CITIZENS ANO GOVERNANCE IN A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY
INCLUD-ED
Project 5/WP 19
CIT4-CT-2006-028603 INCLUD-ED
Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education
WORKING PAPER
EDUCATION IN EUROPEAN POLICES AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CITIZENSHIP
Project 5 Work package 19
Dr. Natalija Vrečer, dr. Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik
SIAE April, 2011
Content
1.	Introduction...................................................................................................................................3
2.	Methodology and the sources used......................................................................................4
3.	Main Results:................................................................................................................................9
Policy 1..................................................................................................................................................9
Policy II..............................................................................................................................................13
Policy III.............................................................................................................................................15
Policy IV.............................................................................................................................................19
Policy V...............................................................................................................................................22
Policy VI.............................................................................................................................................25
Policy VII...........................................................................................................................................28
Policy VIII..........................................................................................................................................31
Policy IX.............................................................................................................................................33
4.	Conclusion and Discussion.....................................................................................................34
5.	References...................................................................................................................................37
1. Introduction
The present working paper entitled Education in European policies and in the Development of Citizenship was written in the scope of Workpackage 19, Project 5 of the Included project.
The general objective of Project 5 is the following:
To analyse the mixed interventions between educational policy and other areas of social policy and to identify which are making steps forward to overcome social exclusion and build social cohesion in Europe (Annex I, p. 5)
The specific aims of Workpackage 19 are the following:
This WP has two Operational Objectives, which are: 5.2. To analyse the development of citizenship from the perspective of the access to education and 5.3. To analyse Council directives and other European social policies in order to identify educational components and their connection to social cohesion (Annex I, p. 40).
The policy analysis of Council directives and other European social policies to be developed in this WP will focus on educational components present in social policies and directives which have contributed to acquisition of rights (strengthening citizenship) for vulnerable groups in specific social areas (employment, health, housing and political participation), with the aim to identify elements that contribute to social cohesion. In that sense, the objective will be to study how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all these areas (Draft planning for the next 18 months, p.9).
Therefore the analyzed Council Directives and social policies are related to any of the four areas of society mentioned above and aimed at least, at one of these five vulnerable groups: women, youth, migrants, cultural groups, people with disabilities, and religious minorities.
The policy documents have been distributed among the partners involved in order to have them analysed in depth. This working paper presents the analysis of the policy documents conducted by SIAE. These policies can have non-binding and binding effects at the national level, therefore it will be necessary to differentiate between them during the data collection.
2. Methodology and the sources used
2.1 Criteria for the selection of European policy documents
The selection of the policy documents has been based on four criteria:
1.	Social areas: Directives and other European policy documents (recommendations, decisions, opinions and other documents) that currently form the European legal and political framework of reference in the different social areas being analysed.
2.	Vulnerable groups: The policy documents must be aimed at one or several of the analyzed vulnerable groups (cultural groups, migrants, religious minorities, youth, women and people with disabilities). Asylum seekers and refugees will be analyzed as well.
3.	Time frame:
The following three general time periods were taken into account:
a)	From 2005 until now
b)	From 2000 to 2004
c)	From 1995 to 1999
The specific periods of the new treaties were also taken into account:
a)	From 2003 until now (i.e. Nice)
b)	From 1993 to 2003 (i.e. Maastricht-Amsterdam-Nice)
4.	Category of legislation documents:
(Di) Directives, (R) Recommendations, (De) Decisions, (O) Opinions, and (Ot) Others.
2.2. Research questions
The policy analysis responds to two research questions:
1)	What educational components are present in social policies and directives that have contributed to the acquisition of rights (strengthening citizenship) for vulnerable groups in specific social areas (employment, health, housing and political participation)?
2)	How can education contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups?
These two research questions are responded by providing the following information from each analyzed policy document, as follows:
1.	Source (Document number): Official identification number, for example: Decision No. 1098/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2008 on the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010).
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Housing and Social and Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (D) Directives; (R)Recommendations; (De) Decisions; (O) Opinions; (Ot) Others
5.	Short description (aim, what issue is addressed, brief description of the policy measure).
6.	Educational components identified within the policy and their relation to the acquisition of rights (strengthening citizenship) for vulnerable groups. The analysis of these components will be related to the contributions collected in the literature review.
7.	Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing
the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all areas. This analysis will be based on literal quotes extracted from the policy documents. The analysis of these strategies will be related to the contributions collected in the literature review.
8.	Discussion and conclusions: Short summary of the main findings and discussion on the extent to which the policy achieves its objectives, to what extent does it contribute to overcoming social exclusion of the vulnerable groups addressed. The focus will be on the educational components present in these policies and how they have or have not contributed to strengthening citizenship through the acquisition of rights for vulnerable groups in the selected social areas (employment, health, housing and political participation). This section will also collect the relevant contributions of the literature review.
2.2. Types of policy documents analysed: EU Institutional Acts
EU legislation has two different levels: primary legislation (treaties) and secondary legislation (institutional acts). The Acts of the Council, of The European Parliament and of the Commission are defined in the Treaty Establishing the European Community, as follows:
Article 249 TEC
In order to carry out their task and in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, the European Parliament acting jointly with the Council, the Council and the Commission shall make regulations and issue directives, take decisions, make recommendations or deliver opinions.
A regulation shall have general application. It shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
A directive shall be binding, as to the result to be achieved, upon each Member State to which it is addressed, but shall leave to the national authorities the choice of form and methods.
A decision shall be binding in its entirety upon those to whom it is addressed. Recommendations and opinions shall have no binding force.
Treaty establishing the European Community (consolidated text) Official Journal C 325 of 24 December 2002
	Effects	Description
Regulations	Binding for everyone	Direct effect and general
Directives		Require implementation through national legislation
Decisions	Only affects the parties who they are aimed at	A law with no general application. It only affects its specific targets: member states, companies or individuals.
Recommendations and opinions	Non-binding act	
Other acts:
-	Inter-institutional agreements. Agreements made between European Union institutions in order to clarify their respective responsibilities (mostly budgets).
-	Preparatory acts
Include: Commission proposals and opinions, Initiatives by the Member States, Council
common positions, Legislative resolutions of the European
Parliament, Opinions of Committees, and Other opinions/recommendations.
-	Other documents from the institutions: Commission communications and Reports from the Court of Auditors.
The following list of documents has been analysed by SIAE. Most of the documents were available at the European Commission's web site or in the EUR-Lex data base. The following list is a part of a wider selection that has been distributed among the different partners participating in Project 5.
Decisions
-	Decision no 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing the 'Youth in Action' programme for the period 2007 to	2013.	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oi/2006/l 327/l 32720061124en00300044.pdf
-	Parliament legislative resolution of 26 November 2009 on the proposal for a Council decision on the European Year of Volunteering (2011) (C0M(2009)0254 -
C7-0054/2009	-	2009/0072(CNS))	http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:285E:0156:0169:EN:PDF
Recommendations and opinions
- Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 December 2000 on the social inclusion of young people [Official Journal C 374 of 28.12.2000].
- Council Recommendation of 5 June 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents.
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/pri/en/oj/dat/2001/l 161/l 16120010616en00380041.pdf
- Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 25 May 2007 on creating equal opportunities for all young people - full participation in society [Official Journal -2007/C 314/01].
- Commission health strategy (2008-2013) COM(2007) 630 final. WHITE PAPER Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013 http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph overview/Documents/strategy wp en.pdf
-	Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 22 May 2008 on the participation of young people with fewer opportunities [Official Journal, C 141, 7.6.2008].
-	Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (COM/2008/0689 final) on telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems	and	society.	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0689:FIN:EN:PDF
- Council Conclusions on Safe and efficient healthcare through eHealth 2980th EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY, HEALTH AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS Council meeting.	Brussels,	1	December	2009
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/111613 .pdf
3. Main Results:
Policy I.
1.	Source (Document number): Decision no. 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing the 'Youth in Action' programme for the period 2007 to 2013.
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Housing and Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (De) Decisions
5.	Short description:
Aim: to develop cooperation in the field of youth in the European Union in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013; to promote young people's active citizenship in general and European citizenship in particular; to develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, to reinforce social cohesion in the EU; to foster mutual understanding between young people in different countries; to contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field.
What issue is addressed: the development of the EU policies, in particular with regard to the recognition of cultural, multicultural and linguistic diversity in Europe, to fostering social cohesion and sustainable development and combating all discrimination.
Brief description of the policy measure: There are five fields of the measures.
The first one is the promotion of active citizenship, for example encouraging the participation of young people in the democratic life and fostering the mobility of young people in Europe.
The second is the development of social cohesion in EU and here the involving of
young people in actions fostering solidarity between citizens of the EU is mentioned.
The third field is the mutual understanding between young people in neighbouring countries, for example, one policy measure is the developing of thematic cooperation projects involving young people and those active in youth work and youth organisations.
The fourth is the development of the support system for the youth organisations, for example, supporting long-term youth projects and iniciatives of regional and local bodies.
The fifth is the promotion of European cooperation in the youth field, for example, encouraging the exchange of good practices and cooperation between administrations and policymakers at all levels.
6. Educational components identified within the Programme are only general. There is the general definition about complementarity between the Programme and other areas of Community action, especially education, vocational training, culture, citizenship, sport, languages, employment, health, research, enterprise, the EU's external action, social inclusion, gender equality and combating discrimination. It is also mentioned that the Programme will contribute to the development of the objectives of other fields of Community action, for example, education. As the literature review proves, these are all very important components of improving social, economical and educational possibilities of young people (Cook, Furstenberg 2002).
More specifically the educational component is mentioned in a lifelong learning and intercultural learning within the youth field that should promote intercultural dialogue. Also improving knowledge and understanding of youth is mentioned at one point but the focus of the whole programme is on non-formal education dimension. Therefore, the usual term used is learning not education. It means that educational component in this document is not in direct relation to the strengthening citizenship for vulnerable groups, especially young people.
Some contributions collected in the literature review show that the non-formal forms of learning are essential part of all social participatory activities. These are so called service-learning projects where young people are creative and accountable (Jacobi 2006). No doubt is there always a learning component since the action without know-how is not possible.
7. Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of young people are not explicitly formulated in this document. Education is not in the focus of the proposed strategies, especially not the formal schooling. Here are some quotes where different aspects of learning in the broader sense are mentioned:
"2. The general objectives of the Programme shall complement the objectives pursued in other areas of the Community's activities, in particular in the field of lifelong learning, including vocational training and non-formal and informal learning, as well as in other fields, such as culture, sport and employment. (...) The specific objectives are as follows:
1. In the context of the general objective to promote young people's active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular: (...)
(e) developing intercultural learning within the youth field;" (Official Journal of the European Union 24.11.2006 L327/32)
Implementation of the Programme
"3. The Commission and the participating countries shall take appropriate measures to encourage the recognition of non- formal and informal learning for young people, for example by means of documents or certificates, whilst taking account of national situations recognising the experience gained by the beneficiaries and attesting to the direct participation of young people or those active in youth work and youth organisations in an action under the Programme".
(Official Journal of the European Union 24.11.2006 L327/34)
"Complementarity with other Community actions
1. The Commission shall ensure the complementarity between the Programme and other areas of Community action, especially education, vocational training, culture, citizenship, sport, languages, employment, health, research, enterprise, the EU's external action, social inclusion, gender equality and combating discrimination.
The main activities of the youth organisations that are likely to contribute to the strengthening and effectiveness of Community action are:
— non-formal and informal learning and youth activity programmes,
promoting intercultural learning and understanding" (Official Journal of the European Union 24.11.2006 L 327/36).
The analysis of these strategies shows that the educational component of the document is not in the formal schooling but in different informal and non-formal educational activities. The activities are to be led by the youth organisations and the civic organisations that deal with young people. They should provide non-formal and informal learning opportunities with a European dimension, for example respect for human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination.
The contributions collected in the literature review show that this is an important direction of the Programme. Young people and children should be involved in the social participatory actions as soon as possible to learn how to be active citizens on local, regional and national level (Mathews, Limb 1998). The idea behind is the need to empower young people by practical social activities where knowledge is achieved by doing and learning in the context of project self-management and peer education.
8. Discussion and conclusions
The formal education system and schooling plays no role in this programme. It is mentioned that the activities will help to achieve goals in the field of education but this is the only reference in the whole document. The educational components present in these policies contribute to strengthening citizenship through informal and non-formal learning. It is even mentioned in the document that this Programme should encourage the recognition of non-formal and informal learning for young people, for example by means of documents or certificates, recognising the experience of those active in youth work and youth organisations in an action under the Programme.
The Programme is intended to support not-for-profit projects for young people, groups of young people, those active in youth work and youth organisations and those projects where young people participate actively and directly in activities of their own devising in which they play the key roles. The young people should also have the key role as educators. It means that all voluntary work and other activities must include a non-formal education dimension and self-learning process.
The relevant contributions of the literature review show that social participation at an early age fosters social engagement later in life (Schutz 2006). The good practises that we analysed are based on social participatory activities and accountability of young people, and - as some authors also mention them - children. Community
engagement of youth organisations on local level is an important learning process in active citizenship and authentic participation (Cook, Furstenberg 2002).
The need for informal and non-formal learning and learning process for peers stems also from the fact that very often the schools are not accountable to local community and the community knowledge is not part of the curriculum.
Therefore, the aim of this action is to support the operation of youth NGOs and their networking, ensuring quality by means of exchange, training and networking of those active in youth work and youth organisations and encouraging partnerships with local and regional authorities.
An important aim of this action is also to organise structured dialogue between the various actors in the field of youth, young people themselves, those active in youth work and youth organisations and policymakers on the local, regional and national level. It should be mentioned once again, that the good practices prove that the local level is the most important one (Jacobi 2006).
Policy II.
1.	Source (Document number): Parliament legislative resolution of 26 November 2009 on the proposal for a Council decision on the European Year of Volunteering (2011) (COM(2009)0254 - C7-0054/2009 - 2009/0072(CNS))
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Housing, Social and Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (De) Decisions
5.	Short description
Aim: - to encourage active citizenship which is a key element in strengthening cohesion and the development of democracy and Europe's role in the world.
What issue is addressed: - the establishing of The European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting active citizenship, which is 2011, and which emphasises that volunteering is a
key expression of active citizenship and democracy, putting European values such as solidarity and non-discrimination into action and as such contributing to the harmoinious development of European societies.
Breif description of the policy measure: - to promote the development of human resources with a view to a high level of employment and combating social exclusion by adopting measures aimed at improving knowledge, developing exchanges of information and best practices, promoting innovative approaches and evaluating experiences.
6.	Educational components
Voluntary activities are related to non-formal learning experiences, which enable the development of professional and social skills and competences, contribute to solidarity and constitute a major form of active civic participation. Volunteering promotes and encourages partnership and active citizenship, which puts European values such as nondiscrimination and solidarity into action. The term 'volunatry activities' refers to all forms of voluntary activity, whether formal, non-formal, informal and vocational training, which are undertaken of a person's free will, choice and motivation, and are without concern for financial gain. Volunteering is an essential element in fostering active citizenship, nurturing civil society and strengthening solidarity. Volunteering is not a substitute for formal training.
7.	Proposed strategies
The year 2011 was designated as the 'European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting active citizenship'. In the amendment 18 of this decision it is written that "As a part of their strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility, employers could support and encourage volunteering activities". The measures to implement 'European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting active citizenship' at Community, national, regional or local level include:
-	- exchange of experiences and good practices, in particular by means of efficient systems of cooperation and networking between volunteer organisations;
-	dissemination of results of related studies and research;
-	conferences, events and initiatives to promote dialogue, innovative approaches and the evaluation of experience. Raising awareness of the importance and value of volunteering and fostering transnational networks with the purpose of active debate;
-	information and promotion campaigns to disseminate key messages inter alia through the use of media and the internet and the creation of European portal to achieve this;
-	the establishemnt of a European online database of the actors, organisations and stakeholders involved in a given volunteering area, including both their completed and ongoing projects and also their future initiatives, with a view to better networking and communication between them;
-	the promotion of the use of volunteer time as matching funding for European projects" (Official Journal of the European Union C 285 E/165).
8. Discussion and conclusions
This decision emphasizes that volunteering is an essential element in fostering active citizenship, nurturing civil society and strengthening solidarity. This decision establishes the 'European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting active citizenship', the aim of which is to promote voluntary activities and to encourage active citizenship which is a key element in strengthening cohesion and the development of democracy and Europe's role in the world. Voluntary activities foster non-formal learning. They enable acquiring of various skills and competences, however, they are not a substitute for formal training. At the same time they should not bo considered as a substitute for employment. Voluntary activities contribute to employability by facilitating reintegration into the labour market. Beside that and the fact they develop social skills, they also contribute to the personal growth and well-being of individuals. They also strengthen the integration of individuals into society. Volunteering contributes to fighting poverty and achieving social and economic development.
Policy III.
1.	Source (Document number): Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 December 2000 on the social inclusion of young people
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Housing and Political participation
3. Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4. Category of legislation: (R) Recommendations
5.	Short description
Aim: promoting employment, improving living and working conditions and combating of exclusion of young people; encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors.
The addressed issue: With its wealth of experience, capabilities and critical acumen, young people must be more closely associated with the policies which concern them. Similarly, social and institutional players dealing with young people should have an opportunity to give their views and make their contribution to a policy of cooperation in the youth field.
Exchanges of young people in Europe help to make young people more aware of what is at stake in Europe by making Europe more real for them, and to encourage a better understanding among them of Europe's cultural diversity, as well as of its common fundamental values.
Brief description of the policy measure:
To launch Europe-wide cooperation initiatives in conjunction with national and regional and local youth policies; to make the improvement of the socioeconomic situation of young people and their social inclusion; to develop new training opportunities for young people excluded from education and training systems; to promote access to quality education; to encourage access to information for young people and to ensure that young people are not excluded from new information technologies; to seek a high level of health protection for young people and to develop preventive health care and information; to develop leisure-time sporting, cultural and educational activities directed at young people, particularly by encouraging incentive pricing policies; to support nongovernmental youth organizations and youth associations.
6.	Educational components identified within the policy and their relation to the acquisition of rights (strengthening citizenship) for vulnerable groups:
The analysis of these components shows that the Resolution emphasizes the most important aspects of strengthening the citizenship: on the one hand the formal education
and the training and re-training possibilities, and on the other hand, the education in new information technologies.
As was shown in the literature reviews, there is a great possibility for the socially excluded groups to be involved in the decision making process and other forms of social participation via new technologies. In this regard, it is important that the resolution supports all activities of youth organizations, which can be very successful in educating people in new technologies (Jacobi 2006).
In this way, the aim to exchange young people among the Member States and to make them more aware of the diversity and richness of Europe can be achieved via the new technologies of communication not only via real travelling and face-to-face communication.
For the school dropouts or vulnerable groups in general, this way of being included in social participation on the local but also international level is more realistic and should be encouraged even more.
7. Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all areas can be seen from these selected quotes:
"Encourage the Community institutions and Member States, in line with the principle of subsidiarity and further to the Lisbon European Council, to launch Europe-wide cooperation initiatives in conjunction with national and, as appropriate, regional and local youth policies, and invite, in this context, the Commission and the Member States, each within its own sphere of competence, to: (...)
(iii) study common objectives directed at:
Member State conditions which enable them to play a full part in economic and social life (standard of living, quality of life, employment, training, education, housing, healthcare, culture, sport and leisure) (...)
Encourage the Member States to:
(a) promote measures to prevent young people being excluded, unemployed and leading a precarious existence, and develop new training opportunities for young people excluded from education and training systems; (...)
(e) promote access to quality education and initiate support measures for young people in particular difficulty, and, under the guidelines for employment, for young people who
drop out of the school system early; (...)
(j) develop leisure-time sporting, cultural and educational activities directed at young people, particularly by encouraging incentive pricing policies;" (Official Journal of the European Communities 28.12.2000 C 374/6-7).
The analysis of these strategies shows that the recommendations about the social inclusion of youth in Europe emphasize the general and the particular conditions.
In the first place, the general prerequisite of social inclusion is mentioned and it is the improvement of social life on all levels that lead to a high quality of life: employment, training, education, housing, healthcare and leisure activities. Here, the education is mentioned in the broadest sense of the word.
On the level of specific prerequisites of social inclusion, the recommendations mention all important aspects, for example training and re-training for better job opportunities, a good education system and a special help for the early dropouts.
What is important is the emphasis on the educational activities, which are not part of the formal school system but are connected to the youth organizations and self organized youth groups. In the case of socially excluded youth they usually have better access to them and more possibility to be successful.
It is important that the resolution relies heavily on the youth policy on local level and not only national and regional ones. As we have seen in the analysis of some good practices, the local level is the most important one since the young can identify with the local problems and are ready to find the solutions (Schutz 2006).
8. Discussion and conclusions:
The discussed policy contributes to overcoming social exclusion of the vulnerable groups addressed by explicitly demanding the creation of the conditions for young people to become involved in the decision processes concerning them. Unfortunately, it is not explained how this important goal could be achieved. The social inclusion is mentioned in the connection with the support that should be given to the non-governmental youth organisations that offer young people the opportunities to play and active role in civil society. But the policy does not go further to explain how this could be done, namely the empowerment of young people via the youth organisations.
As the literature review shows there are some examples of the involvement of youth organisations in the decision-making process - especially in France and in Scandinavian countries but it is not the general rule (Matthews, Limb 1998). Therefore some guidelines about how to achieve this goal should have been given.
The educational components present in these policies focus on the exchange of young people in Europe. The idea is that the exchange of young people will establish the communication among them and finally the bond and mutual understanding of what Europe and European Union is. The policy proposes the establishing of a Europe of knowledge that is open to all and the exchange of young people on all educational levels should be a way to achieve this goal. This is one of the best ideas because it is based on the assumption that the practice itself produces most fruitful results; it means that the policy did not focus on the knowledge itself but on the exchange of students.
In the past decade since the resolution was accepted, we have been witnessing the constant exchange stream of young people inside European Union and beyond. Since we cannot measure the bonds that have been created among the young people that have met and communicated we can assume that these bonds are stronger then before and that knowledge, which was accumulated, is much bigger.
This looks as a less important factor in the policy of social inclusion but the literature review shows that people can easily identify with the local level and their local issues. If this is true, then the exchange policy helps young people to understand each other and other parts of Member States and in this way promotes the identification with the idea of the Union "as the local" they should all be interested in.
Therefore this policy also considerably contributed to strengthening the supra-national idea of citizenship of the European Union.
Policy IV.
1.	Source (Document number): Council Recommendation of 5 June 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents.
2.	Area: Health and Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: youth, women.
4.	Category of legislation: (R) Recommendations
5. Short description
Aim: the attainment of a high level of health protection and prevention of alcohol abuse.
What issue is addressed: a more comprehensive approach to reduce alcohol-related harm to public and especially youth health and to the social welfare in general
Brief description of the policy measure: to take measures concerning maximum permitted blood alcohol content especially for young drivers; all advertising of alcohol beverages shall comply with a set of criteria, with a specific reference to the protection of minors and youth; to foster a multisectoral approach to educating young people about alcohol and to involve young people in youth health-related policies and actions.
6.	Educational components identified within the policy and their relation to the acquisition of rights (strengthening citizenship) for vulnerable groups. The multisectoral approach to educating young people about alcohol and to involve young people in youth health-related policies and actions are the most effective of the recommended measures. The material about the alcohol-related harm should be available everywhere where young people meet. In this way, the responsibility for one own health will be promoted and in this regard also active citizenship.
The campaigns against drinking alcohol and driving also strengthen the citizenship and civic responsibility and should promote the very idea that citizenship means civic and personal responsibility. It is good that this idea is already included in the strategies in the way that it is especially mentioned that young people should be involved in health-related policies and actions.
The literature review so far indicates the importance of the involvement of children and youth in the policy on local level. It also shows that the participation has to be connected to the real issues on the local level and that schools have to be part of it (Schutz 2006). They should be part of it regarding the involvement in different projects but also to include certain relevant topics in the curriculum. Alcohol abuse is no doubt one of them.
7.	Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all areas are:
"2. ensure that the development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive health promotion policies and programmes targeted at children, adolescents, their parents, teachers and carers, at local, regional, national and European level, should appropriately include the alcohol issue, with a particular emphasis on settings such as youth organisations, sporting organisations and schools, and taking into account existing
experiences, for instance the 'health-promoting school'; (...)
4. foster a multisectoral approach to educating young people about alcohol, in order to help prevent the negative consequences of its consumption, involving as appropriate, the education, health and youth services, law enforcement agencies, relevant non-governmental organisations and the media; (...)
7.	encourage the production of advisory materials for parents to help them discuss alcohol issues with their children, and promote their dissemination via local networks such as schools, health care services, libraries, community centres as well as via the Internet;
8.	further develop specific initiatives addressed to young people on the dangers of drink-driving, with a specific reference to settings such as leisure and entertainment venues, schools and driving schools;"
(Official Journal of the European Communities 16.6.2001, L 161/40)
The analysis of the strategies shows that the idea to use the existing experiences of the 'health-promoting school' is a very good one. There, the dissemination of the information on alcohol-related harm to the health can be most efficient for the children. It is important though that this topic is not only involved in a 'once a year project' but becomes the integral part of the curriculum. The children are probably the group where the constant education about the alcohol abuse can be the most efficient.
However, the adolescents and young people should be reached at the youth organisations, non-governmental organisations, driving schools etc. - these all are mentioned in the strategies. For them the 'peer' education is the most efficient therefore the strategies should rely most on the youth organisations of all kind. Of course, they are mentioned but to strengthen the citizenship it is of utmost importance to delegate the responsibility for health to the young people themselves. For this reason, there should be more emphasis on the young as educator not only the education recipient.
8. Discussion and conclusions:
The educational components present in these policies have contributed to strengthening citizenship since there is an important emphasis on the inclusion of young people into the responsible attitude toward alcohol consuming in schools, driving schools and other venues of non-formal or informal learning.
The other key focus is on the inclusion of young people organisations in the creating and planning of the activities concerning the rising of the awareness of the alcohol-related dangers to health. Their contribution and experiences are of utmost importance.
Concerning the use of the already established networks and experiences as part of the planned strategy is the plan to rely on the "health-promoting schools". This is a good example of how important it is to use the existing sources and not inventing them always from scratch.
Especially in education, the new content or projects or material often just add more on the already high demanding curriculum and overload of teachers and students. It is a better idea to use the established instruments or mechanism and find the time and space there for urgent contents, like the alcohol abuse.
What is missed in these strategies is the content concerning alcohol abuse that should be integral and comprehensive part of curriculum of elementary and secondary educational level.
To sum up: The main finding concerning the educational components present in this policy is that it does understand the importance of education - formal and informal - and is focused on the youth organisations and non-government organisations as educators. In this way it has contributed to strengthening citizenship through the acquisition of rights for vulnerable groups in the social area of health. Even in the area of political participation, there are some recommendations that the youth should be part of the planning and conceptualizing the policy about all issues concerning them (Schutz, 2006).
However, as it was proved in the analysed literature, there should be a more explicit policy on inclusion of young people and children into all forms of participation and decision making process (Matthews, Limb 1998). It is not enough that the policy is focused on the protection because it is less efficient. If children and young people are given more chance to participate and to take the responsibility, it could lead to their more self-protective attitude and behaviour concerning alcohol abuse.
Policy V.
1. Source (Document number): Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 25 May 2007 on creating equal opportunities for all young people - full participation in society.
2. Area: Employment, Health, Housing and Political participation
3. Vulnerable Group: youth.
4.	Category of legislation: (R) Recommendations
5.	Short description
Aim: to provide numerous and extensive opportunities for formal, non-formal and informal learning, with the aim of giving as many young people as possible the chance to acquire the skills and competences necessary for active citizenship and to lead autonomous and healthy lifestyles.
What issue is addressed: the transitional stages education - training - employment and the need for better job opportunities for young people; the cross-sectoral cooperation between youth policy and other relevant policy areas.
Brief description of the policy measure: to find the ways of achieving more active participation of all young people in decision-making processes concerning them; to make full use of the Youth in Action Programme (2006) and to involve young people in the preparation and implementation of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008); to reinforce the youth dimension of social inclusion policy.
6.	Educational components
Educational components identified within the policy and their relation to the strengthening citizenship for youth are numerous: there are efforts to reduce the numbers of early school leavers and to promote full participation of young people with fewer opportunities in education; the guidance and help in the transitional stages from education to employment are suggested as a strong policy; to provide extensive opportunities for non-formal and informal learning so that young people acquire competences needed for active participation in the society. There are several others measures mentioned but in a very general sense, for example, the right of all young people to have access to high-quality education.
The analysis of these components shows that the notion of education is a broad one and includes all formal and informal aspects. This is good since it is proved by the literature analysis that formal education is not always the best way to educate people because they cannot identify with it (Schutz 2006).
On the other hand, it is important to acknowledge the extreme importance of the formal education in setting the job opportunities for young people and this should be stressed out more. In modern society there is no other institution that is so powerful as it is the formal school system in giving people the equal opportunities or to reproduce the social inequalities. Therefore there should be even more policy recommendations to tackle this issue (Jenson, Saint-Martin 2003).
7. Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all areas can be seen in these quotes:
"Invite the member states to:
1.	facilitate the development of local and/or regional strategies as part of the further implementation of the European Pact for Youth. Such strategies should include all relevant stake-holders, social partners and young people themselves and should help to put in place individual support measures to promote qualified, easily accessible guidance and counseling services concerning the transitional stages between education, training and employment and suitable conditions to reconcile family, private and professional life;
2.	to prioritise the concerns of young people in the national reform programmes and the key policies which affect the quality of life of young people, in particular by enhancing the cross-sectoral cooperation between youth policy and other relevant policy areas (educational, economic and employment, family, social, health and sports policy, policy on the rights of the child, gender equality policy, cultural policy, as well as housing and regional and local planning policy);
3.	continue efforts to further reduce the numbers of early school leavers through appropriate incentives and actions, particularly by taking specific measures in order to make full participation in education a reality for young people with fewer opportunities, and by promoting the quality and attractiveness of education and training;" (Official Journal of the European Communities 22.12.2007 C314/3)
The analysis of these strategies shows that the document covers all aspects of education: formal, non-formal, and informal. It places education on the first place among the policy areas that should work together to promote full participation of young people in the society and strengthen citizenship. One vulnerable group is especially mentioned, the early school leavers, and the necessary measures to reduce the number of them as well. There are also several measures to reduce the disadvantages of rural young people. The cross-sectoral cooperation as a measure is described as a necessary mechanism that should work on all levels - national, regional and local planning policy. The literature
review shows that the local level is very important and that young people should be involved in tackling local issues and in all decision-making processes.
8. Discussion and conclusions:
The described policy contributes to overcoming social exclusion of the vulnerable groups by addressing the problem through cross-sectoral cooperation between youth policy and other relevant policy areas. It encourages youth organisations, young people and other youth policy stakeholders to find new ways of achieving more active political participation of young people. The literature review suggests that it is best if children are already involved in the participatory structures, the most important of them are on the local level. There are examples of good practices that combine social participation on the local level with the school activities - in fact the two should be combined as service learning projects or collaborative social action (Schutz 2006).
The educational components present in these policies have contributed to strengthening citizenship through the policy of giving the young people the chance to acquire the skills and competences necessary for active citizenship. There are also recommendations to assist young people and their organisations in combating discrimination, social exclusion and intolerance. As already mentioned, there is strong evidence in the literature review that engaging children and youth in social activism fosters social participation and engagement later in life. It is quite obvious that full participation should start early in life (Matthews, Limb 1998).
The literature review also indicates that the educational curriculum should integrate the specific knowledge, relevant for the local or regional area that should become the integral part of the national curriculum (Schutz 2006). These aspects are not mentioned in the analysed policy though it is important to establish the active participatory role of school in every local environment.
Policy VI.
1.	Source (Document number): Commission health strategy (2008-2013) COM(2007) 630 final. WHITE PAPER Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013
2.	Area: Employment, Health
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4. Category of legislation: (R)Recommendations
5.	Short description
Aim: - to set out a coherent framework - a EC Health Strategy - to give direction to Community activities in health.
What issue is addressed: Health is very important in people' s lives and needs to be supported by effective policies and actions at various levels: at the level of Member States, at EC level and at global level. This Strategy emphasizes the description of health issues in all important policies not only health ones. The demographic changes including population ageing are changing disease patterns and represent a challenge for the sustainability of EU health systems. Pandemics, major physical and biological incidents and bioterrorism pose threats to health. Besides, climate change is causing new communicable disease patterns. In recent years we have seen a development of health care systems due to new technologies which are revolutionising the way we promote health and predict, prevent and treat illness. For all those reasons there is a need for a new health strategy.
Breif description of the policy measure: Health policy at the level of European Community should foster good health, protect citizens from threats, and support sustainability.
6.	Educational components
Education is not explicitly mentioned in the white paper Together for health (2007) except health promotion, which is very important for enhancing health and the latter is important for the wellbeing of individuals and society. The measures to promote the health of older people and the workforce and actions on children's and young people's health are one of the proposed actions by European Commission.
7.	Proposed strategies
Strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship of vulnerable groups are not explicitly mentioned in the document, however, there are proposals for main actions. Some of the actions that need to be taken are the following:
Adoption of a Statement on fundamental health values (Commission, Member States)
System of European Community Health Indicators with common mechanisms for collection of comparable health data at all levels, including a Communication on an exchange of health related information (Commission) Further work on how to reduce inequities in health (Commission) Promotion of health literacy programmes for different age groups (Commission) Strengthen mechanisms for surveillance and response to health threats, including review of the remit of the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (Commission) Health aspects on adaptation to climate change (Commission) Community framework for safe, high quality and efficient health services (Commission)
Support Member States and Regions in managing innovation in health systems (Commission)
Support implementation and interoperability of e-health solutions in health systems (Commission)
Development of a programme of analytical studies of the economic relationships between health status, health investment and economic growth and development (Commission, Member States)
Strengthening integration of health concerns into all policies at Community, Member State and regional levels, including use of Impact Assessment and evaluation tools (Commission, Member States)
Enhance the Community's status in international organisations and strengthen cooperation on health with strategic partners and countries (Commission) In line with the priorities agreed with third countries and with the policy dialogue and sectoral approaches developed for external assistance, ensure an adequate inclusion of health in the EU's external assistance and promote the implementation of international health agreements, in particular FCTC and IHR (Commission)
8. Discussion and conclusions
Health is central to societies and people, it is very important in people' s lives and needs to be supported by effective policies and actions at various levels: at the level of Member States, at EC level and at global level. Therefore there is a need for a new health strategy such as white paper Together for Health, which was written by European Commission, because although member states have the main responsibility for health policy and provision of healthcare, they can not be effective if they act alone, there is a need for cooperative action at a European Community level.
Several international declarations recognise fundamental rights relating to health, such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which recognises citizens' right of access to preventive healthcare and the right to benefit from medical treatment. Citizens'
empowerment is a core value. Although education is not explicitly mentioned in the white paper Together for Health, health promotion for people of all ages is emphasised as very important and considered as one of the proposed actions of this Strategy.
Healthy population is considered as a prerequisite for economic productivity and prosperity. Population's life expectancy in good life - not just length of life - is a key factor for economic growth. Thus spending on health is not just a cost, but an investment. Prevention plays a cruicial role here. New technologies such as E-health, genomics and biotechnologies can improve prevention and enhance health.
Policy VII.
1.	Source (Document number): Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 22 May 2008 on the participation of young people with fewer opportunities.
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (R) Recommendations
5.	Short description
Aim: to improve employment opportunities, education, training and mobility prospects of young people with fewer possibilities and to prevent their social exclusion.
What issue is addressed: equal opportunities for all young people to participate in civic life and the use of the full potential of young people including those with fewer possibilities.
Brief description of the policy measure: the improvement of the achievement level of learners with migrant background and from disadvantaged groups is closely related to the improvement of employment opportunities. Through these two crucial mechanisms and cross-sectoral strategies for social inclusion, the participation of young people with fewer possibilities in all forms of active citizenship will be achieved.
6.	Educational components and their relation to the strengthening citizenship for young with fewer possibilities are in this document very general. There is more emphasis on the non-formal and informal learning of young with fewer possibilities via youth and non-governmental organisations. This is important since young with fewer possibilities have usually difficulties in formal schooling system.
However, the literature review shows that local schools should be involved in the community policing and should practice active participation as part of the curriculum. Some good practices indicate that schools have to be part of every programme of social inclusion and that the most important is the local level. It is mentioned in the strategies that the participation of young people with fewer possibilities should be encouraged from the local level up to the national but there is no connection with the role of the local institutions of the formal education. The literature reviews on the other hand proves that social inclusion and participation practices should start at an early age therefore the community school plays an important if not crucial role in it. Some good practices show that the local or community school should even integrate the community issues into the larger education curriculum (Schutz 2006).
7.	Proposed strategies about how education can contribute to reinforcing the citizenship rights of vulnerable groups in all areas are mentioned in this part of the document:
"6. the transition and mobility between training and education systems and the labour market is of great importance for the prevention of unemployment and social exclusion of young people;
7.	in the context of the Community cooperation framework in the field of education, tackling the problem of early school leavers and educational disadvantage is a major challenge; evidence shows that educational achievement in most Member States still depends on socio-economic background, and additional efforts and strategies are therefore necessary to address this structural inequality;
8.	non-formal and informal learning has a key role to play as an instrument supporting the social and economic inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities; in this context, the work of youth workers and youth organisations with these youngsters is of particular importance" (Official Journal of the European Union 7.6.2008 C 141/2).
The very important part of the policy is the attention given to the transition and mobility
between education system and the labour market. The literature review shows that one of the good practices is established in Sweden. There, the state, unions and corporations actively support the transition to adulthood to develop a productive and financially self-reliant citizenry and to increase the odds that young people will voluntarily carry out the obligations of citizenship. The state-business-union partnership in employment policy and training of youth looks like a crucial factor that helps education to be more efficient -especially in the case of young people with fewer opportunities.
What is also mentioned in the strategies and proved in the literature review is the need to engage young people in decision-making process through the participatory structures of the youth organisations and informal learning.
8. Discussion and conclusions:
The proposed measures in this document contribute to overcoming social exclusion of the vulnerable groups addressed in many ways. On the general level, the focus is on combating poverty, social exclusion and unemployment, which are all the main reasons that some young people have fewer possibilities at the very start as well as later in life.
The focus of the document is not that much on the educational components but we could say that the education component is hidden in other policies.
For example, there is an important support invested in the development of innovative measures to improve the access to ICT for the young people with fewer opportunities. The literature review shows that the digital inclusion is very important and can effectively help to promote other aspects of inclusion - educational and social (Jacobi 2006).
Active citizenship is obviously built from the local level up and what the literature reveals is also the fact that the young people should be involved in the social issues at the local level at an early age (Schutz 2006).
This is all mentioned in the document as there is the policy to provide greater support for learning to participate and to overcome the obstacles for participation of young people with fewer opportunities.
The document also says that there should be constant dissemination of good practices at all levels via exchange of data, experiences and networks. The literature review shows that there are many good practices around the world and that there is a great need for these good examples to reach the broader audience. It is obvious that the access to ICT for young people means also that they have access to these examples and can be encouraged by them and connected to the people with similar experiences.
Since this means the empowerment of young people there is obviously a great potential, which can contribute to strengthening citizenship.
Policy VIII.
1.	Source (Document number): Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (COM/2008/0689 final) on telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and society.
2.	Area: Health
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (R)Recommendations
5.	Short description
Aim: - to improve the health of European citizens by telemedicine - the provision of healthcare services at a distance.
What issue is addressed: Population of European Union is ageing and more and more people live with chronic diseases, therefore they require increased medical attention. Medical support is not always available in remote areas and for certain specialities, in these areas telemedicine can improve access to specialised care.
Breif description of the policy measure: Telemonitoring improves the quality of life of chronically ill and reduces hospital stays. Teleradiology and teleconsultation can shorten waiting lists, optimise the use of resources and enable productivity gains.
6.	Educational components.
Education is not mentioned in the communication on telemedicine.
7.	Proposed strategies
As written above education is not mentioned in the communication on telemedicine. However, it is mentioned that broadband needs to be available for all "and consistent attention to the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring respect for the right to
protection of personal data, are also instrumental in the full beneficial deployment of telemedicine" (European Commission, COM/2008/0689 final, p. 11).
It is also emphasised in this communication that Member States should actively integrate telemedicine into their health systems in order to improve the health of their inhabitants. This is especially important for vulnerable groups who live in remote areas and who do not have easy access to doctors.
The communication on telemedicine suggests a set of actions which should focus on:
-	Building confidence in and acceptance of telemedicine services;
-	Bringing legal clarity;
-	Solving technical issues and facilitating market development. 8. Discussion and conclusions
Telemedicine is the provision of healthcare services at a distance. It is the provision of healthcare services, through the use of ICT, in situations where the health professional and the patient are not in the same location. Telemedicine encompasses a wide variety of services such as teleradiology, telepathology, teledermatology, teleconsultation, telemonitoring, telesurgery, teleopthalmology, call centres/online information centres for patients, remote consultation/e-visits or videoconferences for health professionals.
Telemedicine can help improve the lives of the inhabitants of European Member States. The inhabitants of European states are getting older and are increasingly living with chronic diseases, therefore they need enhanced medical attention. Telemedicine is especially important for those who live in remote areas and do not have easy access to doctors. Telemedicine is not important only for enhancing health of people, but also for the economy, because it can make a significant contribution to the latter. Namely, the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises dealing with telemedicine is growing fast.
Despite huge developments in the field in recent years, the use of telemedicine services is still limited, the market is fragmented. There are mainly small-scale projects, which are not integrated well into healthcare systems and that needs to be improved. Namely, the societal and economic benefits from the use of telemedicine are huge, however, at the moment they are not fully appreciated or achieved. Therefore telemedicine needs to be included into health systems and this is the task of member States who bear the responsibility for the organisation and provision of their healthcare systems.
Policy IX.
1.	Source (Document number): Council Conclusions on Safe and efficient healthcare through eHealth 2980th EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY, HEALTH AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS Council meeting. Brussels, 1 December 2009
2.	Area: Employment, Health, Social and Political participation
3.	Vulnerable Group: Cultural groups (migrants, religious minorities, ethnic or cultural minorities, asylum seekers, refugees), youth, women and people with disabilities.
4.	Category of legislation: (O) Opinions
5.	Short description
Aim: - to improve healthcare systems through eHealth.
What issue is addressed: It has been emphasised in the white paper Together for Health: a strategic approach for the EU 2008-20131 (2007) that one of the objectives of this strategy is to support dynamic health systems and new technologies, recognising that new technologies can improve disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, facilitate patient safety and improve health systems' coordination, use of resources and sustainability.
Breif description of the policy measure: eHealth is an important tool to improve quality and patient safety, to modernise national healthcare systems and to increase their effectiveness, and make them more accessible for all and better adapted to meet the individual needs of patients, health professionals and the challlenges of an ageing society.
6.	Education components are not mentioned in this council conclusion on safe and efficient healthcare through eHealth.
7.	Proposed strategies
As it was written above education is not mentioned in this council conclusion. It is emphasised that there is a need to integrate eHealth into health policy in order to develop eHealth services on the basis of public health needs. Ehealth needs to be
included in the context of healthcare reform programmes, specific financial mechanisms for its deployment need to be created, the barriers to its deployment have to be removed, the confidence in and acceptance of eHealth services needs to be built ensuring the highest standards of patient safety, data protection and privacy. Legal clarity has to be achieved and protection of health data has to be ensured. Therefore the European Commission has among other things to update the European Action Plan on eHealth. Another task of European Commission is to organise an evaluation, at appropriate intervals, of the health benefits and cost-effectivness of the use of different eHealth services.
8. Discussion and conclusions:
Healthcare systems could be improved through eHealth. It has been emphasised in the white paper Together for Health: a strategic approach for the EU 2008-20132 (2007) that one of the objectives of this strategy is to support dynamic health systems and new technologies, recognising that new technologies can improve disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, facilitate patient safety and improve health systems' coordination, use of resources and sustainability. EHealth is an important tool to improve quality and patient safety, to modernise national healthcare systems and to increase their effectiveness, and make them more accessible for all and better adapted to meet the individual needs of patients, health professionals and the challlenges of an ageing society. In the field of eHealth coordinated action is needed such as an updated action plan for a European eHealth Area. There are several EU documents that include the issues of eHealth. Those issues have to be included in health policy in order to develop eHealth services on the basis of public health needs. EHealth can be considered as one of the main instruments to enhance quality, access and safety in healthcare.
4. Conclusion and Discussion
The general objective of Project 5, in the scope of which this working paper for WP 19 is written, was to analyse the mixed interventions between educational policy and other areas of social policy and to identify which are making steps forward to overcome social exclusion and build social cohesion in Europe (Annex I, p. 5). The specific aims of Workpackage 19 are the following: To analyse the development of citizenship from the perspective of the access to education and to analyse Council directives and other European social policies in order to identify educational components and their connection
to social cohesion (Annex I, p. 40). For this purpose EU documents were analysed: regulations, decisions, directives, recommendations, opinions and other. This working paper focuses on decisions, recommendations and opinions which focus on the issues of health and youth.
Half of the documents analysed focus on health. Health is very important in people' s lives and needs to be supported by effective policies and actions at various levels: at the level of Member States, at EC level and at global level. Although member states have the main responsibility for health policy and provision of healthcare, they can not be effective if they act alone, there is a need for cooperative action at a European Community level. It has been emphasised in the documents that the description of health issues should be in all important policies not only health ones. In recent years we have seen a development of health care systems due to new technologies which are revolutionising the way we promote health and predict, prevent and treat illness. For all those reasons there is a need for a new health strategy. Several international declarations recognise fundamental rights relating to health, such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which recognises citizens' right of access to preventive healthcare and the right to benefit from medical treatment. Citizens' empowerment is a core value. Healthy population is considered as a prerequisite for economic productivity and prosperity. Population's life expectancy in good life - not just length of life - is a key factor for economic growth. Thus spending on health is not just a cost, but an investment. Prevention and health promotion play a cruicial role here. New technologies such as genomics, biotechnologies, Ehealth and telemedicine can improve prevention and enhance health.
EHealth is an important tool to improve quality and patient safety, to modernise national healthcare systems and to increase their effectiveness, and make them more accessible for all and better adapted to meet the individual needs of patients, health professionals and the challlenges of an ageing society. EHealth can be considered as one of the main instruments to enhance quality, access and safety in healthcare.
Telemedicine is the provision of healthcare services at a distance. It is the provision of healthcare services, through the use of ICT, in situations where the health professional and the patient are not in the same location. Telemedicine can help improve the lives of the inhabitants of European Member States. The inhabitants of European states are getting older and are increasingly living with chronic diseases, therefore they need enhanced medical attention. Telemedicine is especially important for those who live in remote areas and do not have easy access to doctors. The societal and economic benefits from the use of telemedicine are huge, however, at the moment they are not fully
appreciated or achieved. Therefore telemedicine needs to be included into health systems and this is the task of member States who bear the responsibility for the organisation and provision of their healthcare systems.
Education is usually not mentioned in the EU documents on health, beside the emphasis on the importance of health promotion and prevention.
Some documents analysed focus on social participation and social inclusion of young people as a way to active citizenship and a better understanding among them of Europe's cultural diversity, as well as of its common fundamental values. The main goal is Europe-wide cooperation among all youth organisations on local, regional and national level. The second goal is the cooperation of youth organisations and policy-making actors in all activities that promote social inclusion, exchanging of good practices and social participation.
The education as a formal system of schooling plays in these documents a minor role. It is regarded as a necessary mechanism to achieve social inclusion and active citizenship but not the sufficient one. All documents focus on the non-formal and informal forms of learning, on the peer educators, on training and re-training activities as a part of the youth organisations and the organisations that deal with young population and adolescents.
Only the Recommendation on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents specifically mentions the network of schools. This recommendation ensures that the development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive health promotion policies and programmes targeted at children, adolescents, their parents, teachers and carers, at local, regional, national and European level, appropriately include the alcohol issue, with a particular emphasis on settings such as youth organisations, sporting organisations and schools, and taking into account existing experiences, for instance the 'health-promoting school'.
The analysis of other documents shows that the issues of active citizenship, authentic participation, social inclusion, civic responsibility and the awareness of common European heritage and values need much more than education system to be implemented and/or achieved. Therefore the policy of supporting youth organisations and young people in general to learn about these issues counts on non-formal and informal learning activities.
The educational components present in all documents focus on the exchange of young people in Europe. The idea is that the exchange of young people will establish the communication among them and finally the bond and mutual understanding of what
Europe and European Union is. The policy proposes the establishing of a Europe of knowledge that is open to all and the exchange of young people on all educational levels should be a way to achieve this goal. This is one of the best ideas because it is based on the assumption that the practice itself produces most fruitful results; it means that the policies do not focus on the knowledge itself but on the exchange of young people and the exchange of good practicies.
In the past decade, we have been witnessing the constant exchange stream of young people inside European Union and beyond. Since we cannot measure the bonds that have been created among the young people that have met and communicated, we can certainly assume that these bonds are stronger then before and that knowledge, which was accumulated, is much bigger.
This is a very important factor in the policy of social inclusion and active citizenship. The literature review shows that young people can easily identify with the local level and their local issues (Schutz 2006, Matthews&Limb 1998). If this is true, then the exchange policy helps young people to understand each other and other parts of Member States from the perspective of a local level and at the same time identify with the European Union.
We can see how this policy is consistently promoted and encouraged in all documents for ten years. The main goal is repeatedly mentioned as to promote young people's active citizenship in general and European citizenship in particular; to develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, to reinforce social cohesion in the EU; to foster mutual understanding between young people in different countries; to contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field. So, the focus is the active role of young people in civil society and the projects self-management.
However, there should be more emphasis on the idea of civic responsibility, self-reliance and active social participation as empowered with positive and helping policy of the state, family and society where the independence and personal autonomy of young people should become a general value (Cook, Furstenberg 2002).
5. References
Jacobi, P. (2006). Public and Private Responses to Social Exclusion among Youth in Sao
Paulo. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 606,
216-230.
Cook, T.D. & Furstenberg, F.F. Jr. (2002). Explaining Aspects of the Transition to
Adulthood in Italy, Sweden, Germany, and the United States: A Cross-Disciplinary, Case Synthesis Approach. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 580, Early Adulthood in Cross-National Perspective, 257-287.
Matthews, H. & Limb, M. (1998). The Right to Say: The Development of Youth Councils/Forums within the UK. Area, 30/1, 66-78.
Schutz, A. (2006). Home is a Prison in the Global City: The Tragic Failure of School-Based Community Engagement Strategies. Review of Educational Research, 76/4, 691743.
Jenson, J. & Saint-Martin, D. (2003). New Routes to Social Cohesion? Citizenship and the Social Investment State. The Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers canadiens sociologie, 28/1, 77-99.