessible opportunities for young people across the EU;

Youth participation and inclusion in the EUYD

Change 22

Changed25.45. Welcomes the fact that considerable progress has been achieved on diversity and inclusion in the EUEUYD, Youththe Dialogue;EU’s central instrument for structured youth participation; regrets, however, that rural youth and thoseNEETs notare under-represented in employment,the education11th orcycle; trainingstresses arethe under-representedneed into improve the 11thquality cycle;of inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities; calls for the meaningful inclusion of young people from candidate countries in the EUYD;

Change 23

Removed26. Welcomes the creation of a permanent secretariat for the EU Youth Dialogue; calls for a stronger feedback loop to ensure that young people understand how their engagement impacts policymaking;

Added46. Encourages national working groups to implement the toolkit for communicating about the EUYD and to strengthen its diversity and inclusion, in cooperation with national youth councils and local grassroots organisations as essential partners in reaching out to non-organised youth, including through targeted outreach strategies, in order to ensure a territorially balanced impact across all regions and among all relevant stakeholders;

Added47. Welcomes the creation of a permanent secretariat for the EUYD to serve a key role in the coordination of national working groups and ensure coherence and consistency between cycles; encourages the collection and sharing of best practices and the creation of a database of recommendations and outcomes of the dialogue; calls for a stronger feedback loop to ensure that young people understand how their engagement impacts policymaking and for clearer monitoring and dissemination of EUYD outcomes, including transparent follow-up at EU and national levels through measures such as formal written feedback from the Commission;

Added48. Stresses that EUYD priorities should be linked more clearly to the Commission work programme; calls on the Commission to reinforce the governance of the EUYS by combining a clear strategic direction with stronger accountability across relevant policy areas; stresses that youth priorities should be translated into concrete actions through sectoral initiatives of the competent directorates-general, supported by appropriate resources and developed in close consultation with EU and national youth organisations;

Youth participation and inclusion in EU programmes

Change 24

Removed27. Welcomes the adoption of the Erasmus+ and ESC Inclusion and Diversity Strategy and the introduction of implementation guidelines;

Added49. Welcomes the adoption of the Erasmus+ and ESC inclusion and diversity strategy and the introduction of implementation guidelines; regrets that barriers persist in application and reporting; stresses the need to improve pre-financing, predictability of EU funding and support for first-time applicants and small organisations, including through technical assistance and simplified procedures, in order to improve access to EU programmes, reduce administrative barriers and facilitate long-term planning at local and regional level;

Removed28. Calls on the Commission to align the post-2027 EUYS with new programmes under the multiannual financial framework, such as Erasmus+, AgoraEU, Horizon Europe, the European Social Fund Plus etc., in order to ensure coherence, promote synergies and broaden opportunities for youth participation across the Union;

Added50. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote more continuous and sustainable outreach for young people with fewer opportunities, as well as to conduct qualitative studies and further establish clear inclusion targets and monitor their participation;

Removed29. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure fair intergenerational budgeting with regard to the 2028-2034 programming period; stresses that intergenerational fairness is not achieved through austerity measures, but through strong public investment in education, infrastructure and climate action so as to leave a liveable world and robust social services to future generations;

Added51. Stresses that the Commission and Member State authorities, such as Erasmus+ national agencies, should further strengthen inclusion, diversity and visibility within the EUYD and Erasmus+;

Added52. Calls on the Commission to align the post-2027 EUYS with new programmes under the MFF, such as Erasmus+, AgoraEU, Horizon Europe, the ESF+, etc, in cooperation with young people, in order to ensure coherence, promote synergies and broaden opportunities for youth participation across the EU; calls on the Commission to ensure that the youth actions within these programmes are coherent with the objectives of the post-2027 EUYS; stresses the need to ensure adequate funding in the next MFF, including through earmarked EU funding for inclusive mobility formats; calls, in particular, for stronger synergies and operational links with the reinforced Youth Guarantee;

Added53. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to apply intergenerational budgeting principles to the 2028-2034 MFF, ensuring that spending decisions are assessed for their long-term impact on younger and future generations and that policy choices affecting young people are clearly communicated and justified;

Added54. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support young people through strong public investment to address their concerns, in particular affordable housing and the cost of living, education and training, skills development, mental health and well-being, healthcare and youth employment;

Quality education and training for young people, including volunteering and youth work

Change 25

Changed30.55. Reiterates that qualityeveryone has the right to education and trainingaccess isto avocational fundamentaland right;continuing training, as well as lifelong learning opportunities; stresses that access to education should be guaranteed for all young Europeans, regardlessin accordance with Article 21 of socio-economicthe status,Charter ethnicityand orin gender;line with the EU’s commitments to equal opportunities, inclusion and non-discrimination;

Formal education and training

Change 26

Removed31. Calls for the EU and its Member States to guarantee free, inclusive and high-quality public education for all young people;

Added56. Calls for the EU and its Member States to strengthen inclusive and high-quality education for all young people, from early childhood education through higher education, VET and lifelong learning, to prioritise support for learners at risk of early school leaving and disengagement and to reduce financial and practical barriers to access, in line with Article 14 of the Charter, including the possibility of receiving free compulsory education;