Youth: Community action programme 2000-2004

The Commission accepted 10 out of the 13 amendments approved by the European Parliament in its second reading. These include, in particular: - the lifting of legal and administrative obstacles to transnational mobility for young people and to ensure the preservation of rights, particularly in the field of social protection and access thereto and to medical assistance; - the duration of the "Youth" Programme was extended from 5 years to 7 years; - the introduction of a revision clause which would enable the Commission to submit, three years after the start of the programme, a report on the results achieved, accompanied by any proposals it deems appropriate, including with regard to the financial framework; - the setting up of a structure based on deriving the maximum benefit from projects for young people, information, documentation on youth and dialogue with all young people. Other amendments are also accepted which aim to clarify or to reinforce certain aspects of the common position (importance of adequate information to make it possible to reach all young people and to encourage greater accessibility to the programme; promotion of European citizenship and the involvement of young people in the development of the Union; a greater flexibility concerning the age category of access to the programme; taking into account, in the context of studies, the impact of other policies on the world of youth and the need to provide a clearer and more global image of young people's needs and the condition in which they live). In addition, the Commission has also accepted the amendment relating to comitology. This amendment may be accepted in principle by means of wording in accordance with the wording of the provisions relating to committee procedure in basic instruments. On the other hand, the Commission did not accept 3 amendments that were considered by the European Parliament as being crucial. These amendments related to: 1) the funding of the programme : the European Parliament provides a financial envelope of EUR 980 million whereas the Commission limits it to EUR 765 million by strict application of the financial perspectives for the period 2000-2006; 2) a flexibility clause : this clause which would make it possible to review the total amount of budget in the context of annual budgetary cooperation; 3) the studies to follow in the framework of the action 5.2 "Information for young people and the studies concerning the Youth" shall come under the heading of implmentation and, in particular, of the annual work programme submitted to the Committee of the programme. The concerns addressed in this amendment will be taken into account when drawing up these work plans.�