EU and Youth

EUROPEAN UNION YOUTH STRATEGY 2019-2027

The EU Youth Strategy is the framework for EU youth policy cooperation for 2019-2027, based on the Council Resolution of 26 November 2018. EU youth cooperation shall make the most of youth policy's potential. It fosters youth participation in democratic life; it also supports social and civic engagement and aims to ensure that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society.

11 European Youth Goals

The EU Youth Strategy focuses on three core areas of action, around the three words: Engage, Connect, Empower, while working on joined-up implementation across sectors. During a 2017-2018 dialogue process which involved young people from all over Europe, 11 European Youth Goals were developed. These goals identify cross-sectoral areas that affect young people’s lives and point out challenges. The EU Youth Strategy should contribute to realising this vision of young people.

The EU Youth Strategy is based on several instruments, such as mutual learning activities, Future National Activities Planners, EU Youth Dialogue, EU Youth Strategy Platform and Evidence-base tools. The EU Youth coordinator is the European Commission's contact and visible reference point for young people.

More information on the youth policy cooperation before 2019 can be found in the archives, including Council conclusions and resolutions adopted in the field of youth policy between 2010 and 2018.

Engage, connect, and empower youth: a new EU youth strategy

EU Youth Strategy is a framework towards the cooperation between EU Institutions in the field of 2019-2027 EU youth policy based on the approved decision of EU Council on November, 26 2018. The main target of the new strategy is to maximize the potential of youth. It aims to establish European youth policies and main targets for the benefit of youth, encouraging the youth on participating in democratic life, supporting the social and communal participation of young women and men, providing the youth to have necessary resources to participate in society.

The preparation stage of the new strategy maintained in several levels. On May 2018 European Commission published a comprehensive report about youth in European Union on the basis of three European Youth Report which implement 41 indicators measuring the consequences and effects of the implementation of the new framework of European Youth Association and the most important aspects of the youth in EU. Along with the report about youth in EU, they published a new report about the consequences of implementation of Open Coordination Method in the field of youth on 2010-2018. Third key process occurred in the last circle of the dialogue structured from 11 European Youth Goals which represents the visions for a future youth policy in Europe of youth.

• To provide the youth to be the architectures of their lives, to feed themselves for personal development and their freedom, strengthen their flexibility and obtainlife skills to combat the changing world;
• To encourage the youth to be an active citizen, be advocates of solidarity, create positive changes and provide necessary resources inspired by EU values and EU identity;
• Enhancing the policy choices in terms of the effects on young people in all sectors, especially employment, education, health and social inclusion;
• To encourage the social inclusion of young people and contribute to the annihilation of youth poverty and discrimination;
• To enhance all the political decisions about the effects of all the sectors in the fields of employment, education, health and social inclusion on young people;

All the measures within European Youth Policy and EU Youth Strategy are to be placed on the system of international human rights. Following principles need to be valid for all youth policies and activities:

a. equality and non-discrimination;

b. inclusion;

c. participation;

d. Global, European, national, regional, and local dimension;

e. A binary approach (the policies aim to enhance youth lives shouldn’t be limited with youth area).

Important innovations from the new strategy:

• Appointing an EU Youth Coordinator to ensure that young people's opinions are represented at the European Commission.
• An upgraded model for implementing structured dialogue, called "Youth Dialogue," which would better identify issues, including innovative forms of consultation, and make consultation processes more broadly accessible;
• Monitoring the use of European funds allocated to young people in different financing facilities;
• To further improve the quality, innovation and recognition of youth work and to create conditions and incentives for other sectors to take advantage of the potential of non-formal education;
• Establishing a clearer connection between related activities in Erasmus+ programs and the European Solidarity Corps programme through the implementation of the EU Youth Policy.

The EU Youth Strategy focuses on three main areas of action: engagement, connection and empowerment, while maintaining integrated implementation across sectors.

Engagement

As part of thinking about the future of Europe, now is the time to listen to young people and empower them to achieve their dreams.

EU-level cooperation will focus on the followings:

• To launch a new EU dialogue with young people so that young people from different backgrounds provide to can contribute to EU policy decisions;
• Empowering the European Youth Portal as a single digital entry point for young people to work with the EU;
• Increasing youth participation in democratic life, including access to quality information, validation with reliable sources and supporting participation in European and other elections
• Supporting "participatory learning" and increasing interest in participatory actions across Europe and beyond with Erasmus+.

The member countries are encouraged to focus on the followings:

• Promoting dialogue and participatory mechanisms at all levels of decision-making, for example through youth councils, paying particular attention to feedback mechanisms and addressing young people from different backgrounds;
• Promote social and civic engagement of young people, including participation in youth organizations or online activism;
• To help prepare young people to work in synergy with formal education and official authorities through youth work, youth assemblies or simulations, civic education and media literacy.

Connection

The strategy will support opportunities for young people to experience the principles of change, collaboration and civic engagement.

EU-level cooperation will focus on the followings:

• Creating youth networks from different parts of Europe, virtual Erasmus + actions, connecting young people in Europe and beyond;
• Support for the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps
• Increased participation in cross-border learning mobility within the Erasmus + programmes and the European Solidarity Corps.

The member countries are encouraged to focus on the followings:

• Encourage young people's participation in the solidarity process: promoting support programs and capacity building for organizations operating in the field, raise awareness of opportunities, and provide information on the rights and benefits of volunteering or civil service.

Member states should make an effort for complementarity and synergy with the European Solidarity Corps when preparing national programmes;

• Reviewing and removing legal and administrative barriers to cross-border solidarity at the national level;
• Encouraging the evaluation of experience and learning outcomes gained through volunteering.

Empowerment

Youth work provides young people with unique benefits in their transition to adulthood, while providing a safe environment for self-confidence and non-formal learning. Through youth work, young people get key competences and skills such as teamwork, leadership, intercultural competences, project management, problem solving and critical thinking. In some cases, youth work is a bridge to education, training or work, thus preventing exclusion.

EU-level cooperation will focus on the implementation of the Youth Work Agenda for the quality, innovation and recognition of youth work:

• Creating and disseminating practical tools for quality youth work;
• Support for mass actions aimed at recognition, innovation and capacity building of the youth field in Erasmus + ;
• Supporting learning about digital youth work, youth worker skills and financing for youth work.

The member countries are encouraged to focus on the followings:

• Quality improvement: the tools and quality systems to be used in the training of youth workers should be sensitive to the changing life conditions of young people and integrated into a broader quality approach to strengthen institutions;
• Adaptation to digital opportunities: the structure, modes and communication channels of youth work should be adapted to the digital world – technology and pedagogical practices should be used to increase access and help young people master digital resources. Digital youth work should be integrated into the training of youth workers and, if any, professional qualification standards for youth work;
• Promote recognition: to support youth values, recognised recognition tools should be developed in accordance with Council Recommendation on the validity of non-formal learning and skill development programmes;
• To appeal to all young people, especially those with fewer opportunities: youth work should have a unique potential to reach out to the most vulnerable and meet their individual needs.

The European goals of young people are an important part of the new strategy and represent a European vision that enables young people to reach their full potential. These are integral to the new strategy, but not legally binding targets. The following 11 targets have been identified and approved by young people (for further information www.youthgoals.eu ):

1. Connecting the EU to young people Aim: Create a bridge between the EU and young people to promote a sense of belonging to the EU project among young people and to increase self-confidence and participation.

2. Gender Equality Aim: Provide gender equality and gender-sensitive approaches in all aspects of young people's lives.

3. Inclusive societies Aim: Provide and increase the participation of all young people in society.

4. Information and constructive dialogue Aim: Enable young people to have better access to reliable information and to support their ability to critically evaluate information and engage in constructive dialogue.

5. Mental health and wellbeing Aim: Ensure better mental health and remove the stigma of mental health problems, thereby promoting social participation of all young people.

6. A step forward for rural youth Aim: Create a situation that will allow young people to realize their potential in rural areas.

7. Quality employment for all Aim: Ensure an accessible labour market with opportunities leading to quality jobs for all young people.

8. Quality learning Aim: Prepare young people to face the challenges of constantly changing life in the 21. century, to develop different methods of learning in this field.

9. Space and participation for all Aim: Provide special spaces for young people in all areas of society and strengthen the democratic participation and autonomy of young people.

10. A sustainable green Europe Aim: Create a society where all young people are environmentally active, educated and can create change in their daily lives.

11. Youth organizations and European programmes Aim: Ensure all young people equal access to youth organisations and European youth programmes and thus to create a society based on European values and identity.