The European Convention discussed this week the text presented by the Presidium on the Youth Convention.

The Youth Convention will take place in Bruxelles, 9-14 July.

* Selection of participants:

Following the proposal of the Presidium, the Convention agreed that each of its members will nominate one participant in the Youth Convention. The Convention members are free to choose their young representatives individually or jointly by national delegation. Youth organisations active at national or European level can make proposals for nomination to the Convention members. For Ms. Thorning-Schmidt (EP), the National Youth Councils should be used to recruit national delegations, while the EP youth delegation should be appointed through the Youth Forum. It was also stressed that organised youth should not be excluded but encouraged. Nonetheless, the Convention Members are completely free in their choice.

* Profile of the participants:

The participants should be aged between 18 and 25. These lower and upper age limits were debated in plenary but these have been set now as a compromise. President Giscard d´Estaing justified these limits, stating the symbolical importance of a “very young” sociological image of Europe. The members of the Convention overwhelmingly appreciated his description of “Youth organisations [which] tend to get older and older and some want to see youth continue for life”!
Furthermore, VGE stressed that the participants in the Youth Convention should be young people free and able to express their own opinions. Other Convention members stressed that at the same they might be representing a broad group of young people.
The Presidium and many Convention members also stressed the necessity to ensure a balance between genders and between young people from different educational and social backgrounds.
The deadline for the nomination of the participants by Convention members is 5 May.

* Prospects for the Youth Convention

Many Convention members expressed their wish to make the Youth Convention a real success. As the representative of the Lithuanian Parliament stressed, this first requires a good preparation of the participants at both the national and European level. Discussions and other activities should be organised at the national level in order to involve as many young people as possible in the debate. M. Farnleitner, representative of Austria, presented the example of a Youth Congress to be organised in Austria and of ideas of cross-border youth events to be organised with neighbouring countries.

Moreover, the dialogue with youth should continue beyond the meeting in July. VGE explained that the Youth Convention would elect its own bureau and nominate one or more rapporteurs to the European Convention. Furthermore, many members stressed the need to keep the contact after July with the Youth Convention, for example through internet discussions and eventually a later meeting of the Youth Convention.

According to a few members, this Youth Convention is also a good opportunity to broaden the debate on the Future of Europe to European Universities, colleges and high schools, to the whole European Youth.

The note of the Presidium to the Convention is available under : http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/fr/02/cv00/00015f2.pdf

Marianne Bonnard
mailto:marianne.bonnard@jef-europe.net

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FULL CONTENT OF THE NOTE

The proposal of the Convention Praesidium (Information Note CONV 15/02)

1. General presentation

The organizational and operational arrangements will be modeled as closely as possible on those of the Convention (interpreters, premises, etc.). They will encourage exchanges between young people and the members of the Convention.

The total number of Youth Convention members has been fixed at 210, broken down as follows:
168 chosen by the full and alternate members of the Convention representing national Parliaments or governments (6 per country), 32 by the representatives of the European Parliament, 4 by Commission representatives and 6 by the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen. The lower age limit has been set at 18 (legal majority), the upper limit at 25. No distinction will be made between full and alternate members within the Youth Convention.

As regards the appointment of Youth Convention members, the adult Convention members representing the national Parliaments and governments will take account of the proposals submitted by youth organizations active at national level. They may make this choice individually or in cooperation with the other Convention members from the same country.
The Convention members representing the European Parliament and the Commission, as well as the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen, will take account of the proposals submitted to them by the organizations operating at European level.
In making their choice, the Convention members are asked to respect an overall balance in order to ensure representative diversity within the Youth Convention: age, sex, occupational status, rural / urban areas, members / non-members of associations, etc.

2. Timetable

The Youth Convention will be held in Brussels from 9 to 14 July on the premises of the
European Parliament:
– Tuesday 9 July, late afternoon: opening, followed by welcome dinner;
– Wednesday 10 July: Youth Convention discussions;
– Thursday 11 July, morning: further discussion and adoption of conclusions;
– Thursday 11 July, afternoon: the adult Convention takes note of the proceedings of the Youth Convention and welcomes the participants to join it (European Parliament hemicycle) / alternative: the Youth Convention continues its discussions;
– Friday 12, morning: continuation of the Convention / alternative: presentation of the Youth
Convention's discussions to the adult Convention;
– Friday 12, afternoon: the Youth Convention draws up a report of its discussions and engages in an exchange of experiences, possibly followed by a closing dinner;
- Sunday 14: departure.

3. Projected budget

The estimated cost of this event is EUR 150 000. This estimate covers 5 nights in a hotel
(EUR 40 per person in double rooms), air travel costs, meals and the other organization costs
(especially the Youth Forum).
The Commission is prepared to contribute EUR 120 000. The remainder, i.e. EUR 30 000, will be covered by the Convention budget. Interpreting costs and the provision of rooms are not included in this budget and will be borne directly by the European Parliament.

Convention members are asked to forward to the Secretariat (for the attention of
Alessandra Schiavo or Etienne de Poncins), by Wednesday 5 June, the names of the young people selected, together with a brief curriculum vitae and their contact details.