A "European Youth Guarantee" enabling young people not to be unemployed for over six months, a decent income and good quality traineeships: these were the proposals made by Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee as part of efforts to improve access to the labour market for young people.

Amid the economic crisis, youth unemployment is increasing faster than the average rate. In December 2009, 5.5 million people under 25 were unemployed in the EU - 21.4% of all young people - says a resolution by Emilie Turunen (Greens/EFA, DK) adopted by the committee by 42 votes to 1, with 4 abstentions.

European Youth Guarantee

The committee is proposing that the Council and Commission devise a "European Youth Guarantee" to give every young person in the EU the right to a job, an apprenticeship, further training or a job combined with training, if they have been out of work for six months.

Decent income

MEPs call on Member States to guarantee young people a decent income so they can be financially independent. The committee says some national laws could be seen as discriminatory, as they prevent young people from being financially independent. For example, the minimum wage in the UK, which is lower for young people, the limited access to the "active solidarity income" in France and the reduction in unemployment benefit for young people in Denmark.

European Quality Charter on Traineeships

Traineeships are part of an education and must not replace real jobs, emphasises the resolution. MEPs call on the Commission and Council to Council to "set up a European Quality Charter on Traineeships to ensure their educational value and avoid exploitation". This charter, they say, should lay down time limits on internships, a minimum allowance based on standard of living costs of the place where the internship takes place and social security benefits.