The European Commission published a report which highlights the need to support young people who have borne the brunt of the economic crisis. The Commission also underlines that there are signs of hope because nearly all Member States are implementing the EU Youth Strategy, which aims to create more and better opportunities for young people and to promote active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity.

The EU Youth Report published by the European Commission every three years, calls for youth employment, social inclusion, health and the well-being of young people to be top priorities in Europe's youth policy. The report underlines that the EU and Member States must do more to support young people, who have borne the brunt of the economic crisis. Latest figures released by Eurostat on youth unemployment show that highest rates are in Greece (53.8%) and Spain (52.9%). Across the EU, more than 30% of young unemployed have been jobless for more than a year.

Nonetheless, the report highlights that nearly all Member States are implementing the EU Youth Strategy, which aims to create more and better opportunities for young people and to promote active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity. Since the previous report in 2009, Member States have strengthened education, employment and entrepreneurship initiatives aimed at young people. Levels of youth participation in associations and social movements have remained high.

The European Commission reminds that the proposed new education, training and youth programme for 2014-2020, Erasmus for All, envisages a significant increase in funding which would enable up to 5 million people to receive EU grants to study, train or volunteer abroad - nearly twice as many compared with today under the 2007-2013 programmes.