Decision (EU) 2021/2316 on a European Year of Youth (2022)

Summary:

Decision (EU) 2021/2316 - adopted by the co-legislators on 22 December 2021 - establishing the European Year of Youth for 2022. This is a text with EEA relevance.

Further information:

This Decision designates 2022 as the European Year of Youth. It pursues four objectives:

• Renewing positive perspectives for young people, with a particular focus on the negative effects the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic had on them;
• Supporting young people to acquire relevant knowledge and competences;
• Supporting young people to acquire a better understanding of, and actively promoting the various opportunities available to them;
• Mainstreaming youth policy across all relevant EU policy fields in line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027.

The European Year of Youth was first announced by the President of the European Commission during her annual SOTEU address in September 2021. The draft Decision was tabled by the Commission on 14 October 2021. The European Parliament's relevant committee adopted a position on 12 November. An informal agreement between the co-legislators on a compromise text for the draft law was reached on 6 December. The Act was signed by the Parliament and the Council on 22 December 2021 and published in the Official Journal on 28 December 2021.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2021)634: Proposal for a Decision on a European Year of Youth 2022 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:0634:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on European Year of Youth 2022 (2021/0328(COD)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2021/0328(COD)

European Parliament: Press Release, 15/09/2021: Year of European Youth in 2022: CULT chair Verheyen congratulates Commission’s proposal https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210915IPR12628/

European Commission: Press Release, 14/10/2021: Commission kick-starts work to make 2022 the European Year of Youth https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_5226

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 06/12/2021: EU to designate 2022 as the European Year of Youth https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/12/06/eu-to-designate-2022-as-the-european-year-of-youth/

European Parliament: Press Release, 06/12/2021: A European Year of Youth 2022 to bring young people into policymaking https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20211205IPR18802/

EPP EP Group: Newsroom, 06/12/2021: EPP Group makes young generation a top priority for Europe https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/news/epp-group-makes-young-generation-a-top-priority-for-europe

European Commission: Press Release, 07/12/2021: Commission welcomes the political agreement on the European Year of Youth https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6648

Renew Europe EP Group: News, 08/12/2021: The "European Year of Youth" - We need to put young people at the forefront of all European policies https://www.reneweuropegroup.eu/news/2021-12-08/the-year-of-european-youth-we-need-to-put-young-people-at-the-forefront-of-all-european-policies

European Parliament: Press Release, 14/12/2021: European Year of Youth 2022 to empower young people https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20211210IPR19216/

S&D EP Group: Newsroom, 14/12/2021: S&Ds: European Year of Youth 2022 should put an end to unpaid traineeships https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-european-year-youth-2022-should-put-end-unpaid-traineeships

Greens/EFA EP Group: News, 15/12/2021: European Year of Youth 2022 - EFA calls for focus on youth unemployment https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/news/european-year-of-youth-2022

German Federal Government: News, 03/01/2022: European Year of Youth: Putting young people in the spotlight https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/news/european-year-youth-1994614

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Commentary and Analysis

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on a European Year of Youth 2022 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-promoting-our-european-way-of-life/file-european-year-of-youth-2022

Youth Forum: Press Release, 14/10/2021: The European Year of Youth Should Pave a Way for Lasting Change https://www.youthforum.org/news/the-european-year-of-youth-should-pave-a-way-for-lasting-change

Social Europe, 05/11/2021: If young people ‘are the future’, that needs to start now https://socialeurope.eu/if-young-people-are-the-future-that-needs-to-start-now

EPRS: At a Glance, December 2021: European Year of Youth 2022 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2021)698836

Open Access Government, 16/12/2021: 2022: The European year of youth https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/year-of-youth-2022/126617/

UK Law Societies: Joint Brussels Office: News, 20/12/2021: 2022: European Year of Youth https://www.lawsocieties.eu/2022-european-year-of-youth/6002138.article

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