EU Youth Conference
On 4 October, Commissioner Vassiliou i presented the new 'Youth on the Move' iniative at a EU Youth Conference in the medieval university town of Leuven.
She stressed the importance of education and training in today's Europe. "We want all young people to have fair and equal access to education and employment. We also want to give every young person the opportunity to be an active citizen in their community".
The Commissioner highlighted the importance of the EU Youth Strategy, which complements Youth on the Move by emphasising youth participation. "We should be guided by the new provision of the Lisbon Treaty which calls for the EU to encourage youth participation in democratic life. Young people themselves should be ambassadors for the cause...".
The EU Youth Conference, a regular presidency youth policy event, brought together more than 250 young Europeans and policy makers from all Member States. This debate forms part of the ongoing structured dialogue with young people at national and EU level.