– In a new debate format, the European Commission responded to the Romanian MEP’s proposals –

At the initiative of MEP Victor Negrescu, the European Parliament held a debate on the outcome of the European Year of Youth in Strasbourg, on Tuesday, 18 April, during which the Romanian MEP asked the European Commission for a clear timetable for the implementation of young people’s policy proposals at EU level.

In a new debate format, Negrescu invited the European Commission to answer MEPs’ questions directly, and the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, was present and answered the Romanian MEP’s questions, as well as those who supported his initiative to organise this debate in the European legislature.

Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Media and Sport, Victor Negrescu launched the #YouthUP campaign at the beginning of 2023, by which he requested the European Year of Youth to generate tangible results for young people.

This time, in the plenary of the European Parliament, the Romanian MEP insisted that the European executive should support the proposals of young people, formulated within the framework of the European Year of Youth.

“We were firm in requesting a clear follow-up for young people generated by this European Year, asking the Commission to move from nice words to concrete policies, such as introducing the youth test and including young people in all EU policies, banning unpaid internships, supporting European citizenship education, implementing the proposals of the Conference for the Future of Europe and promoting real mechanisms for youth participation”, said the MEP.

He called on the European Commission to speed up the implementation of youth policies so that they are approved by the end of this mandate.

“We need the entire Commission to support the policy proposals requested by young people, which need to reach the European Parliament as soon as possible for approval during this mandate. The European Commission’s proposal to present them only at the end of this year will make these proposals arrive too late. In this regard, the European Parliament has decided to allocate EUR 8 million in additional funds for the European Year of Youth, which have been included in the European budget. However, many European and Romanian non-governmental organisations do not know what has happened to the allocated funds, which is why we would like to know how the Commission has used these funds and, specifically, when the proposals for youth policies will arrive in the European Parliament”, stated MEP Victor Negrescu.

Ahead of the debate, the Romanian MEP and other fellow MEPs and parliamentary assistants displayed banners and posters with the #YouthUP campaign, as a sign of support and mobilisation for this debate on the future of young Europeans.

The YouthUP campaign, initiated by MEP Victor Negrescu, continues the series of actions launched by him in support of young Europeans. In the beginning of this year, the social democratic MEP  asked the European Commission, supported by the S&D Group, dozens of MEPs from all political groups, and many NGOs, to present the concrete results of the European Year of Youth, as well as the solutions and measures it will adopt as a result of young people’s proposals. At the same time, the Romanian MEP insisted on the allocation of additional funds for the European Year of Youth, obtaining, through the amendments he tabled, €8 million for actions and events under the aegis of this year.