The long route of a Council dossier
Today 19 November, the Youth Council approved a resolution aimed at giving direction to European policy on youth matters. Before such a dossier is approved by the Council, it has already travelled a long way.
Youth issues first appeared on the European agenda when the Council approved a resolution for "A new framework for European cooperation in youth matters" on 27 November 2009.
Belgium has already given a great deal of attention to youth issues. The Belgian-EU presidency was the ideal opportunity to expand European youth policy and to turn it into a resolution.
1. Conference (5-10 July 2010)
At the beginning of July 2010, the Belgian presidency organised a conference on the history of youth matters and youth policy and a youth work convention. Youth workers, researchers, policymakers and officials from 50 European countries met in Ghent to discuss youth issues.
These discussions produced two documents with conclusions in which the participants in particular called for more collaboration and the creation of a clear framework for youth matters in Europe.
2. Council working parties (14 July – 26 October 2010)
On the basis of the preparations for the conferences, the Belgian-EU presidency drew up a draft resolution on youth matters. A resolution is "soft" legislation at European level in which the 27 member states reach a consensus about a text and declare their commitment. A resolution is therefore in no way binding.
The draft resolution was then discussed in the Council's working group on youth. This is a meeting in which officials of the 27 member states prepare work for the Council.
In July, September and October 2010, five council working parties discussed the draft resolution. With the conclusions of Ghent in mind, they drew up new articles, modified articles, formulated additions and took over other articles without any modification.
On 11 October 2010, official approval was reached: the definitive version of the draft resolution on youth matters was approved by officials from the 27 member states.
3. COREPER (5 November 2010)
On 5 November 2010, COREPER (Committee of Permanent Representatives) discussed the draft resolution on youth matters. The permanent representatives of the 27 member states of the European Union are members of the COREPER. They are like ambassadors who defend the political interests of their countries.
COREPER approved the draft resolution without any modifications. The resolution could therefore appear on the agenda of the Council of the European Union.
4. Approval by the Council (19 November 2010)
Today, the Council of the European Union (Education, Youth, Culture and Sport) briefly discussed the draft resolution and then approved it. 27 ministers who are responsible for youth in their respective countries sit on the Council. As the COREPER had already approved the draft resolution, the Council did not adjust the text in any way nor did it reject it.
Finally, the resolution was published in full in the Offical Journal of the European Union.
Press Contact
Jan Balliu
Flemish Government, Agency for Socio-Cultural Work for Youth and Adults
Gsm: +32 (0)498 361226