EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM: GIULIANO AMATO ON THE YOUTH ARTICLE

26 November 2003

Giuliano Amato: "The Youth Article is only a narrow path for a wide and crucial role that young people have in the future of Europe"

The European Youth Forum (YFJ) held its Council of Members (COMEM) in Rome on 21-22 November. More than 90 Member Organisations met to review the work accomplished by the Youth Forum in 2003 and to discuss the current situation of young people in Europe and the rest of the world.
Giuliano Amato, Vice-President of the Convention was invited to the plenary of the Council of Members and answered questions regarding the IGC, the social aspect of the EU Constitution Treaty and the Youth Article.

For the Vice-President of the Convention the role of youth is crucial: "You are the generation that will play the role of the construction of Europe of the Constitution. Consider that the future of Europe is in your hands. The Youth Article is only a narrow passage for a very wide and crucial role that you have".
Vice-President Amato also criticised the lack of social issues debated in the IGC: "The IGC tends to care only about the balance of power between member states," said Mr. Amato. "We have to accept the fact that this distribution of power is natural, but at the same time we have to care about the channels through which and by which other kinds of concerns can be brought to the attention of citizens."

Please find the whole press release on:
http://www.youthforum.org/en/press/press_releases/0815-03.html