I.  EUFED welcomes the Commission’s initiative to publish, for the first time, a White Paper on youth policy.

II. The White Paper is an important, forward-looking document since it addresses all levels of youth policy and their interdependence, and deals with issues which are currently still outside the EU treaties. EUFED believes that it is of most importance to increase the participation of young people in society and to involve them in consultation processes in all policy areas, thus, contributing for a better governance. Investing in youth is, indeed, investing in the future.

III. EUFED particularly welcomes that in the White Paper the European Commission attaches high importance to youth mobility. EUFED represents Youth Hostel Associations in several Member States and accounts for almost 1.700 Youth Hostels, 2 million members (especially young people) and more than 20 million overnights per year. 

IV. The White Paper underlines the importance of social and intercultural learning. These are concepts which form the very basis of youth work in general, and of youth hostelling in particular since its very beginning almost 100 years ago. According to the constitution of Youth Hostels world-wide it has been their mission to "promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as ancillary thereto to provide hostels or other accommodation (...)".As meeting places, Youth Hostels promote the "openness to all" principle - regardless age[1], gender, nationality.

Therefore, EUFED recognizes in the White Paper the same founding values which support EUFED principles and activities. In this context, and as an example, EUFED is planning to undertake an anti-discrimination campaign to raise awareness amongst young people on the importance of respect for others, solidarity, tolerance. There is a need to consolidate such values among young people, as well as in the youth policy sphere.

EUFED encourages the European Commission to pursue its policy of support for social and intercultural learning as a priority, particularly with a view to strengthening social cohesion through education for democratic citizenship, and the urgent need to renew efforts of promoting international understanding at global level. New initiatives in this area should be developed in close co-operation with civil society organisations. 

EUFED strongly supports efforts from the EU to develop concrete legislation which touches all levels (local, regional, national, European and international). Nevertheless, the open method of coordination needs further clarification. 

V. Furthermore, we are of the opinion that:

• In order to remove the massive political obstacles to youth mobility, the simplification and eventually the abolition of visa procedures for international travel by young people– inside the European Union and between the EU and the rest of the world – must remain high on the political agenda;
• All opportunities should be used to facilitate the access of young people to services and goods – not just through the euro<26 card, but also through other systems including the “Hostelling International Card”.

VI. EUFED invites the European Commission:

• To continue the fruitful co-operation in the context of the European Voluntary Service, where youth hostels in several countries provide places particularly in the area of environmental education. EUFED attaches great priority to the European Voluntary Service, which we believe must continue to be strongly supported by the European Commission. EVS projects in Youth Hostels across Europe have demonstrated to be highly positive to volunteers, stimulating their level of social integration, participation and active citizenship. a learning "by experiencing" which reveals to be highly positive. EUFED invites, therefore, the Commission to invest more in the YOUTH programme. EUFED commits itself to more actively contribute to that purpose.

• To examine possibilities for a close co-operation in promoting mobility education of young people. EUFED Members had always privileged the activities which are likely to promote common understanding, and had acted as a "catalyst" for active citizenship, participation and involvement of young people by all means. By stimulating youth exchanges and cross-border experiences, it does help young people to learn by experiencing and to fully interact with others.

• To develop the provision of information on the accessibility of youth accommodation for young people with special needs, at European level.

• To examine ways of improving the possibilities of young people living in the candidate countries to travel to the European Union, and vice versa of providing more opportunities for young EU citizens to travel to the candidate countries where an appropriate mobility infrastructure is often still lacking. EUFED is as well closely linked to the enlargement process and is aware of its meaning to young people in an enlarged Europe. Further co-operation with Youth Hostel Associations from Central and Eastern Europe, new EVS projects involving young people from this area and a forthcoming seminar about the enlargement are examples of the importance given by Youth Hostels to stimulate young people's participation in an enlarged EU.

VII. In addition, EUFED also welcomes the proposal of the Commission to take into account youth issues in other policy areas, as well as to assess the impact of other European Union policies on youth matters; on the other hand, there is a need of a more dynamic exchange of best practices at several levels (local, regional, national, European, international). It is indeed crucial to make the right links between youth issues and other EU policies and to promote a wider consultation on the impact of other policy decisions on youth matters. EUFED has been able to tackle issues of strategic importance for youth hostels (education and culture, environment, mobility, tourism, training, cooperation with Central & Eastern Europe, consumer affairs, monetary and fiscal affairs). Via its networking activities and the organisation of "information days" for its member associations and their users, in Brussels or elsewhere, EUFED has been able to provide an overview of the EU matters which are of relevance for young people and youth hostelling. EUFED is willing to become more involved and give its contribution in consultation processes and research work on youth matters carried out by the European Commission.

EUFED is well aware that this document is not a closed chapter in EU policy towards young people, and is ready to take up its responsibility of involving more young people and our Members and partners on implementing the actions envisaged in this document. Our unique network of partners in almost all EU Member countries provides us the great challenge of acting as multipliers of action and, by that, promoting better governance.