Among proposals made by MEPs in a resolution on improving access to the labour market for young people is a "European Youth Guarantee" to ensure that young people who are unemployed do not remain jobless for more than four months.

Youth unemployment is increasing faster than the average rate, amid the economic crisis. More than 5.5 million young people in the EU under 25 were unemployed in December 2009, equivalent to 21.4 % of all young people.

Parliament is proposing that the Council and Commission devise a "European Youth Guarantee" to give every young person in the EU the right to a job, an apprenticeship, further training or a job combined with training, if they have been out of work for four months. Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee proposed on June that reinforcement of employment for young people.

Traineeships are part of an education and must not replace real jobs, emphasises the resolution. MEPs call on the Commission and Council to Council to set up a European Quality Charter on Traineeships to ensure their educational value and avoid exploitation.  This charter, they say, should lay down time limits on internships and provide for social security benefits and a minimum allowance based on standard of living costs of the place where the internship takes place.

MEPs call on Member States to guarantee young people a decent income so they can be financially independent. Parliament says some national laws could be seen as discriminatory, as they prevent young people from being financially independent.

MEPs also call on the Commission to earmark a minimum of 10% of the European Social Fund for projects targeting young people in order to ease access to the fund.