§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 17 June 1998,Official Report, column 246, if he will make a statement on the plans of Youth for Europe to develop (a) European solidarity and (b) European awareness; and if the definition of Europe is synonymous with the European Union. [59998]
§ Ms QuinNegotiations are at an advanced stage on a new European youth programme, to incorporate the main features of the current Youth for Europe III and European Voluntary Service programmes, which run out at the end of 1999.
The aims of the new Youth programme include:
to promote an active contribution by young people to the building of Europe through their participation in transnational exchanges;to strengthen their sense of solidarity through transnational community-service activitie.The new programme, like the current Youth for Europe III, will promote exchanges with young people from non member countries. The proposed programme will be open to the participation of the States of the European Free Trade Area as well as the associated Central and Eastern European countries, Turkey, Cyprus, and Malta, according to the conditions established in the respective agreements with these countries. Accordingly, the definition of Europe stretches beyond the European Union. We continue to welcome and support action in this field.