Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-27-Speech-3-230"
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"en.19991027.9.3-230"2
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"Mr President, first of all I should like to thank the rapporteur for her work. As a reminder, I should like again quite briefly to sketch out the new action programme in the youth field for the period 2000 to 2007. The action programme sets out to contribute to the realisation of a European sphere of education which promotes lifelong learning and facilitates the unrestricted exercise of citizens’ rights. By means of this action programme, the various programmes in the youth field which there have been so far ought to be brought together in concentrated form, as the rapporteur has just said.
Although the new action programme is to take the various programmes there have been so far and bring them together in concentrated form, no single programme is to be preferred. Parliament has already approached the Commission to see to it that the relationship of the one programme to another is well-balanced, thereby guaranteeing a better distribution of financial resources. In this way, the new action programme will, in some ways, be easier to take an overview of and also, therefore, more citizen-friendly than the numerous youth programmes that are all too scattered.
A further advantage for citizens is the considerable decentralisation of the youth programme which therefore also enables young people to take part in the programmes in their home areas. I think this is very important because it also provides an opportunity for contact with Europe for young people in whom an interest in this area has not been inculcated at home. The earlier young people get together with people of other nationalities in Europe, the sooner they will take an active part in the integration of Europe.
The youth action programme also promotes the integration of Europe in a further sense by including the applicant countries in the East, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey. In this way, young people have the opportunity to become aware of the cultural diversity, not only of those States which are already members of the European Community, but also of those which are still on the borders of this Community but large groups of whose populations already live in various Member States. This state of affairs in turn has a positive effect upon the struggle for the respect of human rights and against racism, exaggerated nationalism and anti-Semitism. In this way, young people actively contribute to the construction and integration of Europe.
By contributing to programmes with participants from various Member States, young people discover the real Europe in its social and cultural diversity and become alert to new surroundings, something which greatly increases the incentive to learn a foreign language. For a programme of seven years’ duration, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport requires an overall financial package of EUR 980 million. However, the Council is only prepared to approve exactly half of the amount we requested. I believe that I do not have to repeat yet again here that this sum is in fact spread over seven years, meaning an annual amount of EUR 140 million. As Mrs Gröner has already quite rightly said, this money is not being invested just anywhere but in the future of Europe, a future which lies with the youth of Europe.
The education of European youth is not an area in which money-saving measures are to be taken. It is therefore important that Parliament should agree to the programme with a large majority so that we can enter into negotiations with the Council with definite backing.
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