Van Rompuy seeks ways to fight youth unemployment

(BRUSSELS) - European Union president Herman Van Rompuy on Friday called on Europe's leaders for help in fighting youth unemployment, now at record levels across the 27-nation bloc.

In a letter to the EU's heads of state and government, Van Rompuy said he aimed to put the fight against unemployment high on the agenda at the bloc's next summit, June 27 and 28.

"The number of unemployed people in our Union, especially of young people, is at record levels," he said. "It has become one of the most pressing issues in most, if not all, of our member states. That is why we must do our utmost to deal with it together."

The June summit "will be an opportunity to mobilise efforts at all levels around one shared objective: to get motivated young people back to work or education," he said, urging leaders "to actively contribute" to fight youth joblessness.

Fears are rising of "a lost generation" with almost two out of three under 25-year-olds out of work in Greece and in Spain.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called a meeting in Berlin on July 3 with labour ministers from all member states on youth unemployment, and this week the German government unveiled a Franco-German plan to combat youth joblessness in Europe.

The EU executive wants to ensure that young people can be guaranteed training, further education or employment within four months of leaving school, and in February the EU set aside 6 billion euros ($7.75 billion) for a seven-year youth employment plan that hopefully can kick in next January 1.