EU leaders flock to Berlin for jobs summit

Previews and reports of a youth employment conference hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on the 3 July 2013 for leaders of the majority of EU Member States. This was less than a week after a European Council summot focused on the same topic.

Youth unemployment in many European countries was at seriously high rates with countries like Spain and Greece having youth unemployment at over 50%. EU leaders had pledged to fast-track €6 billion additional funding out of the Multi-Financial Framework Agreement for 2014-2020 to projects aimed at training or advising youngsters how to get a job.

Accoring to EUObserver, the EU leaders meeting in Berlin pledged an extra €2bn billion for a youth employment scheme that so far was pegged at €6bn. Angela Merkel said that youth unemployment is "perhaps the most pressing European problem".

• Primary Source

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