Youth: Community action programme 2000-2004

PURPOSE : to establish a new youth action programme for the period 2000 to 2006. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 1031/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the 'Youth' Community action programme. CONTENT : this Decision establishes the 'Youth' Community action programme concerning cooperation policy in the youth field, including European Voluntary Service and youth exchanges both within the Community and with third countries. This programme shall be implemented over the period starting on 1 January 2000 and ending on 31 December 2006. The total financial framework for the implementation of this programme is set at EUR 520 million. This programme shall contribute to the promotion of a Europe of knowledge by developing a European area of cooperation in the field of youth policy, based on informal education and training. It shall promote lifelong learning and the building up of the knowledge and skills and competences likely to foster active citizenship and employability. The objective of this programme is to allow young people to acquire knowledge, skills and competences which may be one of the foundations of their future developemnt, and to exercise responsible citizenship so as to become an active part of society. In particular, this programme is aimed at young people, in principle between the ages of 15 and 25, as well as those involved in youth work, who are legal residents of a Member State. In addition, one of the main innovations of Youth is the intention of focusing measures on young people who find it most difficult to participate in a Community programme; for cultural, social, economic, physical, mental or geographical reasons. Internally, the programme has been rationalised by limiting the number of actions in comparison with the formulae for the two previous programmes (Youth for Europe III and European Voluntary service) and by decentralising the management of the actions to national level as far as possible. The main objectives of the programme include: - to promote an active contribution by young people to the building of Europe through their participation in transnational exchanges within the Community or with third countries; - to strengthen their sense of solidarity through a more extensive participation by young people in transnational community-service activities within the Community or with third countries; - to encourage young people's initiative, enterprise and creativity so that they may take an active role in society; - reinforce cooperation in the field of youth by fostering the exchange of good practice, the training of youth workers/leaders and the development of innovative actions at Community level. The objectives of this programme will be attained by means of five categores of actions: 1) Youth for Europe; 2) European voluntary service; 3) youth initiatives; 4) joint actions; 5) support measures. As regards monitoring and evaluation of Youth, the Commission will publish an interim evaluation report on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the implementation of this programme by 30.06.2005 and a final report on the implementation of this programme by 31.12.2007. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 18.05.2000.�