Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations

The report identifies systemic barriers for NEETs in remote island regions, including limited vocational training in green skills, high costs of mobility, and a lack of specialized financial support. It recommends that the EU establish mandatory funding shares for green employment and innovation within the 2021-2027 budget and NextGenerationEU, implement a centralized EU student loan system, and create a 'Sustainability for islands secretariat' to expand support beyond energy to include education.

• The report argues that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and other EU funds lack mandatory allocations for green employment and training, specifically for youth and NEETs. It recommends establishing a specific share for environmental education and reskilling to align with the Green Deal and NextGenerationEU goals.
• To address financial barriers for students in islands and outermost regions who face additional costs for transport and accommodation, the document proposes a centralized EU student loan system inspired by the Norwegian model. This would support those ineligible for national scholarships or ESF+ programs.
• The document highlights a need for a higher mandatory share of the 2021-2027 long-term EU budget and NextGenerationEU to support green infrastructure, circular economy innovation, and job creation on islands. It emphasizes that non-repayable funds are necessary to boost investments in sustainability and reduce island dependence on external resources.
• The report suggests that the current 'Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat' should be expanded into a 'Sustainability for islands secretariat' to broaden its scope from energy production and efficiency to include education and training tailored to the vulnerabilities of outermost regions.
• To overcome the limited number of local companies with sustainability expertise, the report recommends 'dual mentoring/apprenticeship programmes' where external certified experts support both the trainee and the organization to implement sustainable procedures.
• The document identifies that the 'NEET' label often carries negative social implications. It recommends using more positive communication tools and treating NEETs as a heterogeneous group—separating categories such as young mothers or those with criminal backgrounds—to provide more effective, targeted support.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/yenesis-wp6-eu-level-policy-recommendations-synthesis.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations. 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/yenesis-wp6-eu-level-policy-recommendations-synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations |date=13 January 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/yenesis-wp6-eu-level-policy-recommendations-synthesis.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022summary, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/yenesis-wp6-eu-level-policy-recommendations-synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }