Text tabled : A7-0370/2011

  Tunne Kelam (PPE), in writing. – I voted in favour of this report. Fighting poverty and social exclusion on all levels is especially important in difficult times as today. I would especially like to underline the importance of tackling poverty among children and young people. We need to ensure that all children and young people receive a quality education that is fully accessible and affordable. We need to ensure that all children and young people have full access to health care. We have to take care of the vulnerable in our society, ensuring that if, for whatever reason, their parents are unable to take care of them, they still can obtain education, health care and thus are able to provide for themselves and their families at a later stage of their lives.

Youth unemployment is not a new phenomenon that has arisen during the last years; it has been a constant problem in Europe for a long time and is currently nearly 20%. Europe needs reforms and it needs bold reforms now to educate its children and young people and to integrate educational systems with the real needs of the labour market. Europe will not be able to continue its success story without educated, working and healthy young people.