Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Bienvenu. I welcome the delegation. I propose to discuss the issue of youth unemployment and the youth guarantee before responding to our guests' question on doubts that citizens entertain about the European Union. As the Chairman stated, I am producing a report on the youth guarantee on behalf of the joint committee. The organisations that deal with young people and the most marginalised groups across Europe are concerned about the adequacy of the funding allocated for the youth employment initiative. We are also concerned that the release of funding is being held up by the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework.

The roll-out of the youth guarantee at national level will be important. A danger arises from the Council recommendation about gradual implementation because if member states are given too much scope to implement the guarantee, young people who are not in education, employment or training and are in most need of funding may not receive it when they need it. Concerns have also arisen regarding the funding member states will contribute to the youth guarantee, especially member states which are in programmes or fiscal difficulty. We must ensure this matter is prioritised because the costs to member states of youth unemployment in terms of GDP are very high and they will also face social and economic costs in the future.

In terms of citizens' doubts about the European Union and the issue of the democratic deficit and legitimacy, the Eurobarometer polls taken last year are very telling as they show that the level of trust of citizens in European institutions is very low. This lack of trust is also reflected in citizens' attitudes to national institutions. The President of the European Parliament made an interesting comment when he described Europe as a Frankenstein monster and spoke about the need for greater parliamentary scrutiny. I ask the delegates to comment on his remarks.

A widely published article co-authored by the Minister for Social Protection, a senior French MEP and the chairman of the EU Employment and Social Affairs Committee has been published and addresses one of the reasons citizens do not trust European institutions. It may explain the reasons there is so little trust in the European Union and people do not believe they have ownership of European institutions. The authors wrote: ...the pressure to make far-reaching “adjustments” often means that there is limited time to discuss reforms with trade unions and employers’ organisations before they are introduced, undermining reforms’ sustainability and sometimes leading to social unrest. Many citizens feel increasingly disconnected from national politics, and even more so from European decision-making, over which they feel they have little influence.

This is a key reason for the dramatic decline in the popularity of European Union institutions. In times of economic turbulence people do not believe they have ownership of the decisions being made and believe they are being rushed through.

On the issue of further integration, the article continued: "There is no solution to the crisis without reconstructing Europe’s economic and monetary union, and without shifting the focus on to people’s needs and potential". The authors called for the convening of a Bretton Woods-type conference to put in place an economic and monetary arrangement for the coming decade". They also questioned austerity which, they argued, could only bring Europe so far and stated a broader vision was needed. If people believed they had ownership of the process and would not be consistently penalised by some of the European institutions and if a lasting arrangement or "grand bargain", to use the words of the authors, were in place, there would be greater European solidarity and people would probably become more accepting of integration.