 Younger
generation in
the EU
In the European single market,
experience gained abroad is an additional asset
for any job applicant. By spending part of your
education or training in another EU country,
you not only learn a foreign language but also
acquire an insight into other cultures and work
environments - experience which is invaluable
in later life. The EU is trying to encourage
more and more young people to familiarise themselves
with another EU country during their formative
years.
It is a basic tenet of European
law that no citizen, young or old, of the European
Union may be discriminated against on grounds
of his/her nationality in matters of access
to employment, working conditions or social
benefits in an EU country other than his/her
country of origin. In economic terms, EU citizens
working in another EU country enjoy the same
rights as the nationals of that country. They
pay the same taxes, make the same welfare contributions
and are entitled to the same social benefits.
EU citizens from other Member
States are also protected against discrimination
in the area of education and training. This
is true as regards both admission procedures
and course fees. The Maastricht Treaty on European
Union from 1993 extended the rights of EU citizens.
We are now entitled to take part in local elections
and in elections to the European Parliament
even if we are not nationals of the EU country
in which we live.
The EU has set up a variety of
programmes such as SOCRATES, LEONARDO DA VINCI,
YOUTH FOR EUROPE and the European Voluntary
Service as ways of enabling as many young Europeans
as possible to take advantage of the opportunities
offered by the open borders and thereby become
more acquainted with their European neighbours.
The SOCRATES programme covers all EU activities
in the field of education: it assists projects
in schools, universities and education institutions
in general. LEONARDO DA VINCI is the EU programme
relating to vocational training: it enables
young people who are in vocational training,
just entering working life or unemployed to
acquire vocational experience abroad.
The YOUTH FOR EUROPE programme
is designed to help European young people to
get to know each other better regardless of
their educational background and origin. The
European Young People's Voluntary Service affords
young people an opportunity to work for a while
on community projects in another European country.
The aim of all programmes for young people is
for as many Europeans as possible to get to
know their neighbours better and to acquire
vocational experience in another country.
The education, training and youth programmes
are open not only to young people from the EU
Member States but also to their counterparts
in Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. Under
some programmes, the associated countries of
central and eastern Europe are also involved,
as well as Cyprus.
The EU is looking better and
better for the younger generation. We are currently
experiencing the mere initial phases of this
transition, but in due time, the benefits will
without a doubt be evident.
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