Event report

CONTEXT This event was a hybrid debate about cohesion policy in a post-COVID world. Around 50 Young Elected Politicians took part in the debate together with 70 viewers on YouTube. The main topics that were discussed are the value of cohesion policy for Europe, COVID-19 Recovery, online social rights, youth employment needs. Speakers stressed the importance of cohesion as a pillar to European society and demonstrated both positive personal experiences and some room for improvement. The new Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 has made it easier and more customizable for regions and local authorities to access financial aid. 19 of the national cohesion policy plans from Member States have already been accepted by the European Commission, and 13 of these countries have already received their first pre-payment. KEY MESSAGES - Regions and cities have a lot of potential especially if there are cross border opportunities - Cohesion policy helps improve the lives of citizens directly - Digital inequalities serve as barriers for EU integration and cohesion and need to be tackled with a universal right to connectivity - The transition from student to young worker has been made even more difficult with the COVID crisis. A focus should be put on communities at risk of exclusion to be helped with this process. COHESION AS A VALUE Cohesion is one of the main pillars of the EU’s vision, and measures how firmly member States holds together. Slovenia has invested heavily in the healthcare sector and has approved grants for digital education as part of the ReactEU funding. It is extremely important that local authorities take this opportunity of a wide range of funds through the EU’s Cohesion Policy to ensure strong benefits to the citizens. This is a unique possibility because the EU has opened up almost 1/3 of its budget to Cohesion Policy, which is unique in the world. To be successful, cohesion policy need to be flexible enough to tailor to the regions’ needs and be simple to process for the final beneficiaries, otherwise local authorities might turn to other external investors. This is especially important for projects like Interreg, which is one of the most visible EU policies for citizens. COVID-19 RECOVERY: WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE NEED? Young people have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two main areas that need focusing: education and employment. A large majority of youth don’t believe their academic track prepares them for the future work place. This causes difficulties during the transition period from leaving full time education to starting a first job. However, these problems have existed for some time and were only exasperated during the pandemic. Young people need to be included in the decision making process to consult on the best implementation of policies, especially after the success of the EU Youth Dialogue which started its 8th cycle in July 2021. It is important to focus on socially and economically vulnerable youth as it is easier for this category to feel excluded and unaware of opportunities open for them. Scholarships in education can provide a good stepping stone to create a more financially stable life. HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT SOCIAL RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY? Platform work is relatively new in the labor market, but this new form of online work supply has been rapidly growing over the past two decades. The flexible balance between supply and demand can open opportunities for a less discriminatory working environment, but this will only thrive if the appropriate measures are put in place. It is extremely important that the EU supports the right to connectivity because the internet has proven to be a lot more than just a social entertainment platform, but has instead become a necessity nowadays. To make sure social rights are respected in an online setting, a single European digital market with clear workers’ rights is needed. It is important to stress that this development should reach all corners of the EU, urban and rural. CONCLUSIONS The COVID pandemic has put pressure on all sectors and might still push people to adapt to an online work environment. The EU has to make sure it is ahead of the curve and provide young workers with understandable and strong social rights in a digital economy. The COVID crises brought to light inequalities and this is why effective local cohesion policies are needed to help people. The future can be seen with optimism, as possibilities for young citizens continues to increase.