The European Commission has recently launched a proposal to integrate the Youth in Action programme (an independent European programme supporting young people) into one large European programme for education, youth and sport called 'Erasmus for All'. The Youth in Action programme, with a budget of nearly 10 million Euros a year for youth in the UK alone, has reached more than 26,000 young people in the UK since 2007. In the EC proposal the ring-fencing of the youth budget will disappear, together with targeted support for non-formal education and youth work, and the European Union will lose its primary instrument for youth policy implementation. The British Youth Council is calling on the UK youth sector to support a campaign to maintain an independent European youth programme.

Chris Neal - the UK Representative to the European Youth Forum said:
 
"The Youth in Action programme gives young people across Europe, particular those with fewer opportunities, the chance to meet, engage and participate in many different projects that support personal, cultural and political development. At a time of austerity, which is hitting young people particularly hard, we strongly believe that a dedicated European youth programme should be a priority of the European Commission."

You can see BYC's response to the proposals here - http://www.ukya.org.uk/NewsDetail.aspx?id=212 - and if your organisation would like to  support the campaign please let us know at international@byc.org.uk