Press Release 

A report published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) identifies three risks to the successful implementation of the EU Youth Guarantee initiative supported by €12.7 billion of EU funding: adequacy of total funding, the definition of a “good quality offer”, and the way the Commission monitors and reports on the results of the scheme.

The EU auditors conclude that the Commission provided timely and appropriate support to the Member States in setting up their Youth Guarantee schemes. Yet they also note that it did not carry out an impact assessment specifying expected costs and benefits, despite this being a standard procedure for all major Commission initiatives. As a result, there is no information on the potential global cost of implementing the scheme across the EU and, consequently, a risk that total funding may not be adequate. Together with the lack of a clear definition of a "good quality" job offer, this represents a major risk that the scheme might be implemented ineffectively and inconsistently across the EU.

The EU auditors recommend that: