Young being frozen out of Convention debate, claim youth leaders

Date: 31/10/02

By Martin Banks

THE Convention on the future of Europe is 'sidelining' youth representatives despite a pledge by its deputy chairman, Jean-Luc Dehaene, that they could play a full part in plenary meetings.

The three youth representatives - Italian Giacomo Filibeck and his deputies, Dane Ellen Trane Norby and Roberta Tedesco Triccas from Malta - claim they have been reduced to the status of mere observers.

They are urging former Belgian Prime Minister Dehaene to clarify their role to avoid the 'youth Convention' being seen as a 'one-off PR stunt'. Filibeck said their views must be taken into account, otherwise the participation of young people in the debate on Europe's future would be jeopardised.

'We can only serve as a relay between the Convention and young people if the Convention remains committed to youth participation.

'Practical obstacles to this should be removed and our status clarified before the working groups conclude their work and the draft constitution is presented,' he added.

A spokesman for the Contact Group of Youth NGOs, which represents youth groups throughout Europe, agreed with Filibeck, saying: 'The feeling is that the youth representatives are not playing as full a role as they could.'

On the subject of Convention chairman Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's proposals for a European constitution, Filibeck said: 'The draft sets out the skeleton for a greatly improved, democratic Europe. It is time to add substance to the proposals.

'The major issue relates to the accountability of the Commission. The European Parliament should be given the power to elect the head of the European Union's executive. This should not be left to a 'Congress of the People' as Giscard proposes, which would only make the European Union more cumbersome. We do not need yet another European institution.'

He added that any constitution must not 'retreat into greater intergovernmentalism' and that the 'Parliament must play a bigger role in the future Europe'.

The Convention on the future of Europe is 'sidelining' youth representatives despite a pledge by its deputy chairman, Jean-Luc Dehaene, that they could play a full part in plenary meetings.