EU-Canada Cooperation in Higher Education, Training and Youth

specifically focused in Youth Issues

Promotion in the Canadian framework

Actions agreed by the Canadian university students having participated in the

EU Study Tours and Internship Programs

Final version
August 10 , 2010

We, the undersigned Canadian university students, as a consequence of our participation in the
EU Study Tour and Internship Programs, organized by a consortium of 14 Canadian universities
through the Network for European Studies (Canada) with the endorsement of both the
European Commission and the Canadian Government, have become keenly aware of the
interest that the European Commission has in promoting the EU-Canada Framework for
Cooperation in Higher Education, Training, and Youth.

We are also aware of the challenges surrounding the implementation of this agreement in the
Canadian context, including the lack of a centralized federal competency in Canada in the field
of Youth. As a result of our participation in the EU Study Tours and Internship Programs, we are
better informed of how youth policy is coordinated at the EU level, despite the jurisdictional
limitations.

We understand, however, that despite these challenges, some activities of mutual interest have
been identified under the following eight fields of action of the newly approved EU Youth
Strategy:

 education and training;

 employment and entrepreneurship;
 social inclusion;
 health and well-being;
 participation;
 voluntary activities;
 creativity and culture;
 youth and the world.

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The addendum to this declaration provides additional details regarding the scope of these
activities, and the activities of a similar nature being coordinated at a Canadian level.

To further understand the EU Youth policy, following the 2010 Study Tour, some Canadian
students took up internships at the European Commission (DG EAC), the European Youth
Forum, and the Canadian Mission to the European Union, specifically focusing on Youth issues.

As a direct result of these experiences, we have realized the value of enhancing the cooperation
between Canada and the EU, and its potential positive effect for youth on both sides of the
Atlantic.

In view of the high unemployment level among youth, both in Canada and the EU, we consider
that common action in the field of employment and entrepreneurship is of the highest priority.

Young entrepreneurs in Canada would benefit from having the opportunity to participate in
international work experiences, and in particular in the European Union, in the light of the
proposed EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement (CETA). While the world
is becoming increasingly globalized, and businesses and organizations are increasingly operating
on multi-national levels, national corporate structures remain drastically different across states
and continents, as do business customs and cultures. It is important to provide Canadian
youth, and in particular young entrepreneurs, with opportunities to participate in work
exchanges overseas, and in particular in the EU, to gain cultural, academic and professional
experiences in other countries. Innovative ideas and creative solutions can be further
developed through transnational partnerships that will help support greater awareness of
cultural values and goals. The experience and expertise that these exchanges could offer is
important to young Canadians, if they and Canada want to remain competitive in the global
economy. Canada must train young Canadians to think globally, as recently demonstrated in
Toronto at the G20 Youth Entrepreneurship Conference.

We are ready to bring our civic contribution to assist in facilitating, in Canada, the development
of actions towards the acceleration of the implementation of the Canada – European Union
Framework for Cooperation in Higher Education, Training and Youth, to help address challenges
faced by Youth today.

To this effect we will:

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1. alert the Members of Parliament and Senators interested in Youth issues as to the
challenges facing international mobility for Canadian youth, in order to encourage
the Federal Government to accelerate the implementation of projects and programs
in the Youth component of the EU-Canada Framework Agreement;

2. contact the provincial governments to further explore the benefits of this

cooperation, and suggest to them to undertake relevant provincial actions;

3. encourage the provincial governments to coordinate with the federal government, to

develop international youth cooperation and collaboration;

4. promote awareness among selected Canadian youth organizations of the possibilities

of undertaking volunteer-shadowing/internships in European youth organizations, by
developing with the European Youth Forum and selected EU Member States (such as
the Baltic Countries) a list of interested European youth organizations to receive
Canadian youth volunteers;

5. work to enhance the exchange of information and access to information by

establishing a database of interested Canadian youth organizations to receive
European youth counterparts and/or interested in sending their staff to shadow
Youth Organizations in the European Union;

6. request that European Commission assist us in identifying leads to youth sections of

employers and trade union organizations willing to receive shadow job
volunteers/interns from Canada in their respective organizations to gain a better
understanding of the functioning of the business world and its work relations in the
EU;

7. identify in Canada youth sections of employers and trade union organizations, as

well as young entrepreneurship organizations willing to receive shadow job
volunteers from the EU to gain a better understanding of the functioning of the
business world and its work relations in Canada;

8. provide the above information to interested Canadian and EU Member States

Embassies that have already implemented the Youth Mobility Programmes;

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 9. encourage the European Commission to facilitate the involvement of the European
Youth Forum in the management and support of Youth nominated by Canadian Youth
Organizations to undertake job shadowing/internships at the European Youth Forum
and its Member Organizations.

We consider that the Alumni Association of the EU Study Tours and Internship Program,
currently being established, with appropriate support, could play a key role in the
implementation of the above activities, with a specific focus on job shadowing and internships
for young Canadians in the fields of skill development and entrepreneurship. We encourage
competent authorities in Canada to provide adequate and essential financial support to the
Association, as one immediate means to put into effect our suggestions.

Brussels, 10 August 2010

Addendum

The following participants in the 2010 (Canada) EU Study Tour and Internship Program have
agreed to this Declaration.

Last and First Name Academic Institution

Matteo Sestito University of Toronto
Rados Zlatanovic University of Toronto
Alexandrine Gauvin Université de Montréal
Eugenia Madisson University of Toronto
Michael Ceci Queen’s University
Jennifer Huygen University of Alberta
Serena Sousa University of Victoria
Sylvia Blake Ryerson University
Alexander Bakushchyk Carleton University
Marie Fuzeau Université de Montréal
Tim Ell University of Victoria
Aubrey Smethurst Capilano University
Marc-Olivier Forget Université de Montréal
Marc Dumais University of Victoria
Katerina Anastasiadis University of Victoria
Zachary Selman Palmer University of Alberta
Hillary Keirstead York University
Elena Ponte McGill University
Andreia Santos York University
Sarah Scott University of Alberta

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Alexander Williams-Zanis McGill University
Jelena Kundacina University of Toronto
Eliane Boivinlafleur University of Toronto
Henry Gordon-Smith University of British Columbia
Daniel Gueorguiev McGill University
Nadia Todorova University of Toronto

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