As far as young people specifically are concerned, the Employment Guidelines stress the need for policies to prevent long-term unemployment based on individual counselling; improved education and training systems; reducing the number of young people who leave education and training systems prematurely; making instruction in the new technologies universally available. • Social integration The Lisbon European Council of March 2000 decided to set in place an open method of coordination to foster social integration. Based on the European employment strategy, this method combines common objectives for tackling social exclusion and poverty (adopted at the Nice European Council of December 2000) and national action plans (presented for the first time in June 2001). Member States have been urged to set out their priorities and main political measures in their national plans, based on the four common objectives adopted at Nice: promoting participation in the employment market and access for all to the requisite resources, rights and services; preventing the risk of exclusion; taking action for the most vulnerable members of society; mobilising all players and fostering participation. On the more specific question of young people, various aspects have been addressed, both in the common objectives and in the national action plans: developing a labour market which favours the inclusion of young people; guaranteeing adequate resources and incomes for young people in difficulties, particularly members of minorities, young women in precarious employment, and young disabled people; tackling inequalities in education; enhancing access to quality services (housing, health, culture and justice); regenerating areas suffering from multiple disadvantages. • Young people against racism and xenophobia Article 13 of the Treaty of Amsterdam greatly strengthened efforts to combat any form of discrimination, and the European Union has acquired new resources in this field (in the form of two directives and an action programme)17. Young people are a particularly receptive group when it comes to tackling discrimination, more especially racism and xenophobia, and are particularly committed to a multi-cultural society. At Community level, it is proposed that priority be given to tackling racism and xenophobia in all Community programmes and measures affecting young people. Cooperation with the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia could be increased, and civil society action in this area will have to be supported. The Commision’s work will be based on networking arrangements bringing together
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Directive 2000/43/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. Community action programme to tackle discrimination 2001-2006: the programme provides support for activities designed to combat discrimination on the basis of racial or ethnic origin, religion and believes, disability, age and sexual orientation.
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