EU Youth Directors to convene in Saariselkä

The conclusions arrived at by the European Council this spring exhorted the Member States to promote the connections between education, employment, social participation and mobility policies and to incorporate the young and youth organisations in the implementation of the European Pact for Youth. The attainment of these goals will be assessed at the Saariselkä meeting.

Other issues to be discussed at the meeting will include the development of national youth policies and the long-term youth policy objectives of the EU. The development of national youth legislation, youth policy programmes and the corresponding regulatory basis of youth policies will also be addressed. The aim of the meeting is to intensify the dialogue between new and old Member States and to exchange best practices on, for example, the effectiveness of measures promoting active citizenship among young people. Other topics will include the programme of the forthcoming team presidency (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) and other current issues.

The Directors’ meetings organised by the Member State holding the Presidency offer a forum for discussion on youth policy and preparation of new initiatives at European level. Participants at the meeting will include Pierre Mairesse, Director for Youth, Sports and Relations with the Citizen at the European Commission, and Karel Bartak, the new Director of the Department of Youth Policy. Approximately 60 delegates from 25 EU Member States are expected to attend the meeting.

The meeting will coincide with the Lapland youth event entitled Ovttas-yhdessä!, and the approximately 70 young people participating in the event will get a chance to meet the delegates in Saariselkä on a couple of different occasions. On Sunday 8 October, the delegates’ programme will include visits to Siida, the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre in Inari. In addition, as a part of the youth event, the local young people will organise a welcome ceremony during which the delegates will be introduced to Sámi culture in the surroundings of the Hotel Riekonlinna. Activities will include reindeer lassoing, tasting of fried reindeer jerky, traditional Sámi yoik singing and a look at reindeer herding and, on Monday, an evening programme will present the youth culture of Lapland including rap in Inari Sámi.

On Monday 9 October, the young people will present their own communiqué to the Directors on the theme of securing viable living conditions for young people in northern regions.

Further information:
– Olli Saarela, Director, the Ministry of Education, tel. +358 9 160 77277
- Seija Astala, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of Education, tel. +358 9 160 77396–

Media contacts: Pia Ekqvist, Press Officer, the Ministry of Education, tel. +358 9 160 77404
- Ovttas-yhdessä! –event: Seppo Körkkö, Youth Secretary, Inari Municipality, tel. +358 16 687 239, +358 400 313 532