Although temporary contracts can be a stepping stone towards more stable forms of employment, in those Member States in which the share of temporary contracts is higher it is also more difficult to move from temporary to permanent contracts.

This 'Youth Guarantee' improves employment security at young age through fostering school-to-work transitions.

The Commission is seeking to give all young people in Europe the chance to spend part of their education in another Member State through the “Youth on the Move” initiative, by providing guidance on the rights of mobile students under EU rules and by working with Member States to achieve the target of at least 20% of those graduating from higher education having studied or trained for a period abroad by 2020. The Commission is facilitating study abroad also by promoting the comparability of academic diplomas through the European Qualifications Framework.

This is a difficult message to preach at a time of economic crisis, but as our economies move back to growth our primary focus must be on ensuring sustainable job-intensive growth.

However, the necessary political will to convert immediately to those models may not yet exist across the fifteen Member States (or the enlarged Union).

However, the necessary political will to convert immediately to those models may not yet exist across the fifteen Member States (or the enlarged Union).