Impressions from the Informal Minister's Forum at the Fringe of the EU Youth Minister's Council
As a subitem of the agenda for the EU Youth Minister's Council, the youth ministers met with one youth representative each from Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland and France. Other invitees included delegates from the European youth summit in Rome and the council presidency's youth event in Cologne as well as representatives of the national team presidency youth rings and the European youth forum. On the side of the government, EU commissioner for youth affairs Jan Figel also attended the meeting.
At a lunch in the EU council building in Brussels, the youth delegates first presented their results by producing a check list of the Cologne and Rome meetings. Afterwards they discussed their aims with the EU policy makers.
27-year old Dörte Liebetruth told Saskia how she experienced the meeting as a delegate of the German National Committee for International Youth Work and how she evaluates future actions.
Dörte, you experienced the informal meeting in person as a delegate for the German National Committee for International Youth Work. What was your task?
I handed over a checklist to the ministers and the commissioner that sums up all demands of the German Youth Event on a single page.
What was the atmosphere like?
It was the first time that I was in the Council Building in Brussels and at such an informal forum. During the meeting we had lunch so that the attendees also concentrated on their food, not just on talking. For instance, when EU commissioner Jan Figel was talking most youth ministers listened closely. Unfortunately this was different when youth representatives held their speeches.
So the meeting was not effective enough?
In my opinion it was good that we as juveniles were able to inform the youth ministers and the commissioner about our demands. But we did not get a lot of feedback on them from the ministers. Because time was running, we hardly had the opportunity to put pressure on them for certain demands or to dig deeper.
What would you change for the next time?
From my point of view, it would be more effective if one or two smaller topics instead of two complete youth conferences were the focus of such an informal forum. Sandwiches instead of a three-course dinner would also help making everybody concentrate on the topics instead of the food.
Participation in the youth summit in Rome or the EU presidency's youth event in Cologne were quite low. Many young people did not even know about the meetings. How could more people's attention be gained for EU events?
Unfortunately, as money is an issue, only few people can participate in youth conferences anyway. But in general, it is the task of youth organisations to include many juveniles in the discussion on EU politics – no matter wether they are members of an organisation or not. When European youth conferences take place, the DNK informs its member alliances via email. It is the respective youth organisation's task to forward this information to their own people.
Maybe the lack of participation is connected to the not-so-present youth policy on the European level.
Youth policy is often forgotten about, that is true. With the European youth pact the heads of the governments were aiming high some years ago. They wanted to take a stand for better mobility of young people and, also, the compatibility of family and career. Sadly, not much has happened yet. That is why we as adolescents and delegates need to be a constant reminder of young people's needs to the policy makers.
The Agenda's theme was "equal opportunities and social participation for all young people in Europe". Why do you think that more equality of opportunity should be achieved?
I do not like living in a society where educational success and future opportunities of young people depend on the educational level, income and heritage of their parents. I think no human being should be worth more than another one. Therefore, equal opportunities and social participation must at last become reality for all young people. In addition, more opportunities for youngsters to participate strengthen our democracy. And unfortunately our society needs such a strengthening badly.
Why are these demands important for young Europeans?
I think it is important that people discuss youth politics on a European level because young people's problems are similar all over Europe. When youth ministers exchange their thoughts on a European level, they can learn a lot from each other. The same goes for youth organisations.
How do you think youth policy will continue in the future?
I am curious to take a look at the memorandum of the European Commission for the Future of European Youth Policy which will be published in autumn. Within the last years, many discussions dealt with the social participation of young people and their occupational and social integration. Both issues must be brought together now. For it is clear that investments in youth are also investments in the future. All young people should be entitled to equal opportunities and social participation – independent from economic cost-benefit calculations.
What can young Europeans do for this?
A lot more young Europeans need to become active, interfere in politics and take over responsibilities in youth alliances. I wish that all juveniles would not just get to know Europe by means of fusty school books but experience it themselves at European youth meetings.
Saskia