(08 July 2014) – Experts from the European Commission and Member States are meeting in Brussels on 11th July to accelerate the programming arrangements and practical implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative at a special seminar organised by the Commission.
The aim of the seminar is to work jointly on the programming of measures financed by the Youth Employment Initiative so that all eligible Member States can start receiving the funds as soon as possible.
Money from the Youth Employment Initiative, programmed together with the European Social Fund in 2014-20, is intended to be used for actions targeting young people under 25 (or if a Member States so decides, up to 29), primarily those not currently in employment, education or training (so-called NEETs), in regions where youth unemployment was over 25% in 2012. 20 Member States are eligible for Youth Employment Initiative funding, as they have such regions.
Expenditure is eligible from 1 September 2013, meaning that funding can be backdated to then. So far, France’s YEI-dedicated operational programme has been adopted by the Commission (IP/14/622) and Italy’s draft YEI-dedicated operational programme is in the final stages of discussions with the Commission. Other Member States including Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Poland and Sweden are also in the process of implementing projects to be financed by the Youth Employment Initiative.