3. Decision No. 818/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council adopting the third phase of the “Youth for Europe” programme (1995)

(Adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 818/95/EC, 14 March 1995)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN UNION,

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Whereas the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council, meeting on 11 and 12 December 1992, reiterated at the Copenhagen European Council, meeting on 20 and 21 June 1993, underline the requirement that activities taken to develop the independence and creativity of young people must be maintained and that vigorous and effective measures must be taken to combat exclusion and racism, particularly through the education of young people;

Whereas youth exchanges are an appropriate method for improving understanding and becoming better acquainted with the diverse cultures of the Member States, and therefore help strengthen democracy, tolerance and cohesion in the Community and with a view to creating a climate of solidarity; whereas, in that context, young people's active participation in preparing, implementing and monitoring their own projects can be used to underpin the relations between young people in the Community and their active citizenship;

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HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Establishment of the 'Youth for Europe` programme (third phase)

1. This Decision establishes the Community action programme ‘Youth for Europe (third phase)’, as described in the Annex and hereinafter referred to as ‘the programme’, concerning cooperation policy in the youth field, including youth exchanges within the Community and with non-member countries. The programme is adopted for the period from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999.

2. The framework of this Decision shall concern measures implemented by the Member States for young people in the specific socio-pedagogical context of the youth field and aimed at achieving all or part of the following:

— enabling young people to become aware of the importance of democracy in the organization of society and thus encouraging them to play an active part in its institutions,

— encouraging independence, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit among young people, in particular at the social, civic, cultural and environmental levels,

— allowing young people to express their opinions on the organization of society and encourage the various public authorities involved to take heed thereof,

— making young people aware that it is important to ensure equal opportunities for men and women and to encourage women to lead an active life in all sectors of society,

— promoting an awareness of the dangers relating to exclusion, including racism and xenophobia, through socio-educational measures for and by young people,

— encouraging young people to find out about, become aware of and recognize the intrinsic value of cultural diversity,

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— encouraging young people to take an active part in society via non-profit-making associations and organizations.

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