EU, young people and the local communities play a leading role at the European Parliament

These days in Bruxelles the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions is being held, which is the meeting of the regional and local representatives of all the 28 States members of the European Union. A session full of themes and interventions that will have, though, among the protagonists, Matteo Bianchi, the Mayor of Morazzone and Congressman of Varese of the League.

Between the various interventions that will be taken in Bruxelles, indeed, there will be also the adoption of the opinion of which Matteo Bianchi is the speaker. It is a series of information about the new strategy of the European Union for young people, thanks to a specific indication on the program “European Solidarity Corps”.

Basically, on the one hand, the European Committee of the Regions points out that to obtain a real commitment from young people, a greater awareness on a local and regional level is required. On the other hand, much more specifically, it requests that the “European Solidarity Corps”, an initiative that offers young people new possibilities of volunteering with a donation of 1.26 billion of euros, has a direct link with the needs and initiatives of the local communities.

THE VIDEO FEED OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF 5-6 OF DECEMBER  

The proposals suggested by the European Committee of the Regions, in order to make more efficient the European Solidarity Corps and improve the future jobs perspectives of young volunteers, are a lot and Bianchi will tell them: in particular he will ask that States members may provide exemptions or benefits as an incentive for sustain solidarity projects; and he will add that in order to avoid temporary or unpaid jobs, it is necessary to draw a clear distinction between the voluntary and employment profiles of the European Solidarity Corps.

To this the Committee adds, that all participants who have completed an activity, should receive an exclusive certificate from the European Solidarity Corps describing the skills they have acquired and that, awarding quality labels to projects, they should promote the most original and effective voluntary activities (such as those carried out in cooperation and synergy with sports organisations,)with the aim to encourage young people to maintain commitments of a supportive nature all along their lives.

This is an objective which is part of the founding mission of the European Committee of the Regions, created in 1994 by the Maastricht Treaty to involve both local and regional authorities in the European Union’s decision-making process and to inform them about EU policies.

The importance of the opinion which will be adopted by the plenary session is precisely in the fact that the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission consult the European Committee of the Regions on European policies which affects regions and cities.