Youth focus at the EU-Western Balkans Summit
EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts have agreed to invest more in skills, employability and prosperity of young people.
The special focus on youth and socio-economic development are among the priority areas of the Sofia Declaration, agreed to at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, Bulgaria, 17 May. Leaders of the EU and its 28 EU Member States joined counterparts from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Macedonia, and Albania, to discuss innovation and the future of Europe.
They collectively agreed to enhance support to education, including a pilot project for mobility in vocational education and training (VET). This builds upon the EU’s commitment to double funding for the Erasmus+ programme. Running for more than 30 years, Erasmus+ provides young people, in Europe and its neighbours, opportunities to travel, learn and develop skills through education, VET and sport.
A ‘Western Balkans Youth Lab’ will be set up in 2018, providing space for innovative policy-making on youth issues. The recognition of qualifications will be enhanced through the Regional Economic Area – endorsed by the leaders of the six Western Balkan countries in July 2017. The Regional Youth Cooperation Office – a platform for cooperation and dialogue – will be expanded and an intra-regional mobility scheme will be developed.
More info:
- Sofia Declaration http://europa.eu/!KB79UG (Albanian, Bosnian, language of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegrin and Serbian.)
- Statement by President of the European Council Donald Tusk http://europa.eu/!py86Yu
- Photos https://tvnewsroom.consiliu m.europa.eu/photos
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Did you like this article? If you would like to be notified when new content like this is published, subscribe to receive our email alerts.