Tag Archives: Young people

Promoting young people's initiative, enterprise and creativity

Promoting young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Promoting young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Education training youth sport > Youth

Promoting young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity

Document or Iniciative

Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 28 June 2001 on promoting young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity: from exclusion to empowerment [Official Journal C 196 of 12 July 2001].

Summary

Involvement of the Commission and the Member States

This resolution invites the Commission:

to associate young people in the preparation of Community cooperation policy geared to youth, education and training;
to ensure that the “youth” dimension is taken into account in Community activities;
to take stock of the experience gained from the Youth programme;
to take the “youth” dimension into account in devising new strategies for lifelong learning.

This resolution invites the Member States:

to encourage young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in all fields;
to provide young people with better information about the opportunities and support available;
to promote pupil participation, initiative and creativity for active citizenship;
to promote student participation in higher education, in vocational training and in research;
to take note of young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in devising innovative methods of teaching and learning;
to integrate young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity into practical employment-oriented measures;
to promote the sharing of good practice.

This resolution invites the Commission and Member States:

to integrate young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in combating social exclusion;
to encourage young people’s initiative and creativity in combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance;
to promote dissemination of best practice;
to encourage young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity as a driving force for employment policy;
to take stock of the experience gained from the Socrates and Leonardo programmes in order to make the most of young people’s initiative and creativity;
to promote research and sharing of experience;
to develop young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity through non-formal learning;
to promote cooperation between the Member States, the Commission and international organisations;
to clarify how young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity are put to use as a resource;
to educate young people as critical consumers and practitioners in sectors such as music, film and other creative industries.

Context

Many Community initiatives have been launched to encourage young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity, most of them stemming from education and training policy (e.g. the Youth and Youth for Europe programmes, the resolution on the social inclusion of young people, the resolution on youth participation, the memorandum on lifelong learning) and employment policy (e.g. the multiannual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship, and the guidelines for employment).

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions – Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme: Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning

Council Decision 2001/63/ECof 19 January 2001 on guidelines for Member States’ employment policies for the year 2001 [Official Journal L 022 of 24.01.2001].

Council Decision 2000/819/EC of 20 December 2000 on a multiannual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (2001-2005) [Official Journal L 333 of 29.12.2000].

Protection of young people at work

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Protection of young people at work

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Protection of young people at work

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Employment and social policy > Health hygiene and safety at work

Protection of young people at work

Document or Iniciative

Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work.

Summary

The Directive applies to all young people under the age of 18 who have an employment contract or an employment relationship defined by the law in force in a Member State and/or subject to the law in force in a Member State.

The Member States may stipulate that the Directive shall not be applicable to occasional work or work carried out for a limited period in domestic service in a private household or to work in a family business which is not considered likely to harm, injure or endanger young people.

The Directive provides that the Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit the employment of children and shall ensure that the employment of adolescents is strictly controlled and protected under the conditions provided for in the Directive.

The Directive defines categories of young people as follows:

young people: young people under the age of 18;
children: young people under the age of 15 or who are still in full-time compulsory education in accordance with national legislation;
adolescents: young people between the ages of 15 and 18 who are no longer in full-time compulsory education in accordance with national legislation.

The Directive’s main objective is to prohibit the employment of children.

However, the Directive allows the Member States to stipulate, subject to certain conditions, that the ban on the employment of children is not applicable to:

children employed for the purposes of cultural, artistic, sporting or advertising activities, subject to prior authorisation by the competent authority in each specific case;
children aged 14 years or over who work in an undertaking as part of a work/training scheme or traineeship, provided that this work is carried out in accordance with the requirements laid down by the competent authority;
children aged 14 years or over performing light work other than that referred to in the first point above ; however, children over 13 may perform light work for a limited number of hours per week in categories of employment defined in national legislation.

The Directive includes provisions relating to:

the employer’s general obligations, such as protection of the health and safety of young people, assessment of the risks to young people associated with their work, assessment and monitoring of the health of young people, information about young people and children’s legal representatives on the possible risks to their health and safety;
types of employment which must not be carried out by young people, such as work which exceeds the mental or physical capacities of young people, work involving harmful exposure to dangerous substances.

In addition, the Directive contains provisions relating to working hours, night work, rest periods, annual leave and rest breaks.

Each Member State is responsible for defining the measures to be taken in the event of infringement of the provisions of this Directive. These measures must be effective and proportionate to the offence.

The Directive contains a non-regression clause concerning the level of protection for young people.

The Directive provides for transition periods of varying lengths for Member States for which the application of this Directive poses significant problems. This is the case for the United Kingdom, which has a transition period of four years to apply some of the most important provisions of the Directive, i.e. until 22 June 2000.

References

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Council Directive 94/33/EC	22.06.1996	–	Official Journal L 216 of 20.08.1994

Related Acts

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions on the application of Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work [COM(2004) 105 final].

The report concludes that in most Member States the legislation already made provision for the protection of young workers and the prohibition of child labour before the Directive was adopted. There were therefore no significant problems in transposing the Directive.

Report from the Commission on the effects of the transitional period granted to the United Kingdom concerning certain provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work [COM(2000)457 final].

Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme

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Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Human rights > Fundamental rights within the European Union

Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme (2004-08)

This programme is the second phase of the Daphne programme. Its aim is to prevent and combat all forms of violence against children, young people and women by taking preventive measures and providing support for victims. It also seeks to assist organisations active in this field and to encourage cooperation between them.

Document or Iniciative

Decision No 803/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 adopting a programme of Community action (2004 to 2008) to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk [OJ L 34 of 30.04 2004].

Summary

Thanks to the Daphne programme, the EU provides added value to actions predominantly undertaken by the Member States to prevent violence through the dissemination and exchange of information and experience, the promotion of an innovative approach, the joint establishment of priorities, the development of networking and the mobilisation of all parties concerned.

Scope

Three target groups have been clearly identified. These are children (up to the age of 18), young people (12-25 years old) and women.

All types of violence and all aspects of this phenomenon are concerned, whether occurring in public or in private. It includes violence in the family, in schools and other educational institutions or in the workplace, commercial sexual exploitation, genital mutilation and human trafficking.

The programme is open to the Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria (subject to certain conditions as regards the last three countries).

Access to the programme

The programme is open to participation by public or private not-for-profit organisations and institutions (local authorities at the relevant level, university departments and research centres) working to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women, to provide support for victims, to promote rejection of such violence or to encourage attitude and behaviour change towards vulnerable groups and victims of violence.

Programme objectives

An annex to Decision 803/2004/EC describes the transnational actions which are eligible for aid. This basically involves the development of networking, exchanges of information and good practice and awareness-raising measures. The Daphne programme covers the following types of action, which form part of the call for proposals for specific co-financed projects (“Call for Proposals I”):

identification and exchange of good practice and professional experience;
production of surveys, studies and research;
field work involving the beneficiaries in project design, implementation and evaluation;
creation of sustainable multidisciplinary networks;
training and use of educational packages;
treatment and support programmes for victims and perpetrators;
development and implementation of information and awareness-raising activities for specific target groups;
identification and promotion of activities which help to generate respect for persons who are vulnerable to violence and to ensure their well-being and development.

Provision has also been made for additional activities at the Commission’s initiative to fill any gaps in the programme or to complement areas which have not been sufficiently taken into account in the proposals. These activities form part of the call for proposals for the transfer, adaptation and use of the available results (“Call for Proposals II”). Examples include studies, development of indicators and data gathering or other activities to reinforce the knowledge base of the programme.

Eligible projects

To be eligible for funding, projects must involve at least two Member States. “Call for Proposals 1” projects may last 12 or 24 months and financial support from the Community budget may not exceed 80 % of the total cost of the project. “Call for Proposals II” projects must last 12 months and may receive support equivalent to 100 % of the total cost.

Implementation and follow-up

The Commission is responsible for managing and implementing the programme. It must ensure that any results or products funded by the programme are available free of charge and in electronic format. It must also ensure a balanced approach towards the three target groups (children, young people and women). It is assisted in these various tasks by a committee.
The Commission is required to submit a progress report to Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions by 1 June 2006 at the latest and a final report on completion of the programme.

Background

Daphne II follows up the Daphne I programme, which expired at the end of 2003. Daphne I was a great success and met a real need in terms of strategies to combat violence. The financial framework for the second phase of the programme (2004-2008) is EUR 50 million, as against EUR 20 million for the first phase. Daphne funds projects which aim to provide support to victims of violence and to prevent their being exposed to violence in future. Projects of this kind should help to raise awareness of the personal and social damage which violence does to victims, families, communities and society at large.

References

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Decision 803/2004/EC	30.04.2004	–	OJ L 143 of 30.04.2004.

Framework of cooperation in higher education, training and youth with Canada

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Framework of cooperation in higher education, training and youth with Canada

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Framework of cooperation in higher education, training and youth with Canada

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

External relations > Industrialised countries

Framework of cooperation in higher education, training and youth with Canada

Document or Iniciative

Council Decision 2006/964/EC of 18 December 2006 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada establishing a framework for cooperation in higher education, training and youth.

Summary

This eight-year agreement forms part of relations between the European Union (EU) and Canada. The partners plan to boost their cooperation in the areas of higher education, vocational training and youth.

The Commission will grant a budget of around EUR 18 million to the cooperation programme in order to support some 210 projects and the involvement of 4 430 European and Canadian citizens in mobility activities during the period of the new agreement.

New and innovative joint studies and new training programmes will be launched, exchanges of students, teachers and other professionals encouraged and collaboration between youth organisations promoted.

OBJECTIVES OF THE AGREEMENT

This agreement has general, specific and operational objectives.

The general objectives are to promote mutual understanding between the populations of the two partners, in particular by way of their respective languages, cultures and institutions, and to improve the quality of human resources in order to meet the challenges of a knowledge-based global economy.

The specific objectives are to:

step up cooperation between the European Community and Canada in higher education, training and youth;
contribute to transatlantic exchanges between EU and Canadian citizens;
contribute to the development of higher education and training institutions, as well as youth organisations;
consolidate partnerships between those involved in higher education, training and youth work in the EU and Canada;
support the professional development of individuals while achieving the general objectives of the agreement;
increase dialogue and exchanges on youth policy and youth work.

The operational objectives are to:

support collaboration between higher education and training institutions with a view to promoting joint study programmes and mobility of students;
improve the quality of transatlantic student mobility by promoting transparency, the mutual recognition of qualifications and periods of study and training, and the portability of credits;
support collaboration among public and private organisations active in the areas of higher education, training and youth with a view to encouraging discussion and the exchange of experiences;
support transatlantic mobility of professionals with a view to improving mutual understanding of issues relevant to EU/Canada relations;
support collaboration among youth organisations as well as youth workers and others involved in this field with a view to promoting exchanges of good practices and developing networks.

ACTIONS

Three types of action are planned in the new agreement to achieve these objectives: projects carried out by joint consortia, joint activities in favour of young people and complementary actions.

Joint consortia projects

These projects * are intended for higher education and training institutions.

They support multilateral partnerships between institutions in at least two Member States of the EU and at least two Canadian provinces or territories in order to set up joint study programmes.

In principle, these projects should normally involve transatlantic mobility of students in the framework of joint study programmes, with a goal of parity in the flows in each direction, and should provide for mutual credit recognition and linguistic and cultural preparation.

Financial support for student mobility may also be granted to joint consortia of higher education and vocational training institutions that have a proven track record of excellence in the implementation of joint projects funded by the two partners.

Joint activities in favour of young people

This action concerns youth organisations, youth leaders and other actors in this sector.

The activities may include seminars, training courses and work observation visits. They will relate to, amongst others, the following subjects:

citizens’ rights;
cultural diversity;
social or voluntary work;
the recognition of non-formal and informal training.

Complementary actions

The agreement provides for three complementary actions:

policy-orientated measures. The target public of this action is organisations involved in higher education, training and youth. Activities under this category include studies, conferences, seminars, working groups and comparative assessments. They will touch on questions relating to higher education, vocational training and youth, promoting dialogue on the recognition of qualifications and the portability of credits within the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS);
mobility grants. The action concerns professionals, including those in training, who want to study or follow training programmes in sectors with particular relevance to relations between the two partners;
an alumni association. This action concerns students who have participated in exchanges organised by the joint consortia in the areas of higher education and vocational training. The association may be managed by one or more organisations appointed by the parties.

MANAGING THE FRAMEWORK OF COOPERATION

The agreement creates a joint committee comprising representatives from each party. It meets every two years, alternately in the EU and in Canada. Its decisions are reached by consensus, and it has the following functions:

reviewing the cooperation envisaged under the agreement;
presenting to the parties the level, status and effectiveness of the cooperation under the agreement;
sharing information on recent developments, policies, new trends or innovative practices related to higher education, training and youth.

The cooperation will be monitored and evaluated in order to fine-tune the cooperation activities, if necessary, in line with any new needs.

Financing will be on the basis of an overall matching of funds between the partners. Moreover, the European Community will provide support to the European Community project partners, and Canada will support the Canadian partners.

BACKGROUND

The EU and Canada have had a cooperation programme in higher education and vocational training since 1995. The aim of this programme is to create joint study programmes and to set up exchanges of students over a wide range of disciplines.

The agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada setting up a programme of cooperation in the field of higher education and training was renewed in 2001 for five years (2000-2005). This agreement renews it for a further period of eight years and adds to it cooperation in the field of youth.

Key terms used in the act
Consortium: collaboration between several parties in a joint project or programme with the aim of achieving a result.

References

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Decision 2006/964/EC	The first day of the month following notification (1 March 2007)	–	OJ L 397, 30.12.2006

Related Acts

Council Decision of 2001/197/EC of 26 February 2001 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada renewing a cooperation programme in higher education and training [Official Journal L71, 13 March 2001].