The crisis which Europe is undergoing is a matter of deep concern to the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and its members. They decided to enhance their reflection on the role that Regions do and can play in order to face the impact of this crisis. In addition to specific studies and publications, AER therefore launched in 2012 a series of Summits on the Regions and the Crisis. A first Summit took place in September 2012 in Pescara, and a 3rd is planned on May 16, in Paris. The Warsaw Summit was the second in this series of events.

Although the crisis does not spare anybody, young people are particularly affected by it and youth unemployment is raising in Europe. AER, and its Youth Regional Network, thus decided to focus this second Summit on the issue of youth as a source and lever of regional growth.

This Summit, which in the frame of the 2013 European Year of Citizens had been widely open to the civil society sector, took place on March 8, at the College of Europe in Warsaw. Almost 100 participants, representatives from European, national and regional authorities, but also students and civil society stakeholders took part in the debates.

They exchanged about successful measures to foster youth mobility and youth entrepreneurship, considered to be two key elements to preventing and reducing youth unemployment, and restoring young people’s confidence in the future. At the end of their debates, participants agreed on the following Resolution and Recommendations.

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