The Portuguese delegation EPP/PSD has set as a major topic all youth related matters (from education, training and fist job).
This priority results in different actions:
The Portuguese members of the Budgets Committee proposed a set of amendments that were accepted by the EPP, the BUDGET Commission and by the Plenary and that made the 2011 budget the "Budget for Youth. "
The amendments were intended to increase funding for education, training, youth mobility and the creation of a new program to support the first job.
It was thus proposed a preparatory action "Erasmus First Job" with the aim of facilitating mobility of qualified young people between Member States where they will receive training in innovative companies.
It was further proposed a pilot project "Social Innovation driven by social and Young Business Entrepreneurship" in order to research the parameters of emergence and success of social business in Europe and encourage entrepreneurship among young people.
Regarding the "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs", Maria da Graca Carvalho proposed an amendment which seeks to increase the budget of the existing preparatory action. 3 million Euros will be needed in 2011 to satisfy the expected demand and to broaden the scope to increase the impact.
Maria da Graca Carvalho has expressed herself, either in plenary or in committee meetings, in favour of this program and its transition to a permanent program. This issue was also the subject of a meeting with Commissioner Tajani during the last plenary session in Strasbourg.
Maria da Graça carvalho is pleased to see the success of her efforts by means of the announcement made today by Commissioner Tajani to make "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" a permanent program.
Maria da Graça Carvalho will support this program and its future in her committees: ITRE, BUDGET and SURE - Special Committee on Policy Challenges and Budgetary for a Sustainable European Union after 2013.