The Council of Europe has recognised the rapidly rising rate of youth unemployment and its consequences for Europe as a priority in this weeks Summit. In a report adopted today titled “The young generation sacrificed: social, economic and political implications of the financial crisis,” the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) details the dangers facing what some are calling the ‘lost generation.’ “Millions of European young people have decided to stop their studies, to stop looking for work and to abandon themselves in a sort of limbo situation. These are millions of people we’ve lost completely for the future generation, for the future of Europe and for the development of Europe and we should intervene,” said Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development rapporteur Luca Volonté. The resolution calls on the Council and national parliaments to put youth policy high on the agenda and to back it with financial commitment necessary to make talk a reality. Asked formally to provide input in the development of the report, the European Youth Forum urged members to adopt the included youth guarantee and to support the European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships. An air of exigency surrounds crisis discussions at the Council, and youth must be a part of the conversation; as “The Young Generation Sacrificed” points out, “helping and empowering youth today is the best investment Europe can make in its future vitality and prosperity.” “Millions of European young people have decided to stop their studies, to stop looking for work and to abandon themselves in a sort of limbo situation. These are millions of people we’ve lost completely for the future generation, for the future of Europe and for the development of Europe and we should intervene,” said Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development rapporteur Luca Volonté. The resolution calls on the Council and national parliaments to put youth policy high on the agenda and to back it with financial commitment necessary to make talk a reality. Asked formally to provide input in the development of the report, the European Youth Forum urged members to adopt the youth guarantee and to support the European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships, both included in the report. An air of exigency surrounds crisis discussions at the Council, and youth must be a part of the conversation; as “The Young Generation Sacrificed” points out, “helping and empowering youth today is the best investment Europe can make in its future vitality and prosperity.” | 
