VP/HR — Youth employment key to stabilising Europe's Southern Neighbourhood

22.3.2017

Question for written answer E-001891-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (PPE)

Being at the prime of their productive abilities, young people are key to advancing socioeconomic development.

In the Arab world, two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30. Its unemployment figures, however, are also the world’s highest. According to the UNDP’s latest Arab Human Development Report, the Arab States would need to create 60 million jobs by 2020 in order to cater to entrants to the workforce and stabilise youth unemployment. To ensure stability therefore, the Arab States must make job creation an urgent priority.

Since an approach based on containment has failed to address the root causes of discontent and proven inadequate to improve security and prevent migration flows, the EU is eager to assist Arab States in developing models that focus on job creation, as the Vice-President herself confirmed at the fourth EU-League of Arab States Ministerial Meeting.

Could the Vice-President outline which countries have showed, since that meeting, renewed interest in truly moving forward to create solid job opportunities for their youngsters?

Given the urgent need to act effectively, could she specify which concrete actions, within the European Neighbourhood Policy, could be bolstered to swiftly assist those specific countries which are really willing to implement programmes that target youth unemployment?