This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.
Europe’s young people are suffering disproportionately in
the current crisis. European countries must do more to prevent them
from becoming a lost generation. Youth unemployment rates in some
member States are extremely high, especially in southern Europe,
and reflect the difficulties faced by young people in finding jobs.
However, a more accurate indicator of the youth employment
crisis is the NEET concept: the total number of young people not
in employment, education or training. Last year, there were 7.5 million
NEETs aged 15 to 24 in Europe.
Millions of job-seekers are in education or “in-work poverty”
and others have simply given up looking for a job. These groups
are not captured in youth unemployment statistics.
A long inactive period can leave young people scarred for
years. Many young people who face long-term unemployment are socially
marginalised. Some economists and sociologists are already speaking
about “a lost generation”. This phenomenon is already affecting
democracy and human rights in Europe.
The Parliamentary Assembly should consider and examine separately
the reasons why the problem of unemployment among young people in
each country has increased so significantly. This steep rise in unemployment,
particularly among young people, requires the Assembly to begin
examining the situation, making proposals and discussing a common
strategy concerning youth unemployment.