The European Youth Orchestra, symbol of Europe's cultural diversity, alive!

The European Youth Orchestra #EUYO will be able to continue its activities

Today, the European Commission has found short and long term solutions to keep the European Union Youth Orchestra alive. The Orchestra has been a symbol of Europe's cultural diversity for the last 40 years.

The EUYO has been supported by the European institutions since its beginning in 1976. The Commission wants to keep the spirit of the Orchestra alive, by allowing it to train the best European musicians in Europe for the benefit of all European territories. "We count on the Orchestra in these challenging times to adapt their activities and to spread the European spirit of freedom, creativity and openness in Europe and for Europe," the Commission stated.

President Juncker, who gave his patronage to the #EUYO when he took office, said: "For the last 40 years, the European Union Youth Orchestra has symbolised Europe's cultural diversity. The Commission has been proud to support the Orchestra from the very beginning. When I learned that the Orchestra had financial problems, I was very worried and I immediately asked my Commissioners to find a solution. Today, I am happy to announce that we have found a solution, which will allow the European Union Youth Orchestra to continue in 2016 and 2017 and even beyond. I want to thank the European Parliament for helping us to find the solution and notably MEPs Silvia Costa and José Manuel Fernandes. Together we have shown that we can find creative solutions by overcoming bureaucratic procedures when something is in the interest of our citizens. I wish the European Union Youth Orchestra a very successful future."

The Commission added that Commissioner Navracsics, in charge of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Commissioner Oettinger, in charge of the Digital economy and Society and Vice-President Georgieva, in charge of Budget and Human Resources, will implement the solutions found. These solutions are also the result of a close cooperation with the European Parliament.