The European Council’s latest agreement to tackle youth unemployment is unlikely to have any immediate impact.

Last week the European Council held a summit largely devoted to the issue of youth unemployment. Mikkel Barslund assesses the outcome of the summit, which saw extra funding committed to tackling the problem. He argues that while the measures agreed are a step in the right direction, they are unlikely to have any immediate impact on youth unemployment levels. The Commission should therefore attempt to manage expectations by clearly outlining the potential impact and timeframe of the new elements which have been agreed.