COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Results of the open method of coordination in the youth field with a special focus on the second cycle (2013-2015) Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Draft 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018)
Date: 2015-09-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, culture, education, entrepreneurship, social integration, social participation, vocational training, voluntary work, young person, youth employment, youth policy

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 15.9.2015  SWD(2015) 168 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Results of the open method of coordination in the youth field with a special focus on the second cycle (2013-2015) Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Draft 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018) {COM(2015) 429 final} {SWD(2015) 169 final}  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of contents 

1. 

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 3 

2.  GENERAL OVERVIEW OF YOUTH POLICY ....................................................... 5 

2.1.  Evidence-based youth policy ............................................................................. 5 

2.2.  Legal framework and national youth policy environment ................................ 6 

2.3. 

Implementation of the EU Youth Strategy ...................................................... 22 

2.4.  Other relevant initiatives ................................................................................. 25 

3.  YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ...................................... 31 

3.1.  EU initiatives and action ................................................................................. 31 

3.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ........................................ 38 

3.3.  Youth-led initiatives and actions at EU level .................................................. 57 

4.  SOCIAL INCLUSION .............................................................................................. 60 

4.1.  EU initiatives and action ................................................................................. 60 

4.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ........................................ 63 

4.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................... 76 

5.  YOUTH PARTICIPATION ...................................................................................... 77 

5.1.  EU initiatives and action ................................................................................. 77 

5.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ........................................ 81 

5.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................... 92 

6.  EDUCATION AND TRAINING .............................................................................. 93 

6.1.  EU initiatives and action ................................................................................. 93 

6.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ........................................ 97 

6.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 106 

7.  HEALTH AND WELL-BEING .............................................................................. 107 

7.1.  EU initiatives and action ............................................................................... 107 

7.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ...................................... 112 

7.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 119 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
8.  VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES ................................................................................. 120 

8.1.  EU initiatives and action ............................................................................... 120 

8.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ...................................... 122 

8.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 126 

9.  YOUTH AND THE WORLD ................................................................................. 127 

9.1.  EU initiatives and action ............................................................................... 127 

9.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ...................................... 130 

9.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 135 

10.  CREATIVITY AND CULTURE ............................................................................ 137 

10.1.  EU initiatives and action ............................................................................... 137 

10.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ...................................... 140 

10.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 148 

11.  STRUCTURED  DIALOGUE  WITH  YOUNG  PEOPLE  AND  YOUTH 

ORGANISATIONS ................................................................................................. 149 

11.1.  EU initiatives and action ............................................................................... 149 

11.2.  Summary of initiatives and action at national level ...................................... 150 

11.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level .................................................. 156 

12.  EU PROGRAMME: FROM YOUTH IN ACTION TO ERASMUS+ ................... 157 

12.1.  Erasmus+ opportunities in the field of youth ................................................ 157 

12.2.  Mobility for young people and youth workers .............................................. 158 

12.3.  Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices ........................ 159 

12.4.  Support for policy reform .............................................................................. 160 

12.5.  Partnership with countries neighbouring the EU ........................................... 160 

ANNEXES ...................................................................................................................... 164 

Annex 1: Abbreviations ........................................................................................... 164 

Annex 2: Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) ................... 166 

2 

 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In 2009, the Council endorsed a renewed framework for European cooperation in the 
youth field (2010-2018), also known as the EU Youth Strategy.1 The period covered by 
the  framework  is  divided  into  three-year  work  cycles.  At  the  end  of  each  cycle,  a 
European  Union  (EU)  Youth  Report  should  be  drawn  up  by  the  Commission.  The 
Council specified that the report ‘shall consist of two parts: A joint Council-Commission 
report (political part), and supporting documents (statistical and analytical part). The EU 
Youth  Report  will  evaluate  progress  made  towards  the  overall  objectives  of  the 
framework, as well as progress regarding the priorities defined for the most recent work 
cycle and identify good practices’. At the same time, the report should serve as a basis 
for establishing priorities for the following work cycle. 

The  analytical  part  of  the  report  assesses  the  state  of  play  at  EU  and  national  level, 
focusing in this instance on the second three-year work cycle of the EU Youth Strategy; 
relevant information  about  the  previous  cycle is  also  provided.  Separate  chapters cover 
all eight ‘fields of action’ of the strategy, looking first at the priorities of the most recent 
cycle – youth employment, social inclusion and youth participation. One chapter is given 
over to the ‘Structured Dialogue’ process, which is seen as crucial to youth participation. 
Another  chapter  provides  details  on  the  EU  Youth  Strategy’s  financial  instrument,  the 
Erasmus+ programme and its predecessor Youth in Action. 

Each chapter consists of three sections. The first provides an overview of initiatives taken 
at  EU  level  since  2010,  with  a  focus  on  the  period  from  2013  to  2015.  The  second 
summarises and assesses the initiatives and action taken at national level; a distinction is 
made  between  action  deriving  from  the  2009  Council  resolution  on  a  renewed 
framework  for  European  cooperation  in  the  youth  field  and  initiatives  implementing 
subsequent Council agreements (resolutions and conclusions). The information presented 
in this section is based on National Youth Reports submitted by all 28 Member States 2 
plus  Iceland,  Serbia  and  Turkey.  These  reports  were  drawn  up  in  response  to  a 
comprehensive questionnaire covering all aspects of the EU Youth Strategy and can be 
downloaded  from  the  Commission  website.3  Finally,  considering  the  framework’s 
invitation  to  encourage  and  support  the  involvement  and  participation  of  young  people 
and  youth  organisations  in  policy-making,  implementation  and  follow-up,  the  third 
section reports on youth-led initiatives and action by the European Youth Forum4 (YFJ). 
The YFJ, which – together with the Commission – is the only EU-level stakeholder in the 

1 Council resolution of 27 November 2009 on a renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth 
field (2010-2018), OJ C 311, 19.12.2009, p. 1-11. 

2 Separate contributions were submitted by the three Communities of Belgium. All EU candidate countries 
and EEA EFTA States were also invited to submit National Youth Reports. 

3 https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/publication/EUyouthreport2015part1, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/publication/EUyouthreport2015part2. 
The National Youth Reports cover mainly the period from 2010 until the end of 2014 and include a 
preview of planned activities for 2015, as the questionnaire had to be returned by early 2015. 

4 http://www.youthforum.org/  

3 

 
 
 
                                                 
European  Steering  Committee  of  the  Structured  Dialogue,  brings  together  99  national 
youth  councils 5  and  international  non-governmental  youth  organisations  in  Europe.  In 
the  Erasmus+  regulation 6  the  YFJ  is  invited  to  provide  the  Commission  with  regular, 
updated information regarding its fields of activity. 

5 National youth councils represent youth organisations at national level and therefore act in the interests of 
young people in order to voice their concerns to policy-makers. 

6 Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 
establishing ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing 
Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC Text with EEA relevance, OJ L 
347, 20.12.2013, p. 50-73. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2. 

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF YOUTH POLICY 

2.1. 

Evidence-based youth policy 

The EU Youth Strategy stresses the importance of evidence as a basis for policy-making. 
This EU Youth Report was drawn up around a framework for reporting and monitoring 
of youth data, research and policy activities. 

Definitions  of  young  people  vary  between  countries.  The  age  range  15-29  is  often 
selected for statistical purposes at EU level.7 The situation of young people is measured 
through  a  dashboard  of  EU  youth  indicators 8  developed  in  2011.  There  are  now  41 
indicators in all eight fields of action of the strategy. The latest available data for these 
indicators  can  be  found  in  a  specific  subsection  on  youth  on  the  Eurostat  website.9  In 
addition,  the  Commission  conducted  Flash  Eurobarometer  surveys  on  youth  in  2011, 
2013 and 2014. Data collected on those occasions further contributed to the dashboard of 
indicators  and  can  now  be  consulted  through  the  recently  developed  EU  Youth 
Monitor.10 

The evidence base was further enriched by findings from studies on youth participation 
in democratic life and on the value of youth work in the European Union. Eurofound  – 
which  has  prioritised  youth  in  its  recent  research  activities 11  –  is  another  source  of 
knowledge. In its evidence-based approach to youth policy the Commission also works 
in  partnership  with  the  Council  of  Europe,12  managing  the  Pool  of  European  Youth 
Researchers and the European Knowledge Centre on Youth Policy.  

The  Education,  Audiovisual  and  Culture  Executive  Agency  provides  additional  help  in 
monitoring  data  and  statistics in  the  youth  field  and  is  assisting  the  Commission  in  the 
current development of a youth wiki tool. The agency also prepared the statistical part of 
this EU Youth Report. 

The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) 
supported  20  European, 
large-scale,  multi-stakeholder  research  projects  with  a 
contribution of about € 63 million. ‘The young generation in an innovative, inclusive and 
sustainable Europe’ was addressed in a call for proposals under Horizon 2020 13 (Societal 
Challenge  6,  Work  Programme  2014-2015).  The  call  covered  five  different  research 

7 Under the Erasmus+ programme, various opportunities are available for young people aged 13 to 30. 

8 SEC(2011) 401 final of 25.3.2011. 

9 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/youth/data/database  

10 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/dashboard/index_en.htm  

11 http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/news/spotlight-on/youth/overview-youth-issues-a-top-priority  

12 http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/home  

13 Horizon 2020 is the EU’s research and innovation programme (2014-2020). FP7 was the funding 
programme for 2007-2013. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                 
topics – job insecurity, mobility, lifelong learning, participation and engagement (for an 
indicative budget of € 29 million). Eight new research projects 14 started in 2015. 

2.2. 

Legal framework and national youth policy environment 

This section provides a general overview of how Member States and participating non-
EU  countries  structure  their  youth  policy  in  terms  of  legislation,  policy  strategies  and 
interministerial cooperation. It also looks at how these countries perceive the impact of 
the EU Youth Strategy at the national and local levels as well as other linkages between 
youth policy at national and EU level.  

2.2.1.  Youth laws or national legislation on youth 

Most  countries  report  that  during  the  period  2010-2014  they  maintained  or  introduced 
legislation that specifically refers to youth  issues  or  contains a  section which addresses 
the needs and/or rights of young people.  

Table 1: Overview of youth laws or national legislation on youth 15 

Belgium 

Youth law or national legislation on youth 

German-speaking Community: Dekret vom 6. Dezember 2011 zur Förderung der 
Jugendarbeit (Decree of 6 December 2011 regulating the funding of youth work 
http://www.dglive.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-111/418_read-38242/); 
Sonderdekret zur Gründung eines Zentrums für die gesunde Entwicklung von 
Kindern und Jugendlichen vom 20. Januar 2014 (Special decree of 20 January 2014 
on the establishment of the centre for the healthy development of children and young 
people) http://www.dglive.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-107/4314_read-43515/)  

Flemish Community: Decreet van 20 januari 2012 houdende een vernieuwd jeugd- 
en kinderrechtenbeleid (Flemish Parliament Act of 20 January 2012 on conducting a 
renewed policy on youth and children’s rights) 

French Community: no youth law 

Bulgaria 

Decision of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria for adoption of the 
Youth Law (from 5 April 2012, prom. SG. 31/20 April 2012, effective as from 20 
April 2012, amend. SG. 68/02 August 2013, effective as of 2 August 2013)  
www.mpes.government.bg  
http://mpes.government.bg/Pages/Documents/Law/default.aspx 

Czech Republic  No youth law 

Denmark 

No youth law 

14 Details about the FP7 and Horizon 2020 research projects can be found in: European Commission 
(2015), Their future is our future – Youth as actors of change. Research projects on youth inclusion, 
employment and participation supported by the European Union’s Research Framework Programmes, 
Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 

15 Roman alphabetical order of the countries’ geographical names in the original language(s). 

6 

 
 
 
                                                 
Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB) – Achtes Buch (VIII) – Kinder- und Jugendhilfe vom 
26.6.1990 in der aktuellen Fassung von Mai 2013 (Social Code, Book VIII – Child 
and Youth Welfare Act  – Article 1 of the Act of 26 June 1990 – current version of 
May 2013) 
https://www.juris.de/purl/gesetze/_ges/SGB_8 

Noorsootöö seadus (Youth Work Act)  
https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/Riigikogu/act/512012015003/consolide 

Youth Work Act 2001 
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/act/pub/0042/ 

Laws on youth issues are stipulated and incorporated in the legislation of various 
Ministries concerning the following policy areas: education, employment, sports, 
health, culture, family, military service, deviant behaviour, etc. such as for instance: 

Νόμος 2413/1996 για τη Διαπολιτισμική Εκπαίδευση (Law 2413/1996 on 
intercultural education 
https://nomoi.info/%CE%A6%CE%95%CE%9A-%CE%91-124-1996-
%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%BB-1.html 

Νόμος 4027/2011 για την ελληνόγλωσση εκπαίδευση στο εξωτερικό και άλλες 
διατάξεις (Law 4027/2011on greek language education abroad and other provisions) 
https://nomoi.info/%CE%A6%CE%95%CE%9A-%CE%91-233-2011-
%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%BB-1.html 

Νόμος 3443/2006 για τα ΤΟ.ΣΥ.Ν. (Law 3443/2006 on Local Youth Councils) 
http://www.neagenia.gr/frontoffice/portal.asp?cpage=RESOURCE&cresrc=134&cno
de=29 

Νόμος 4115/2013 για την οργάνωση και λειτουργία του Ιδρύματος Νεολαίας και Διά 
Βίου Μάθησης (ΙΝΕΔΙΒΙΜ) και του Εθνικού Οργανισμού Πιστοποίησης 
Προσόντων και Επαγγελματικού Προσανατολισμού (Law 4115/2013 concerning the 
organisation and functioning of the Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation and the 
National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance) 
http://www.edulll.gr/wp-
content/uploads/2013/02/NOMOS_4115_INEDIBIM_EOPPEP.pdf 

Σχέδιο Δράσης για την ενίσχυση της απασχόλησης και της επιχειρηματικότητας των 
νέων (Action Plan for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship) 
https://www.espa.gr/elibrary/Youth%20Action%20Plan%20el.doc 
http://www.esfhellas.gr/en/Pages/YouthActionPlan.aspx (in English) 

7 

 
 
 
Spain 

There is no specific legislation on youth at national level neither is it expected. The 
competences in this field have been transferred to the Autonomous Communities 
(hereinafter called CCAAs). These laws exist in 11 out of the 17 CCAAs. 

The existing youth regional laws and their dates of enactment are listed below: 
Castilla y León: Youth Regional Law 11/2002 of 10 July. 
Madrid: Youth Regional Law 8/2002 of 27 November. 
La Rioja: Youth Regional Law 7/2005 of 30 June. 
Islas Baleares: Integral Law of Youth 10/2006 of 27 July 
Aragón: Youth Regional Law 3/2007 of 21 March 
Murcia: Youth Regional Law 6/2007 of 4 April 
Government of Canarias: Youth Regional Law 7/2007 of 13 April 
Cataluña: Youth policies Law 33/2010 of 1 October 
Autonomous Community of Valencia: Youth Regional Law of 30 December 
Navarra: Youth Regional Law 11/2011 of 1 April 
Galicia: Youth Regional Law 6/2012 of 19 June. 

Loi d’orientation et de programmation pour la refondation de l’Ecole de la 
République du 8 juillet 2013 
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027677984&
categorieLien=id 

Zakon o savjetima mladih – Narodne novine broj 23/07 (Law on Youth Advisory 
Boards – Official Gazzete 23/07) adopted in 2007 
http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/297305.html 

Zakon o savjetima mladih – Narodne novine broj 41/14 (Law on Youth Advisory 
Boards – Official Gazzete 41/14) adopted in 2014 
http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2014_03_41_724.html 

No youth law 

No youth law 

Jaunatnes likums (Youth Law) 
http://izm.izm.gov.lv/laws-regulations/3903.html 

2003 m. gruodžio 4 d. Lietuvos Respublikos jaunimo politikos pagrindų įstatymas, 
Nr. IX-1871 (įsigaliojo 2003 m. gruodžio 18 d.) (Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 119-
5406)  
Law on Youth Policy Framework of the Republic of Lithuania, 4 December 2003, No 
IX-1871 (in force from 18 December 2003) (Official Gazette, 2003, No 119-5406) 
http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_p?p_id=267613  

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Loi du 4 juillet 2008 sur la Jeunesse (Youth Law introduced on 4 July 2008) – A 
draft law amending the Youth Law of 4 July 2008 is within the legislative process, 
possible adoption in 2015  
www.chd.lu/wps/PA_RoleEtendu/FTSByteServingServletImpl/?path=/export/exped/
sexpdata/Mag/195/016/109145.pdf 

8 

 
 
 
Hungary 

There is no single youth law. 

1995. évi LXIV. törvény a Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapról, a Nemzeti Gyermek és 
Ifjúsági Közalapítványról, valamint az ifjúsággal összefüggő egyes állami feladatok 
ellátásának szervezeti rendjéről (The 1995th LXIV. law Children and Youth Fund, 
National Children and Youth Public Foundation and the state’s responsibilities for 
particular youth related tasks) 2/1999. (IX. 24.) 

ISM rendelet a Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram és a Regionális Ifjúsági Irodák 
működéséről (Regulation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports 2/1999 (IX.24.) 
Functioning of the National Children and Youth Fund and the Regional Youth 
Services) 

Malta 

Aġenzija Żgħażagħ (Establishment as an Agency) Order, 2010 
http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lp&itemid=21605
&l=1 

Netherlands 

Jeugdwet (Youth Law) 
http://www.voordejeugd.nl/ondersteuning/downloads/factsheets 

Austria 

Federal Act governing the promotion of extracurricular youth education and youth 
work (Federal Youth Promotion Act) 

Poland 

No youth law 

Portugal 

No youth law 

Romania 

No youth law 

Slovenia 

Public Interest in Youth Sector Act  
http://www.ursm.gov.si/fileadmin/ursm.gov.si/pageuploads/pdf/ZJIMS/ZJIMS_ENG.
pdf 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Youth Councils Act  
http://www.ursm.gov.si/fileadmin/ursm.gov.si/pageuploads/pdf/ZJIMS/ZMS-
NPB1__ANG.pdf 

Zákon č. 282/2008 Z. z. o podpore práce s mládežou (Act No 282/2008 Coll. on 
support of youth work) 

Nuorisolaki (Youth Act) (72/2006), amendments 693/2010 and 937/2013  
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2006/20060072  
In English: 
http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Nuoriso/lait_ja_saeaedoekset/Youth_
act_Nuorisolaki_amend_2010_en.pdf,  

Valtioneuvoston asetus nuorisotyöstä ja –politiikasta (Government Decree on Youth 
Work and Policy) (103/2006)  
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/smur/2006/20060103  
In English: 
http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Nuoriso/nuorisopolitiikka/liitteet/Val
tioneuvoston_asetus_en.pdf 

Several other laws refer to youth issues and address the needs and rights of young 
people, e.g. Lastensuojelulaki (Child Welfare Act) (417/2007), Perusopetuslaki 
(Basic Education Act) (642/2010) 

9 

 
 
 
Sweden 

No youth law 

United Kingdom  There is a range of legislation relating to youth that exists in the UK. For example in 

Wales: The Rights of Children and Young Persons Measure (2011). 

For more examples of youth laws introduced before January 2010 and maintained 
please see UK contribution to 2012 EU Youth Report: 
http://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/implementation/report_en.htm 

Iceland 

Serbia 

Turkey 

Youth law  
http://www.menntamalaraduneyti.is/media/MRN-pdf/youth_act70_2007.pdf 

Zakon o mladima, ‘Sluzbeni glasnik RS’ broj 50/11 (Law on Youth, Official Gazette 
of the RS, no 50/11) 
http://www.mos.gov.rs/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-
files/The%20Law%20on%20Youth.pdf 

The Ministry of Youth and Sports was established by the Decree Law No 638 dated 
3 June 2011 (published in the Official Gazette No 27958 dated 8 June 2011) 
http://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/Metin.Aspx?MevzuatKod=4.5.638&MevzuatIliski=0&so
urceXmlSearch= 

However, these legal acts can differ in scope: many of them have to do with youth work 
activities  (Flemish  and  German-speaking  Communities  of  Belgium,  Estonia,  Ireland, 
Austria,  Slovakia,  Finland);  some  are  more  related  to  education  (France);  and  others 
are more focused on youth participation (Cyprus, Croatia, Luxembourg) and/or youth 
well-being (Germany, Spain, Latvia, Wales in the United Kingdom). 

Half of the reporting countries mention the existence of a cross-sectoral dimension in the 
implementation of these laws. 

2.2.2.  National youth strategies 

The  vast  majority  of  reports  (31  out  of  33)  mention  the  existence  of  a  specific  youth 
strategy; this trend already present in 2012 is clearly confirmed for 2015. Only  Cyprus 
and Greece declare that they do not have a youth strategy. Poland used to have one until 
2012 but has since then opted for a horizontal approach to issues related to education and 
youth. 

Some  of  the  youth  strategies  are  new  (German-speaking  Community  of  Belgium, 
Romania) or still in the making (Ireland and Malta within the EU, Iceland and Serbia 
outside the EU). In  80 %  of the cases mentioned, youth  strategies were developed after 
2010, and the more recent ones tend to have a greater cross-sectoral emphasis. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 2: Overview of youth strategies 

National youth strategies 

Belgium 

German-speaking Community: Jugendstrategieplan (Youth Strategy Plan) 2013-
2015 (effective) and 2016-2020 adopted by the Parliament of the German-speaking 
Community on 26 January 2015 

French Community: Plan Jeunesse 12-25 ans (Youth Plan 12-25)  
www.plan12-25.be – project in stand-by 

Flemish Community: Vlaams Jeugdbeleidsplan 2011-2014 (Flemish Youth Policy 
Plan 2011-2014) 
http://www.sociaalcultureel.be/jeugd/vjkb.aspx  

Bulgaria 

Council of Ministers’ Decision of 6 October 2010 for the adoption of National Youth 
Strategy (2010-2020) 
www.mpes.government.bg 

Czech Republic 

Koncepce podpory mládeže na období 2014-2020 (National Youth Strategy for 2014-
2020) adopted by the Government of the Czech Republic, Decree No 342 of 12 May 
2014 
http://www.msmt.cz/file/33599/ 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Koncepce státní politiky pro oblast dětí a mládeže na období 2007-2013 
(Government policy on children and young people for 2007-2013) adopted by the 
Government of the Czech Republic, Decree No 611 of 4 June 2007  
http://www.msmt.cz/vzdelavani/zakladni-vzdelavani/koncepce-statni-politiky-pro-
oblast-deti-a-mladeze-na-obdobi 

Youth Package 1 + 2, Youth Package 3 (2012-2016) – also local youth strategies 
with general focus on young people’s well-being and early intervention.  

Entwicklung einer Eigenständigen Jugendpolitik, Phase I (ab 1.10.2011) 
(Development of a modern Youth Policy) 
http://www.bmfsfj.de/BMFSFJ/Kinder-und-Jugend/eigenstaendige-
jugendpolitik.html 

Phase II (ab 30.10.2014): Umsetzung der Eigenständigen Jugendpolitik „Handeln für 
eine jugendgerechte Gesellschaft“ (Implementation of the modern Youth Policy 
‘Acting for a child- and youth-friendly society’) 

Noorsootöö strateegia 2006-2013 (Estonian Youth Work Strategy 2006-2013) 
http://www.hm.ee/sites/default/files/noorsootoo_strateegia_eng.pdf 

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and 
Young People, 2014-2020 
http://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/cypp_framework/BetterOutcomesBetterFutureRe
port.pdf 

The Government, in partnership with stakeholders, is developing a National Youth 
Strategy for 2015-2020 which will have its basis in the National Policy Framework 
for Children and Young People. 

Greece 

No youth strategy as such 

11 

 
 
 
Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Youth Strategy 2020 – approved by the Spanish Government on 12 September 2014  

Plan priorité jeunesse (Youth Priority Plan) 
www.jeunes.gouv.fr 

Nacionalni program za mlade za razdoblje od 2014. do 2017. (National Youth 
Programme 2014-2017)  
http://www.mspm.hr/novosti/vijesti/nacionalni_program_za_mlade_za_razdoblje_od
_2014_do_2017_godine 

Former programmes: Nacionalni program djelovanja za mlade od 2003. do 2008. 
godine (National Programme of Action for Youth 2003-2008); Nacionalni program 
za mlade od 2009. do 2013. godine (National Youth Programme 2009-2013) 

Diritto al futuro (Right to the future) 
http://www.diamoglifuturo.it/ 

No youth strategy as such 

Jaunatnes politikas pamatnostādnes 2009. - 2018.gadam (Youth Policy Guidelines 
for 2009-2018) 
http://polsis.mk.gov.lv/view.do?id=2994  

Order No A1-660 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of 
Lithuania of 4 December 2013 ‘On the Approval of the Action Plan 2014-2016 for 
the Implementation of the National Youth Policy Development Programme 2011-
2019’ 

The Action Plan of Strengthening Regional Youth Policy for 2015-2017 was 
approved by the Order of Minister of Social Security and Labour on 9 January 2015 
No A1-11 Dėl Regioninės jaunimo politikos stiprinimo 2015-2017 metų veiksmų 
plano patvirtinimo (Due to the Approval of the Action Plan of Strengthening 
Regional Youth Policy for 2015-2017) 

Luxembourg 

Pacte pour la Jeunesse 2012-2014 (2012-2014 Youth Pact) 
www.jugendpakt.lu 

Hungary 

National Youth Strategy – adopted by the Hungarian National Assembly in 2009 
(88/2009)  
Action plan for 2014-2015 – adopted by the Government in 2014. (1847/2014 
(XII.30.)) 

Malta 

National Youth Policy 2010-2013  
http://cdn02.abakushost.com/agenzijazghazagh/downloads/0662_001.pdf 

A Shared Vision for the Future of Young People. Draft National Youth Policy 
Framework 2015-2020 
http://cdn02.abakushost.com/agenzijazghazagh/downloads/Draft_National_Youth_P
olicy_Framework_2015-2020_Discussion_Document.pdf 

Netherlands 

Beleidsbrief ‘Geen kind buiten spel’ (No child excluded) 
http://www.voordejeugd.nl/ondersteuning/downloads/communicatie-met-de-tweede-
kamer 

12 

 
 
 
Austria 

Austrian Youth Strategy introduced in 2012  
http://www.bmfj.gv.at/ministerium/jugendstrategie/dokumentation-
jugendstrategie/publikationen.html 

Poland 

A specific Youth Strategy was in force between 2003 and 2013 

Report on Youth 2011  
http://zds.kprm.gov.pl/sites/default/files/youth_2011_internet.pdf 

Currently, the system of development strategies includes 9 integrated strategies and 2 
principal documents, defining the medium- and long-term development strategy of 
the country. The integrated strategies are thematically related to key policy areas of 
the Government. None of those documents is devoted to a particular social group. 
Issues related to education and youth are included in a horizontal manner in all these 
documents.  

Portugal 

Laws on IPDJ: Dec lei 98/2011 21 sept; Dec lei 132/2014 3 sept 11/2012 11jan; 
Livro Branco (White Paper on Youth): Resolução 11/2013 youth organisations laws 
Dec lei 23/2006 23 jun and dec lei 40/2006 24 aug 

Livro Branco da Juventude (White Paper on Youth) was developed between 2012 
and 2014 and is to be published in 2015. Young people and representative structures 
have been consulted to draw up a document at national level to define a global 
strategy and an action plan in the youth field.  
http://microsites.juventude.gov.pt/Portal/LBJ/OQueE/ 

Romania 

National Strategy for Youth Policy 2015-2020 

Slovenia 

Resolution on the National Programme for Youth – adopted in 2013 

Slovakia 

Sweden 

Finland 

Stratégia Slovenskej republiky pre mládež na roky 2014-2020. (Strategy of the 
Slovak Republic for Youth 2014-2020) 
http://www.rokovania.sk/File.aspx/ViewDocumentHtml/Mater-Dokum-
164154?prefixFile=m_ 

Med fokus på unga – en politik för goda levnadsvillkor, makt och inflytande (Focus 
on young people – a policy for good living conditions, power and influence)  
(new bill) http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/108/a/236143 

Lapsi- ja nuorisopolitiikan kehittämisohjelma 2012-2015 (Child and Youth Policy 
Programme 2012-2015) 
http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/liitteet/OKM8.pdf?la
ng=en 

Lapsi- ja nuorisopolitiikan kehittämisohjelma 2007-2011 (The Finnish Government’s 
Child and Youth Policy Programme 2007-2011) 
http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Julkaisut/2008/liitteet/opm21.pdf?lan
g=fi 

13 

 
 
 
United Kingdom  England: Positive for Youth  

www.education.gov.uk/positiveforyouth 

Iceland 

Serbia 

Northern Ireland: Priorities for Youth – Improving Young People’s Lives through 
Youth Work (October 2013) 
http://www.deni.gov.uk/19-priorities-for-youth.htm  

Scotland: Our Ambitions for improving the life chances of young people in Scotland: 
National Youth Work Strategy 2014-2019  
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/communitylearninganddevelopment/youngpeo
ple/youthwork/strategy/index.asp 

Wales: The Youth Engagement and Progression Framework  
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/skillsandtraining/youthengagement/?lan
g=en 

Youth strategy in preparation 

Nacionalna strategija za mlade, „Official Gazette of the RS, no. 55/08ˮ Akcioni plan 
za sprovođenje Nacionalne strategije za mlade za period od 2009. do 2014. godine, 
„Official Gazette of the RS, no. 7/09ˮ  
The Republic of Serbia adopted the first National Youth Strategy in 2008 and one 
year later an Action plan for its implementation for the period 2009-2014.  
http://www.mos.gov.rs/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-
files/Serbia_National_Youth_Strategy.pdf 
http://www.mos.gov.rs/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-
files/Action%20plan%20of%20the%20National%20Youth%20Strategy.pdf 

In accordance with the Law on Youth (Article 11), the process of drafting a new 
National Strategy was launched in mid-2014. The new strategy shall cover the period 
of 10 years (2015-2025). It is expected to be adopted during February 2015. The 
three-year Action plan for its implementation will be endorsed during March 2015. 

Turkey 

National Youth and Sports Policy Paper published in January 2013 
http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/main.aspx?home=http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskil
er/2013/01/20130127.htm&main=http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/01/201
30127.htm 

Ministry of Youth and Sports Strategic Plan 2013-2017  
http://dergi.gsb.gov.tr/2013-2017-GSB-STRATEJIK-PLAN/ 

10th Development Plan published in July 2013 (section on ‘Child and Youth’)  
http://www.kalkinma.gov.tr/Lists/Yaynlar/Attachments/518/Onuncu%20Kalk%C4%
B1nma%20Plan%C4%B1.pdf 

2.2.3.  Youth work 

Most  countries  refer  to  particular  strands  or  aspects  of  their  youth  strategies  or  laws 
addressing the role of youth work. Many mention their funding in favour of youth work 
(the three Communities of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovenia). Other countries, for 
instance Malta and Portugal, stress the regulation of the youth work profession in their 
country. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
There  are,  however,  some  exceptions  which  highlight  specific  youth  work  strategies, 
especially at regional or local level. In Wales (United Kingdom), a national youth work 
strategy  was  launched  in  February  2014,  setting  out  how  youth  work  can  support  the 
Welsh  Government’s  priorities  of  narrowing  the  gap  in  educational  achievement  and 
reducing the number of young people who are not engaged in employment, education or 
training (NEETs). In Latvia, local governments develop their own youth work strategy, 
and it is expected that youth work strategies will be in place for all local governments at 
the latest in 2015 (and maintained till 2018). Germany underlines the work done on the 
national implementation of the EU Youth Strategy, as well as its efforts to do so at local 
level – e.g. the framework concept for youth work of the city of Bremen.16 

Here  again,  the  activities  developed  since  2010  are  generally  based  more  on  cross-
sectoral cooperation than before. 

2.2.4. 

Institutional mechanisms aimed at cross-sectoral youth policy  

It  seems  that  only  two  countries,  Cyprus  and  Denmark,  do  not  have  an  institutional 
mechanism  for  ensuring  a  cross-sectoral  approach  to  youth  policy,  but  some  countries 
have  several.  In  total,  35  cross-sectoral  tools  are  known  to  exist,  half  of  which  were 
already in place before 2010. 

Figure 1 - Number of Member States having established an 
institutionalised mechanism to ensure a cross-sectoral approach to 
youth policy 

1 

2 

Yes

No

No answer

25 

Most of the countries have set up interdepartmental working groups or committees, many 
of  which  are  connected  with  youth  strategies  and  are  aimed  at  implementing  these 

16 http://www.soziales.bremen.de/sixcms/media.php/13/Rahmenkonzept+Jugendarbeit.pdf 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
through  a  cross-sectoral  approach.  They  meet  mostly  at  technical  level,  sometimes 
coupled with meetings at ministerial level. 

Spain – Interministerial youth committee 

This  interministerial  committee  meets  at  least  twice  a  year  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Minister  of  Health,  Social  Policy  and  Equality.  The  General  Director  of  the  Spanish 
Youth  Institute  (INJUVE)  is  the  vice-President,  and  each  Ministry  is  represented  by  a 
member with the status of General Director.  

Its aims are:  

 

 
 

to propose youth policy programmes to the Government that highlight the 
economic, social, political and cultural factors affecting young people’s inclusion 
into active social life; 
to study youth problems and propose programmes and measures to resolve them; 
to coordinate proceedings between different ministerial departments, especially 
on youth-related issues.  

This committee approved the Spanish Youth Strategy 2020 in September 2014. 

2.2.5.  Linkages between youth policy and youth research 

Institutionalised and regular cooperation between the ministry responsible for youth and 
the youth research community is common practice in around two thirds of the countries. 
The Spanish Youth Institute INJUVE has developed a research programme whose most 
important study is the Spanish youth report produced every four years. In  Finland, the 
Finnish  Youth  Research  Society  and  Finnish  Youth  Research  Network  are  very  active. 
Once per legislative period, the Federal Minister responsible for Youth in Austria has to 
report  on  the  situation  of  young  people.  Upon  request  by  the  Bulgarian  Ministry  of 
Youth  and  Sports,  sociological  studies  on  ‘Identifying  the  effect  of  youth  policies  on 
young  people  in  the  country’  are  carried  out  in  order  to  analyse  the  situation  of  young 
people and prepare annual youth reports. In Croatia, cooperation with representatives of 
the research community takes place within the youth advisory board of the Government. 

When such  cooperation between youth policy and youth research exists, it includes the 
following actors: 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3: Cooperation between youth policy and youth research – actors involved 

Youth 
institutes 

Universities 

Research 
centres 

Other 

Belgium – Flemish Community 

Bulgaria 

Czech Republic 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Finland 

United Kingdom 

Iceland 

Turkey 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

17 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Slovenia – Cooperation with the Educational Institute 

The Office for Youth has supported and promoted cross-disciplinary research relating to 
young people and their living conditions for a long time. 

In  2014,  the  office  strengthened  its  cooperation  with  the  Educational  Institute  with  the 
aim of developing knowledge on youth, the youth sector and youth policies in Slovenia. 

Concrete measures to be implemented in 2015 are: 

  establishing a platform for monitoring of the National Programme for Youth 
along the lines of ‘children’s observatory’ (development and monitoring of 
indicators); 
setting up a national database for monitoring youth policy in Slovenia; 
strengthening cooperation with the existing knowledge network at EU level. 

 
 

2.2.6.  Budgetary allocation for youth 

It  is  difficult  to  provide  estimates  on  a  general  budget  for  youth;  some  countries  have 
nevertheless succeeded in presenting relevant data. 

Table 4: Overview of budgetary allocation for youth 

National budget 
for the youth field 

National budget  
for youth in 
general 

EU budget 
for the youth field 17 

EU budget 
for youth in 
general 

Management costs of 
Youth in Action 
Agency: € 28 217. 
Eurodesk Agency: 
€ 6 102 

Belgium – 
German-speaking 
Community 

€ 1 695 000 

Belgium – Flemish 
Community 

€ 71 085 000 

Belgium – French 
Community 

Estimate 2013 for 
the Wallonia-
Brussels Federation: 
€ 47 615 000 

Overall budget for 
education, 
employment and 
VET € 104 828 000. 
There also were 
€ 4 580 000 youth 
care. 

17 The countries generally referred to the relevant budget of the former Youth in Action programme (2007-
2013). 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Under the Youth in 
Action programme 
for 2013, 259 
contracts for the total 
amount of 
€ 3 538 059 were 
concluded 

Eurodesk, (National 
Centre European 
Youth Programmes 
and Initiatives): 
BGN 38 200. 

ESF Project ‘Keys 
for Life’: 
CZK 15 298 202 
from EU budget 
(national co-
financing: 
CZK 2 699 682) 

Bulgaria 

Czech Republic 

Denmark 

Germany  

The funds spent by 
the specialised 
administration in the 
Ministry of Youth 
and Sports for 2013 
are BGN 1 138 335 
(funds for policies, 
administration of 
National Youth 
Policy (2011-2015) 
and subsidies for 
funding of project 
proposals). Funds 
spent by the 
governmental 
institutions, district 
administrations and 
municipal structures 
for 2013: 
BGN 161 770 019 

Subsidy 
programmes 
supporting youth 
work: CZK 170 
million; Czech-
German cooperation 
in the field of 
children and youth: 
CZK 3 381 500.  

2013 German 
expenditure on 
public child and 
youth support 
agencies: 
€ 35 526 752 000 for 
youth work, youth 
social work, 
educational child 
and youth 
protection, child 
day-care services, 
educational support, 
employee further 
training, other 
expenditure and 
personnel costs 

Funds supporting 
gifted children and 
young people 
(Programme 
Excellence): 
CZK 20 million and 
funds supporting 
festivals for young 
people, and 
knowledge-based 
and skill-based 
competitions for 
young people: 
CZK 35 million. 

n/a 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Estonia 

€ 7 386 520 

€ 7 001 682 (EU 
funds without Youth 
in Action) 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

Department of 
Children and Youth 
Affairs: Youth 
Affairs Budget of 
€ 51 748 000 (2013) 
current and 
€ 500 000 capital in 
2015 

€ 355 775 582. This 
amount includes EU 
funds and other 
programmes/funds. 

€ 25 924 000 
(budget INJUVE) 

€ 1 600 000  

€ 10 953 105 

France 

€ 244 551 876 

€ 80.47 billion 

Croatia 

In 2013 the budget 
allocations targeting 
young people were 
HRK 344 247 024.9 
million. This 
amount includes 
state budget, lottery 
funds and EU funds. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The appropriations 
provided with the 
Youth in Action 
programme in 2013 
amounted to 
€ 11 966 525. 

Italy 

National Fund for 
Youth of 
€ 5 278 360 million 
in net cuts for the 
spending review 
allocated to the 
interventions of 
Communes 
(€ 659 795), 
Provinces 
(€ 264 445), 
Regions 
(€ 3 298 447) and 
the Central State 
(€ 1 055 672). 

Fund for the civil 
service net of cuts 
for the spending 
review: 
€ 126 859 716 

Fund Cohesion 
Action Plan ‘Youth 
for the noon’: 
€ 63 600 000 

€ 3 million 

€ 1 802 833 

€ 3 804 548 
(Erasmus+ Youth in 
Action) 

Lithuania 

€ 1 700 000 

Malta 

Austria 

There is no special 
dedication to the 
youth field in each 
Federal Ministry. In 
addition, there is 
supplement financial 
support from the 
Federal Provinces 
and local authorities 

€ 680 000 (Aġenzija 
Żgħażagħ budget) 

From 2009 to 2013 
the Federal Budget 
Reform was 
implemented in two 
stages. It now 
defines for instance 
a new budget 
structure as well as 
outcome oriented 
budget management. 
https://english.bmf.g
v.at/budget-
economic-
policy/BMF-
HHRR_folder_E.pdf
?4cxx82 

Portugal 

€ 11 000 000 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Slovakia  

Support of youth 
work activities via 
financial 
‘Programmes for 
youth’, amount: 
€ 2.5 million  

Ministry of Labour, 
Social Affairs and 
Family runs specific 
initiatives for young 
people especially in 
the field of 
unemployment 

National projects 
targeted on youth 
work development 
financed under 
European Social 
Fund. Amount: € 12 
million  

Targeting youth 
unemployment 
‘Youth Guarantee’ 
is used. Amount: 
€ 76 million 

Slovenia 

€ 200 million  

€ 70 million 

Sweden 

Finland 

United Kingdom 

Serbia 

Turkey 

SEK 4.2 million 

€ 3 million 

SEK 282 million 

€ 74 million total 
(71% of the total 
budget is allocated 
from the Lottery 
funds and the rest 
from the ordinary 
budget) 

€ 976 million 
(general education), 
€ 737 million 
(vocational 
education), € 2 739 
million (university 
education)  

Responsibility for youth sits across various Government 
departments and Devolved Administrations and so it is 
difficult to provide a total figure of the estimated budget 
allocation 

€ 8 400 000 

€ 1 361 259 

TRY 5 596 536 251 
(Ministry of Youth 
and Sports budget, 
includes 
administrative costs) 

2.3. 

Implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 

2.3.1. 

Impact of the EU Youth Strategy on national, regional or local level 

Twenty-two  reports  confirm  that  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  has  reinforced  existing  youth 
priorities  at  national  level.  Many  national  youth  strategies  take  their  cue  from  the  EU 
Youth Strategy by using the same principles, goals and fields of action (Austria, Flemish 
Community  of  Belgium,  Croatia,  Ireland,  Malta)  or  by  getting  inspiration  from  its 
instruments  like  the  Structured  Dialogue  and  support  for  youth  participation  (Flemish 
Community of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal). 

Spain,  Sweden,  the  German-speaking  Community  of  Belgium,  Ireland,  Estonia, 
Slovakia, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Poland as well as Serbia point out 
that  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  has  to  some  extent  triggered  a  shift  in  their  national  youth 
policy.  Slovakia’s  new  national  strategy  follows  the  same  structure  as  the  EU  Youth 
Strategy, which is gradually being reflected in the country’s regional youth strategies. In 
some  countries,  such  as  Italy  and  Slovenia,  the  European  strategy  has  influenced  the 
development of a cross-sectoral approach. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25

20

15

10

5

0

Figure 2 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the  impact of 
the EU Youth Strategy on national, regional and local level 

20 

National level

Regional and local level

11 

11 

7 

6 

4 

It has reinforced existing
priorities in the national youth
policy

There was a reorientation of the
national youth policy in some
aspects

No changes reported

2.3.2.  Assessment of the EU Youth Strategy at national, regional or local level 

One third of the national reports indicate that the EU Youth Strategy was assessed in the 
respective countries. In many cases, this was done when evaluating the national strategy 
(Flemish Community of Belgium, Finland, United Kingdom). For instance, the annual 
assessment  of  the  Finnish  Child  and  Youth  Policy  programme  concluded  that  more 
attention should be paid to developing opportunities for all children and young people to 
participate. 

The  German  Youth  Institute  (Deutsches  Jugendinstitut,  DJI)  evaluated  the  first 
implementation  phase  in  Germany  (2010-2013).  The  assessment  focused  on  the 
governance  panels  set  up  by  the  federal  government  and  federal  states,  which  monitor 
and  coordinate  the  German  implementation  process.  It  was  found  in  particular  that 
effective  cooperation  had  been  established  between  the  government,  the  federal  states 
and  relevant  civil  society  stakeholders  and  that  this  cooperation  has  to  be  seen  as  a 
normative process. The existing panels may be enlarged to include further relevant actors 
at  any  time.  The  National  Working  Group  for  Structured  Dialogue  has,  for  example, 
included youth representatives from the European youth conferences. 

2.3.3.  Consultation of young people and other youth stakeholders 

Young  people  were  consulted  in  most  of  the  countries  when  the  national  reports  were 
being  prepared.  Slovakia  was  the  only  country  that  did  not  organise  a  specific 
consultation,  relying  instead  on  the  results  of  a  previous  consultation  on  the  country’s 
new youth strategy, for which a youth conference was organised in March 2014. Slovakia 
therefore used the information gathered at the conference, which was updated by various 
stakeholders and umbrella organisations. 

23 

 
 
 
 
Figure 3 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the type of 
stakeholders involved in the consultation 

17 

12 

7 

5 

1 

26 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

National youth
council

Youth
organisations

Other youth
stakeholders

Youth workers

Local and
regional youth
councils

Other youth
representatives

2.3.4.  EU Work Plan for Youth 

In May 2014 the Council adopted a European Union Work Plan for Youth for 2014-2015 
aiming to sharpen implementation of the EU Youth Strategy and better align activities in 
the  youth  field  with  the  objectives  of  the  Europe  2020  strategy.  This  was  done  by 
focusing on a given number of priorities, supported by expert groups and other forms of 
mutual learning. 

Most  countries  take  the  view  that  the  EU  work  plan  reflects  national  priorities.  Spain 
emphasises that the cross-sectoral handling of youth employment issues, promoting non-
formal  learning  and  empowerment,  is  essential  to  drawing  up  youth  policies  in  the 
context of the current crisis. Malta points out that its new National Youth Policy (2015-
2020)  has  a  dual  strategic  approach  that  is  focused  on  youth  work  and  non-formal 
learning  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  a  cross-sectoral  dimension  on  the  other  hand.  When 
drafting  its  youth  strategy  for  2014-2020,  the  Czech  Republic  took  the  opportunity  to 
link  national  priorities  to  the  priorities  of  the  EU  work  plan.  In  Ireland,  the  three 
priorities of the work plan are reflected in the National Policy Framework for Children 
and  Young  People;  they  will  also  be  picked  up  in  the  forthcoming  national  youth 
strategy. Both policy documents recognise the significant contribution of non-formal and 
informal  learning  provided  through  youth  work,  emphasise  and  promote  cross-sectoral 
cooperation and collaboration, and prioritise young people’s participation. 

Twenty-three  of  the  reporting  countries  believe  that  the  work  plan  facilitates  the 
implementation of the EU Youth Strategy.  Finland points out that the work plan lends 
substance  to  the  strategy  and  ties  it  more  closely  to  policy-making  and  further 
development of youth  work at national level.  Italy  considers that the work plan allows 
Member  States  to  implement  the  strategy  more  effectively  in  a  number  of  ways:  it 
identifies which fields of action are the most relevant in view of the current situation of 
young  people;  it sets  a  clear  timetable  and  planning  for intervention  at  European level; 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
and  it  strengthens  cross-sectoral  cooperation.  For  Greece,  it  serves  as  a  concrete 
framework of actions for policy-makers. 

Some  caution  was  expressed.  While  recognising  the  work  plan’s  benefit  in  terms  of 
making  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  more  concrete,  giving  clear  direction  and  increasing 
transparency,  the  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium  says  there  is  a  risk  that  it  could  be 
considered  as  a  separate  instrument  with  its  own  dynamics  of  implementation  and 
reporting. The need for the EU Youth Strategy on a long-term basis is still there and the 
work plan should cover all themes – and the presidency priorities should be related to it. 

Finally,  most  of  the  Member  States  participated  in  the  planned  activities  and  their 
feedback provided details on national participation in the work plan’s expert groups. 

Figure 4 - Number of Member States involved in the implementation of 
the EU Work Plan for Youth   

27 

26 

23 

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

21

The country intends to
participate in planned activities
or has already done so

Priorities of the work plan
reflect the national priorities

The work plan makes
implementation of the EU Youth
Strategy easier

2.4. 

Other relevant initiatives 

Countries  were  asked  to  specify  if  they  took  other  initiatives  linked  to  the  EU  Youth 
Strategy,  such  as  multilateral  peer-learning  activities,  policy  conferences  or  policy 
networks.  When  such  activities  are  mentioned,  these  are  mostly  conferences  or  other 
mutual learning events. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 5: Overview of other relevant initiatives 

Peer-learning activity, policy 
conference or network 

Other 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

French Community: 1st European Youth 
Work Convention in July 2010 under the 
Belgian Presidency of the Council of the 
EU 

Flemish Community: Seminars in the 
framework of the multilateral 
cooperation between Flanders, Estonia, 
Lithuania, Latvia; study visits and 
conferences on different themes, e.g. 
development of youth policy at all levels, 
youth policy at local level, youth in an 
urban context, participation, quality 
youth work 

Annual exchange of experience with 
South Korea and Azerbaijan in the field 
of youth policy and sport on the basis of 
memorandums of cooperation 

Exchange of experience with Finland for 
studying good practices in the youth 
field under a project funded by the ESF, 
Operational Programme ‘Administrative 
Capacity’ 

Exchange of experience in the field of 
youth policies and programmess with 
Greece 

Bulgarian Chairmanship of the meeting 
of the ministers of youth and sports of 
the Black Sea Cooperation Organisation 
member states (2013) 

Czech Republic  Working seminar on Youth Volunteering 

for Visegrad Group (V4) and Eastern 
Partnership (EaP) countries, September 
2014; main theme: role of local, national 
and international volunteering in V4 and 
EaP countries – identification of 
cooperation opportunities for better 
efficiency 

The new National Youth Strategy (2014-
2020) was developed using Czech-
Slovak bilateral cooperation, cooperation 
between the Visegrad Group countries 
and a peer-learning activity between the 
Czech Republic, Germany, France, 
Belgium, Lithuania, Netherlands and 
Sweden in 2011-2013 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Denmark 

Exchange of good practices and 
coordination of views among the youth 
councils in the Nordic countries 
(Demark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, 
Iceland). Yearly conferences for board 
members of youth councils in the Nordic 
countries.  

Germany  

Various multilateral cooperation 
projects: 

European Peer Learning on Youth Policy 
(Eigenständige Jugendpolitik) 

‘youthpart’ (on e-participation) 

transitions. Successful Transitions to 
Training and Employment 

Participation of young people in the 
democratic Europe 

Ireland 

Different meetings as part of Ireland’s 
Presidency of the Council of the EU in 
2013: 

EU youth conference on social inclusion  

High level round table on the role of 
youth work in responding to youth 
employment and employability 

Informal meeting of EU Directors-
General for Youth 

BelonG To conference on ‘LGBT Youth 
and Social Inclusion’ 

‘youthpart’ project (2012-2014): 
cooperation between Spain, Germany, 
Finland, Austria, United Kingdom and 
the Commission on youth e-
participation; conferences, peer-learning 
seminars and youth conferences   

Spain 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Croatia 

April 2012: ‘Information right now! – 
Young people are asking’ conference, 
organised by the Community 
Information Centres for young people in 
Croatia and the Ministry of Social Policy 
and Youth to mark the beginning of a 
public campaign Informacija uPRAVO 
sad! (Information right now!) in Croatia; 
On that occasion, the European Charter 
for Youth Information was signed 

February 2014: conference on the new 
EU programme for education, training, 
youth and sport, Erasmus + 

December 2014: conference ‘EU for 
Youth’ to inform students, young 
unemployed people and young 
entrepreneurs about their possibilities 
from EU funds. 

Italy 

European Conference on Youth Health 
and Well-being, Rome, June 2010 

Events organised in 2014 as part of the 
Italian Presidency of the Council of the 
EU:  

EU youth conference on support access 
to rights by young people to enhance 
their autonomy and participation in 
social life 

Meeting of EU Directors-General for 
Youth 

‘Regenerate participation. Youth and 
Civil Service in the European 
perspective’ 

‘Youth employment event – 1 year after 
– Building a sustainable future’ 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
Latvia 

Hungary 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Multilateral cooperation with Estonia, 
Lithuania and Flanders – for the 
implementation of cooperation in the 
youth field 2012-2014. The aim of the 
cooperation is to promote the exchange 
of experience on the participation of 
young people in thematic areas, to 
identify effective methods and best 
examples for young people; workshops 
organised, for example, on 1) skill 
recognition through informal education, 
2) youth participation in different 
decision-making processes, 3) youth 
work quality, 4) evidence-based youth 
policy at the local level 

V4 seminars related to the youth field 
with Visegrad Group and Eastern 
Partnership countries 

Bilateral cooperation with the Flemish 
Community of Belgium. A five-days 
long study visit was achieved in 
September 2014 

Focus in positive youth policies and 
practices – multilateral peer-learning 
seminars with German and Czech 
partners; one was organised in 
Rotterdam 18 in 2012. 

Youth Forum 2010: exchange of 
opinions and ideas on three main topics 
(education, inclusion, participation); 
networking and exchange of good 
practices in the youth field on a 
European level; meeting between more 
than 200 young people and youth 
workers, representatives of youth 
ministries and authorities from Austria, 
Germany, Luxemburg, Switzerland, 
Belgium and Liechtenstein  

2013 learning mobility research 
conference ‘International youth work and 
mobility as learning contexts: research 
evidence for policy and practice’ 
organised by the network for the 
‘Research-based Analysis and 
Monitoring of Youth in Action’ (RAY) 

Regional symposia 2011-2012: under the 
heading ‘Youth.Politics.Europe.Austria’ 
the tour of the federal states included 
symposia in Tyrol, Styria, Vorarlberg, 
Upper Austria and Salzburg. Apart from 
decision-makers in the fields of politics 
and administration, practitioners and 
multipliers were also invited according to 
the key topic. Apart from spreading 
information on the renewed framework 
for European cooperation in the youth 
field, the goal of the series of events was 
to relate these European guidelines to the 
national and local level and to bring 
together various players around a chosen 
key topic 

18 http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/Youth-Policy/International-conferences/Past-
conferences/Multilateral_Peer_Learning_Seminar  

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Portugal 

Slovakia  

Conferences, peer-learning and network 
activities – youth employment, 
entrepreneurship, youth work and non-
formal education – social inclusion; 
national and transnational 

Finland 

2nd InterCity Conference – peer-learning 
in local youth work and youth policy, 
December 2013, Helsinki 

Autonomy through dependency – 
histories of cooperation, conflict and 
innovation in youth work, June 2014, 
Helsinki 

United Kingdom 

Serbia 

Regional network Western Balkans 

Declaration on the recognition of non-
formal learning in youth work: public 
declaration of various stakeholders 
(employers, ministries, municipalities, 
universities, youth organisations, etc.) in 
education about the value of non-formal 
education in youth work. 

Finland also focuses on the topic of 
social inclusion during its Chairmanship 
of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, 
which includes non-EU member states 
(Russian Federation and Norway) 

UK Young Ambassadors 19 (Young 
Migrants project) to engage young 
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in 
Structured Dialogue 

British Youth Council partnered with 
‘Refugee Youth’ for the duration of the 
Trio, getting access to the target group 
and supporting them to develop 
resources and workshops to outreach 
further. 

19 http://www.ukya.org.uk/YourVoice  

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3. 

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 

The  aim  of  action  in  this  field  is  to  support  young  people’s  integration  into  the  labour 
market  (either  as  employees  or  as  entrepreneurs)  and  to  facilitate  and  support  the 
transition from education and training, or from unemployment or inactivity, to the labour 
market. Opportunities to reconcile working life with family life should also be improved. 

3.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

The  growing  number  of  unemployed  youth  and  those  not  in  employment,  education  or 
training (NEETs) has led to an increase in the number of initiatives in the field of youth 
employment and entrepreneurship.  

Youth Guarantee 

The  Youth  Guarantee  seeks  to  ensure  that  all  EU  Member  States  make  a  good-quality 
offer to all young people (up to age 25) of a job, continued education, an apprenticeship 
or  a  traineeship  within  four  months  of  leaving  formal  education  or  becoming 
unemployed.  The  Youth  Guarantee  recommendation  was  formally  adopted  by  the 
EU’s Council of Ministers on 22 April 2013 20 and endorsed by the June 2013 European 
Council.  It  includes  guidelines  for  setting  up  such  schemes,  covering  in  particular  the 
need  for  stronger  partnerships  between  all  the  public  authorities  concerned  (education 
and  employment  institutions),  early  intervention  and  activation,  and  making  full  use  of 
EU funding. 

The implementation of the Youth Guarantee in all  Member States is  already producing 
results. Compared to other structural reforms in Europe, the Youth Guarantee is probably 
one  of  the  most  rapidly  implemented.  All  28  Member  States  presented  their  Youth 
Guarantee  Implementation  Plans  in  2014,  setting  out  the  respective  roles  of  public 
authorities and other organisations, how it will be financed and monitored, as well as a 
timetable.  The  Commission  monitors  the  progress  made  within  the  EU’s  reinforced 
economic surveillance framework (the European Semester). An Indicator Framework for 
Monitoring the Youth Guarantee is now in place. 

The  Commission  provides  technical  support  and  guidance  in  a  variety  of  ways.  For 
example, to assist the Member States in developing their Youth Guarantee schemes, the 
Commission organises high-level events as well as more technical meetings and country 
visits.  The  Commission  has  set  up  and  continuously  updates  a  Youth  Guarantee 
website 21  which  explains  the  concept  and  related  actions  to  a  wider  audience.  A 
dedicated hotline provides information and guidance to Member States. The Commission 
also encourages and enables mutual learning among Member States through the sharing 
of  experiences  and  good  practices.  One  example  is  a  peer review  of  the  Finnish  Youth 
Guarantee held on 18 September 2014. The Commission also supports awareness-raising 
activities centred around the Youth Guarantee: a pilot was launched in four countries in 
the first half of 2015, with a particular focus on outreach to young people to invite them 

20 Council recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee, OJ C 120, 26.4.2013, p. 1-6. 

21 http://ec.europa.eu/social/youthguarantee  

31 

 
 
 
                                                 
to contact the relevant services. Furthermore, at the request of the European Parliament, 
the  Commission  financed  18  twelve-month  pilot  projects 22  in  seven  Member  States  to 
support Youth Guarantee partnerships at the local level. The results of these projects can 
be  found  in  the  summary  report  published  in  April  2015  and  were  presented  at  a 
conference 23 during the European Youth Week. 

European Parliament pilot project in Ballymun (Ireland) 

A  particularly  comprehensive  and  ambitious  pilot  project  was  set  up  in  Ballymun, 
outside  Dublin,  Ireland,  to  support  739  young  people  facing  multiple  barriers  to  the 
labour market in one of Ireland’s most disadvantaged areas.  

The  project  had  an  ambitious  target  of  guaranteeing  all  newly-registered  unemployed 
young people aged between 18 and 24 years in the Ballymun area a good-quality offer of 
a  job,  apprenticeship,  traineeship,  work  experience,  or  continued  education  within  four 
months of registration and all those already on the unemployment register would receive 
an  offer  within  four  months  of  an  initial  guidance  interview.  This  target  was  met,  with 
98 %  of  young  people  receiving  their  offer  on  time:  57 %  of  offers  were  for  further 
education  and  training,  and  the  remaining  43 %  were  offers  of  employment,  subsidised 
employment and traineeships. Unsurprisingly, the profile of offers to the better educated 
members of the client group featured much higher rates of employment and higher levels 
of further education and training. For many others the ‘offer’ was the start of a process 
and not the end: stepping stones along a pathway to employment.  

The  Ballymun  pilot  was  also  successful  in  terms  of  engaging  employers:  new 
communication materials for employers (leaflets and webpage) featuring one key contact 
person  for  queries  were  developed.  A  database  of  local  employers  was  created  to 
facilitate communication and relationship building. A range of employer events including 
breakfast  briefings  were  held  to  raise  awareness  and  boost  participation  in  the  Youth 
Guarantee. 

By the end of the project the number of youth registered as unemployed in Ballymun had 
dropped  by  29 %,  which  compares  positively  against  the  national  rate  of  reduction  of 
19 % during the same period. 

Particular  emphasis  will  be  placed  on  youth  employment  in  implementing  the  EU 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds  from  2014  to  2020.  The  regulations  that  govern  these 
funds  already  include  a  dedicated  investment  priority  targeting  the  sustainable  labour 
market integration of young NEETs.  

To increase available EU financial support to the regions and individuals struggling most 
with  youth  employment  and  inactivity,  the  EU  also  agreed to  create  a dedicated  Youth 

22 http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=11400&langId=en 

23 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=1079&eventsId=1051&furtherEvents=yes  

32 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Employment Initiative (YEI). The YEI exclusively targets NEETs aged below 25 years, 
and where the Member State considers relevant, also those aged below 30 years. The YEI 
provides additional funding to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. The 
YEI  funding  comprises  € 3.2  billion  from  a  specific  EU  budget  heading  dedicated  to 
youth  employment  and  at  least  another  € 3.2  billion  from  the  EU  Structural  and 
Investment Funds’ national allocations. This will boost the support already provided by 
these  funds  for  similar  types  of  activities.  Furthermore,  Member  States  will  have  to 
complement  this  assistance  with  additional  investments  in  structural  reforms  to 
modernise  employment,  social  and  education  services  for  young  people,  and  by 
strengthening the capacity of relevant structures and improving education access, quality 
and links to labour market demand. 

Quality  apprenticeships  and  traineeships  are  two  core  components  of  Youth  Guarantee 
schemes.  Effective  vocational  education  and  training  systems,  in  particular  those  that 
include  a  strong  work-based  learning  component,  appear  to  facilitate  the  transition  of 
young people from education to work. A recent analysis by the Center for Research on 
Education  and  Life  Long  Learning 24  (CRELL)  showed  a  labour  market  advantage,  at 
least  in  the  short  run,  of  young  individuals  with  VET  qualifications  (compared  to  their 
non-VET counterparts), although with important cross-country differences. 

Launched  in  July  2013,  the  European  Alliance  for  Apprenticeships  brings  together 
public  authorities,  businesses,  social  partners,  vocational  education  and  training 
providers, youth representatives, and other key actors in order to improve the quality and 
supply  of  apprenticeships  across  the  EU  and  change  attitudes  towards  apprenticeship-
type learning. A Council Declaration on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships was 
adopted in October 2013. By June 2015, 26 Member States and 5 non EU countries 25 had 
submitted  concrete  commitments  on  next  steps  to  increase  the  quantity,  quality  and 
supply  of  apprenticeships.  Furthermore,  86  organisations  (companies,  business 
associations,  chambers,  social  partners,  education  and  training  providers,  regional 
authorities, youth and non-profit organisations) pledged to contribute to strengthening the 
supply,  quality  and/or  attractiveness  of  apprenticeships.  A  pool  of  ‘business 
ambassadors’ was set up on the initiative of the European Roundtable of Industrialists. 

So  that  young  people  can  acquire  high-quality  work  experience  under  safe  and  fair 
conditions  and  to  increase  their  employability,  Member  States  agreed  on  a  Quality 
Framework  for  Traineeships 26  in  March  2014,  setting  a  benchmark  for  the 
determination of good quality traineeship under the Youth Guarantee. It offers guidelines 
to ensure that all traineeships are based on a written agreement covering learning content 
and working conditions (learning objectives, mentoring, limited duration, working time, 
clear indication as to whether remuneration/compensation and social protection apply). In 
addition, traineeship providers are recommended to enhance transparency by disclosing 

24 European Commission (2015), Education and youth labour market outcomes – the added value of VET, 
Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 

25 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147&langId=en 

26 OJ C 88, 27.3.2014, p. 1-4. 

33 

 
 
 
                                                 
in  the  vacancy  notice  the  financial  conditions  (compensation  and  social  security 
coverage)  and  the  proportion  of  ex-trainees  recruited  in  the  past  after  their  traineeship. 
These  requirements  are  designed  to  tackle  the  lack  of  transparency  on  compensation 
(46 % of vacancy notices do not indicate it), often exploited by unscrupulous traineeship 
providers, and the problem of traineeships being renewed more than once under the guise 
of (non-existent) hiring prospects. 

Labour mobility 

The  EU  facilitates  labour  mobility,  in  particular  by  making  young  people  aware  of  job 
opportunities  in  other  EU  countries.  The  European  Employment  Services  (EURES) 
network provides information, advice and recruitment/placement (job matching) services 
for the benefit of workers and employers as well as any citizen wishing to benefit from 
the  principle  of  free  movement  of  workers.  EURES  promotes  cooperation  between  the 
Commission,  public  employment  services  of  28  Member  States,  and  their  partners.  It 
consists  of  about  1 000  EURES  advisers  working  on  transnational  and  cross-border 
mobility issues. The human network is complemented by the EURES Job Mobility portal 
giving access to about 1.4 million job vacancies and offering opportunities for easy and 
multilingual  matching  of  CVs  with  those  job  vacancies  across  Europe.  The  overall 
ongoing reform of EURES aims at making it a more demand-driven and result-oriented 
recruitment tool. 

As part of this development, the Commission has been testing a scheme called Your first 
EURES Job (YfEJ)  to help EU nationals  aged 18 to  30 to find a job in any of the 28 
Member  States  (remunerated,  minimum  6  months  contract).  The  scheme  combines 
information, recruitment, matching and job placement support with financial incentives. 
It  finances  language  courses,  other  training  needs  and  travel  expenses  for  young  job 
applicants (for job interviews and job settlement in other EU countries). It also provides a 
contribution  to  an  integration  programme  in  the  case  of  recruitment  by  an  SME.  The 
objective  of  the  YfEJ  for  the  three  calls  launched  between  2011  and  2013  was  to  find 
jobs for 5 000 young people on the basis of a total budget of around € 12 million. As from 
2013,  support  measures  were  extended  to  trainees  and  apprentices  with  an  enhanced 
mobility  package  (e.g.  further  language  training  support,  costs  with  recognition  of 
qualifications, supplementary allowance for young people with special needs, mentoring 
for  trainees/apprentices).  By  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  2015,  nearly  4 000  young 
jobseekers  had  obtained  a  job  in  another  Member  State,  but  not  all  projects  will  be 
finished before the end of the third quarter 2015. A mid-term evaluation confirmed the 
relevance and EU added value of the scheme; an ex-post evaluation will follow in 2016. 

The  EU  Programme  for  Employment  and  Social  Innovation  (2014-2020)  provides 
additional  funding  to  support  targeted  mobility  schemes  intended  to  fill  bottleneck 
vacancies or deal with vacancies in certain occupations, sectors or Member States or to 
support  specific  target  groups  (e.g.  young  people)  ,  facilitating  intra-EU  job  mobility. 
Under the programme, the YfEJ covers young people aged 18 to 35 and is open to the 28 
Member States, Norway and Iceland. 

From  2014  the  YfEJ  scheme  is  integrated  into  the  above-mentioned  EURES  network. 
EURES  member organisations are lead applicants,  in  consortium with  EURES partners 
and other labour market organisations. The 2014 call for proposals (€ 7 million) selected 

34 

 
 
 
EURES  Italy  and  EURES  Sweden  as  lead  applicants.  For  the  2015  call,  € 8  million  is 
available to finance two additional projects. Each project aims at about 1 500 placements 
over a period of two years. 

EU-funded research projects on youth mobility and labour market integration 

Research projects launched in 2015: 

  MOVE – Mapping mobility: Pathways, institutions and structural effects of youth 

mobility in EU (http://www.move-project.eu) 

  YMOBILITY – Youth mobility: Maximising opportunities for individuals, labour 

markets and regions in EU (www.ymobility.eu) 

  NEGOTIATE – Negotiating early job: Insecurity and labour market exclusion in 

Europe (www.negotiate-research.eu)  

European youth cooperation on employment 

Youth employment was the overall thematic priority of the first Trio Presidency after the 
entry into force of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field. 
The first cycle of the Structured Dialogue also focused on youth employment. The results 
of  this  thematic  priority 27  inspired  subsequent  initiatives,  such  as  the  Council 
recommendation  of  20 December  2012  on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning.28 

Based on Council conclusions on fostering the creative and innovative potential of young 
people (May 2012), a thematic expert group was set up in order to share best practice on 
how  to  promote  the  creativity  and  innovative  capacity  of  young  people  by 
identifying  competences  and  skills  acquired  through  non-formal  and  informal 
learning relevant to employability. The expert group’s final report 29 was submitted to 
the Youth Working Party on 22 January 2014. It confirms that  engaging in  non-formal 
learning  activities  can  help  boost  young  people’s  employability  and  social  inclusion. 
Participation  in  non-formal  learning  activities  allows  young  people  to  develop 
knowledge, skills and attitudes that are frequently said to be needed in the labour market. 
This  includes  teamwork,  communication,  leadership,  flexibility  and  responsiveness.  It 
also  entails  discovering  one’s  entrepreneurial  and  innovative  potential,  by  identifying 
problems, coming up with ways of dealing with them and sticking to a chosen course of 
action.  The  report  also  identifies  a  need  for  greater  recognition  of  non-formal  learning 
and recommends ways of explaining non-formal learning more clearly to employers and 
educators,  translating  non-formal  learning  outcomes  to  the  world  of  work,  encouraging 
youth entrepreneurship and promoting partnerships and cross-sectoral innovation. 

27 See 2012 EU Youth Report. 

28 OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1-5. 

29 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/library/reports/creative-potential_en.pdf  

35 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
The European Union Work Plan for Youth for 2014-2015 underlines the need for cross-
sectoral cooperation, with a particular focus on collaboration between youth policy and 
employment policy. The Member States and the Commission were invited to establish an 
expert  group  for  the  duration  of  the  work  plan,  whose  aim  is  to  define  the  specific 
contribution  of  youth  work  and  non-formal  and  informal  learning  to  address 
challenges  young  people  are  facing,  in  particular  the  transition  from  education  to 
employment. The group started work in October 2014 and will present its results at the 
end of 2015. 

Entrepreneurship 

The  purpose  of  youth  entrepreneurship  is  to  combat  youth  unemployment  and  social 
exclusion as well as to stimulate the innovative capabilities of young people in Europe. 
Therefore, the objective of fostering youth entrepreneurship has a prominent place in the 
Europe 2020 strategy. 

The  Commission  communication  Rethinking  Education:  Investing  in  skills  for  better 
socio-economic  outcomes 30  identifies  the  development  of  transversal  skills,  particularly 
entrepreneurial skills, as one of the strategic priorities in education and training.  

The  importance  of  promoting  entrepreneurship  was  stressed  in  the  Council 
conclusions  on  promoting  youth  entrepreneurship  to  foster  social  inclusion  of  young 
people (20 May 2014). In this context special attention is paid to the concept of ‘social 
entrepreneurship’, which is embedded in the real economy, close to people and to local 
communities,  and  primarily  aims  at  contributing  to  the  general  good  of  society.  The 
above-mentioned  expert  group  on  promoting  the  creativity  and  innovative  capacity  of 
young people recommended a ‘strong focus on entrepreneurship’. 

A number of policy initiatives and tools in the field of  formal education and training 
address the need to foster entrepreneurship. The Council conclusions on entrepreneurship 
in  education  and  training 31  of  12  December  2014  highlight  the  need  for  a  coordinated, 
cross-sectoral  approach  to  entrepreneurship  education;  initial  teacher/trainer  education 
programmes 
between 
entrepreneurship  education  and  career  guidance;  involvement  of  entrepreneurs  in  the 
learning  process  as  well  as  providing  traineeship,  apprenticeship,  work-based  learning; 
and practical entrepreneurship experience. 

development; 

professional 

continuous 

synergies 

and 

In its final report 32 of November 2014, the thematic working group on entrepreneurship 
education  explored  ways  of  embedding  entrepreneurship  as  a  key  competence  in 
education  and  training,  namely  by  identifying  success  factors  for  the  entrepreneurship 
ecosystem  such  as  stakeholder  engagement;  entrepreneurial  curriculum  and  teaching 
methods;  entrepreneurial  learning  outcomes  and  assessment;  supporting  educators  and 
leaders; pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs; and measuring progress and impact. 

30 COM(2012) 669 final of 20.11.2012. 

31 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/educ/146196.pdf  

32 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=groupDetail.groupDetailDoc&id=17016&no=1  

36 

 
 
 
                                                 
Through a study launched by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the Commission 
also  works  on  the  description  of  the  key  competence  for  lifelong  learning 33  ‘sense  of 
initiative and entrepreneurship’. A competence framework will be developed, clarifying 
the constituting elements of entrepreneurship competence for all stakeholders – including 
young  citizens  –  to  refer  to  for  any  purpose,  including  education,  employment  and 
business endeavours.  

‘HEInnovate’,34 a joint initiative of the Commission and the Organisation for Economic 
Co-operation  and  Development  (OECD),  enables  self-assessment  of  the  entrepreneurial 
and  innovative  capabilities  of  higher  education  to  promote  an  entrepreneurial  mind-set 
through education. The ‘knowledge triangle’ interaction between education, research and 
innovation  supported  by  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and  Technology  (EIT) 
enhances  the  teaching  and  learning  process  by  stimulating  creative  thinking  and 
innovative attitudes and approaches that often result in venture creation. 

During  the  second  cycle  of  the  renewed  framework,  the  Commission  adopted  the 
communication  Entrepreneurship  2020  Action  Plan  –  Reigniting  the  entrepreneurial 
spirit  in  Europe,35  which  invites  Members  States  to  offer  all  students  a  practical 
entrepreneurial experience, including through youth work and non-formal learning (e.g. 
volunteering), before they leave secondary education.  

A  number  of  EU  programmes  contribute  to  fostering  entrepreneurship.  The  European 
exchange  programme  for  entrepreneurs  ‘Erasmus  for  Young  Entrepreneurs’  (2014-
2020)36 gives would-be and recently established entrepreneurs the know-how that is key 
to  creating  and  running  a  new  business,  through  exchanges  with  experienced 
entrepreneurs  in  another  European  country.  The  EU  Programme  for  Employment  and 
Social  Innovation,  the  European  Social  Fund  as  well  as  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  (2014-2020)  facilitate  access  to  finance  for  social  enterprises  and 
support business creation by young people. The EU has since 2009 supported the multi-
country initiative ‘South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL) – 
developing  an  entrepreneurial  society  in  Western  Balkans  and  Turkey’.37  Its  main 
purpose  is  to  encourage  systematic  development  of  ‘entrepreneurially  literate’  societies 
across the region and to support alignment of national policies with EU recommendations 
related  to  lifelong  entrepreneurial  learning,  as  well  as  to  further  develop  the  lifelong 
entrepreneurial learning system in line with the Human Capital dimension of the Small 
Business Act for Europe. The activity covers both secondary and tertiary education. Last 
but  not  least,  the  European  Union’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  research  and 

33 Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on 
key competences for lifelong learning, OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10-18. 

34 https://heinnovate.eu/intranet/main/index.php  

35 COM(2012) 795 final of 9.1.2013. 

36 http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/index.php  

37 http://www.seecel.hr/home-5026  

37 

 
 
 
                                                 
technological  development  (2007-2013)  supported  research  activities  related  to  social 
innovation focusing on social entrepreneurship and youth entrepreneurship (see box). 

EU-funded research projects on entrepreneurship 

Social entrepreneurship: 

  SEFORIS – Social Entrepreneurship as a Force for more Inclusive and Innovative 

Societies (www.seforis.eu) 

  EFESEIIS – Enabling the flourishing and evolution of social entrepreneurship for 

innovative and inclusive societies (http://www.fp7-efeseiis.eu) 

Youth entrepreneurship: 

  STYLE – Strategic Transitions for Youth Labour in Europe (http://www.style-

research.eu) 

  CUPESSE – Cultural Pathways to Economic Self-Sufficiency and 

Entrepreneurship: Family Values and Youth Unemployment in Europe 
(http://cupesse.eu/)  

3.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

3.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

The types of measures most frequently mentioned are the following: short-term measures 
stimulating  the  integration  of  young  people  in  the  labour  market  as  well  as  structural 
measures  taking  into  account  youth;  measures  developing  career  guidance  and 
counselling  services;  and  measures  supporting  and  promoting  young  people’s 
entrepreneurship  via  entrepreneurship  education,  support  to  start-up  funds  and  junior 
entreprises, mentoring programmes and European networks and structures. Interestingly, 
these three types of measures are amongst those which to a large extent were introduced 
after January 2010. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 5 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of youth employment and entrepreneurship 

28 

28 

28 

25 

23 

22 

22 

21 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A – Short-term measures stimulating the integration of young people in the labour market 
and structural measures taking into account youth 
B – Developing career guidance and counselling services 
C – Supporting and promoting young people’s entrepreneurship 
D – Increasing and improving investments in the provision of suitable skills 
E – Promoting cross-border professional and vocational opportunities 
F – Lowering barriers to the free movement of workers across the EU 
G – Facilitating reconciliation between professional and private life 
H – Promoting entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable development 

3.2.1.1.  Increasing and improving investments in the provision of suitable skills 

The  provision  of  suitable  skills  for  the  labour  market  is  of  concern  to  most  countries. 
Training  programmes  for  the  attainment  of  new,  professional,  language,  practical  or 
transversal skills and of key competences are commonly used measures which are often 
part  of  the  national  Youth  Guarantee  scheme.  For  instance,  the  United  Kingdom 
(England) launched two ‘Work Skills’ pilots to help 18 to 21 year-olds with training on 
literacy, numeracy and other work skills  with 18 000 participants. The support of youth 
work initiatives that increase young people’s employability is particularly mentioned by 
Ireland, which in the context of its annual Action Plan for Jobs 38 instituted a mapping 
exercise  to  categorise  and  comment  on  the  Irish  youth  work  response  to  youth 
employment.  The  German-speaking  Community  of  Belgium  identified  the  need  for 
professional youth workers and will develop a specific professional qualification for this 
activity by 2017. 

38 http://www.djei.ie/enterprise/apj.htm  

39 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Bringing vocational training systems closer to the labour market is another priority. Here, 
the  Czech  Republic’s  Action  Plan  for  Support  of  Vocational  Training  (Akční  plan 
podpory odborného vzdělávání) is being constantly refined and updated. Denmark also 
plans to reform its vocational education system in order to increase the participation of 
young people in VET and to strenghten the trust in this type of training. In Austria, the 
apprenticeship regulations (Lehrberufspaket) are continuously adapted to new trends and 
technologies and to professional practice. 

From  2011  to  2015  Slovenia  runs  a  mentorship  programme  for  young  people 
(Mentorstvo za mlade) with the aim to encourage employers to transfer knowledge, skills 
and experience from experienced staff to those who need their knowledge – new (young) 
employees.  Special  emphasis  is  put  on  inter-generational  transfer  of  knowledge,  skills 
and information. 

Regarding better anticipation in the longer term of the skills needed, common measures 
are labour market forecasts, identification of competencies and professions needed, and 
programmes for specific skills. By way of example, the Flemish Community of Belgium 
developed, via the VLAMT project, a methodology to collect information on future skills 
needs in order to facilitate future vocational choices. In Greece, the national organisation 
for  the  certification  of  qualifications  and  vocational  guidance  (EOPPEP)  conducted 
several studies on future labour market needs, for instance on green jobs and green skills 
needed  in  the  Greek  labour  market  (2011)  and  on  emerging  occupational  sectors  in 
Greece  and  new  skills  meeting  labour  market  needs  (2013).  In  the  Netherlands,  the 
public administration, education sector, trade unions and employers concluded a pact to 
improve  the  links  between  education  and  labour  market  in  the  technical  sector 
(Techniekpakt 39). The Polish Commissioned Degree programmes address the huge skills 
mismatch  concerning  sector-specific  skills  (oversupply  of  graduates  in  social  sciences, 
the  humanities,  economics,  management,  administration,  etc.  versus  lack  of  students  in 
mathematics,  technical  and  natural  science  faculties)  by  scholarship  schemes,  remedial 
courses  and  attractive  teaching  activities.  In  Romania,  the  Law  No  335/2013  on 
traineeships for higher education graduates aims at strengthening professional skills and 
abilities to adapt to practical requirements and job demands. 

3.2.1.2.  Promoting cross-border professional and vocational opportunities 

The Erasmus+ programme and its predecessors in the fields of youth and education and 
training  are  mentioned  by  many  countries  as  important  support  for  cross-border 
opportunities for young people. In this context, Europass, a set of documents that can be 
used to show skills and competences clearly and unambiguously, is also quoted. Several 
countries,  such  as  Finland,  refer  to  their  international  mobility  and  cooperation 
programmes. 

Other support measures for cross-border mobility of young people – although not directly 
aimed at professional or vocational development – are for instance bilateral governmental 
agreements concluded by the Czech Republic with other countries to facilitate working 
abroad  during  holidays  (in  South  Korea,  Canada,  New  Zealand,  and  soon  Chile  and 

39 http://techniekpakt.nl  

40 

 
 
 
                                                 
Israel).  These  agreements  enable  young  people  from  18  to  30  or  35  to  undertake 
employment  in  the  host  country  for  the  purpose  of  supplementing  their  travel  funds. 
Several  projects  of  the  Latvia,  Lithuania  and  Belarus  Cross  Border  Cooperation 
programme 40  within  the  European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership  Instrument  (ENPI) 
promote cross-border professional and vocational opportunities for young people, such as 
the  one  on  ‘Youth  Entrepreneurship  Encouragement  in  Kaunas  and  Minsk  regions’, 
whose overall objective is to enhance entrepreneurship, youth cooperation, reduction of 
unemployment and young people’s mobility in the regions concerned. 

More  specifically  on  vocational  training,  Luxembourg  concluded  a  framework 
agreement on cross-border vocational training in the Greater Region (see box).  Austria 
offers  foreign  work  placements  to  apprentices  (for  instance  in  the  tourism  industry). 
Thanks  to  these  3  to  5  weeks  placements  in  another  country,  apprentices  acquire  new 
working  methods,  get  to  know  another  country  and  culture,  improve  their  vocational, 
linguistic and intercultural competences, and get accustomed to the requirements of the 
labour market and clients. 

Framework agreement on cross-border vocational training in the Greater Region  

The  members  of  the  Greater  Region  (Saarland,  Lorraine,  Luxembourg,  Rhineland-
Palatinate, Wallonia and the rest of the French Community of Belgium, and the German-
speaking  Community  of  Belgium)  concluded,  for  an  unlimited  period,  a  framework 
agreement on cross-border vocational training which  entered into force on 4 December 
2014. 

The  agreement  formulates,  for  the  first  time,  common  objectives  on  cross-border 
vocational training in the region. It aims at (non-exhaustive enumeration): 

 

  deepening the regional labour market integration;  
 

improving the qualification, professional mobility and adaptability of the labour 
force, in particular of young people;  
fighting youth unemployment and reducing the number of young people who are not 
in employment, education or training;  
  satisfying the demand for skilled workers;  
 
 

improving information on cross-border vocational training opportunities;  
removing regulatory barriers to cross-border mobility. 

The implementation will be monitored by the Greater Region Summit’s working group 
on the labour market. 

http://www.men.public.lu/fr/actualites/communiques-conference-presse/2014/11/13-
accord-cadre/index.html 

40 http://www.enpi-cbc.eu/  

41 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Ireland – Experience Your Europe (EYE) programme 

The Experience Your Europe (EYE) programme is part of the Youth Guarantee aimed at 
young people aged 18 to 24 years. It consists of three options: 

  12 month sponsored placement in another European country; 
  helping jobseekers find a job in Europe;  
  apprenticeship programme in Germany. 

Targeting  of  suitable  candidates  nationwide  commenced  in  October  2014.  Under  the 
scheme  the  Department  of  Social  Protection  will  fund  some  of  the  re-location  costs 
and/or 
least  nine  months’ 
training/work  experience  abroad.  Basic  language  training  will  be  provided  in  advance 
and language acquisition while abroad is a compulsory element of the placement.   

jobseekers  undertaking  at 

living  costs 

incurred  by 

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Experience-Your-Europe.aspx  

3.2.1.3.  Short-term  measures  stimulating  the  integration  of  young  people  in  the  labour 

market and structural measures taking into account youth 

Besides the Youth Guarantee implementation (see Section 3.2.2.2.) which is often linked 
to long-term structural reforms, noteworthy fast-acting initiatives are those to prevent and 
re-integrate  early  school  leavers  (for  instance  free  revision  classes,  tailored  vocational 
training for socially disadvantaged or less gifted young people), job fairs, short-term first 
work experience offers or public work programmes. 

Several countries adopted urgent labour market reform measures. For instance,  Spain’s 
Royal  Decree-Law  3/2012  on  Urgent  Measures  to  Reform  the  Labour  Market 
(10 February 2012) amended the training and learning contract in order to strengthen the 
employment  of  young  people,  and  introduced  measures  encouraging  open-ended 
contracts  and  job  creation.  The  Greek  operational  programme  Development  in  Human 
Resources  (2013)  provided  funding  to  businesses  to  hire  young  people  for  acquiring 
professional  experience.  With  the  Act  on  Emergency  Measures  in  Field  of  Labour 
Market and Parental Care (ZIUTDSV)41 in  2013,  Slovenia introduced temporary  youth 
employment incentives which seek to contribute to swift and stable youth employment. 
Employers  are  exempted  from  paying  social  security  contributions  till  the  end  of  2014 
(extended till the end of 2015 in 2014) if they employ young people under the age of 30 
years for an indefinite period. Through its Job Protection Action Plan, Hungary offered 
social  contribution  tax  benefits  and  vocational  training  contribution  discounts  to 
employers  hiring  young  people  under  25,  which  resulted  in  more  than  150 000  young 
people  hired.  Croatia’s  Act  on  Employment  Incentives 42  of  2012  aimed  at  facilitating 

41 Official Gazette UL RS 63/2013 of 26.7.2013, Regulation No 2511. 

42 Zakon o poticanju zapošljavanja, Official Gazette, 57/12. 

42 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
access  to  first  employment  and  work  experience,  facilitating  access  to  professional  or 
master  craftsperson  examination,  ensuring  the  acquisition  of  work-related  skills  for  a 
specific workplace without any additional costs for the employer.  

Another  example  is  France,  which  launched  a  ‘Jobs  for  the  future’  scheme  (emplois 
d’avenir) in November 2012. The programme supports young people with low education 
attainment  and  offers  subsidised  work  contracts  in  the  profit  and  non-profit  sectors.  In 
addition to gaining work experience, young people get access to training and counselling. 
By  the  end of  2014,  187 000  young  people  had  enrolled,  which  is  more  than the  initial 
objective to get 150 000 young people sign up for the scheme. Denmark’s cash benefit 
reform (Kontanthjælpsreformen) has a direct focus on young people under the age of 30 
without  ordinary  education.  The  idea  behind  was  that  education  is  key  to  the  stable 
integration  of  young  people  into  the  labour  market.  Furthermore,  the  reform  created  a 
greater incentive for benefit receivers under the age of 30 to find employment or enrol in 
an  educational  programme,  as  the  cash  benefits  were  reduced  to  the  level  of  the  state 
educational grant. Regarding young people, the overall focus of the cash benefit reform 
was  to  make  sure  that  they  have  an  education  and  remain  an  active  part  in  society, 
leading to the successful integration into the labour market. The reform entered into force 
on 1 January 2014. 

3.2.1.4.  Developing career guidance and counselling services 

Job search guidance or training courses are part of ‘supply-side’ measures encouraged by 
the  Youth  Guarantee.  Under  the  section  ‘Early  intervention  and  activation’,  one  of  the 
Youth  Guarantee’s  recommendations  to  Member  States  is  to  ‘enable  employment 
services,  together  with  other  partners  supporting  young  people,  to  provide  personalised 
guidance  and  individual  action  planning,  including  tailor-made  individual  support 
schemes,  based  on  the  principle  of  mutual  obligation  at  an  early  stage  and  continued 
follow-up with a view to preventing drop-out and ensure progression towards education 
and training or employment’. In this context, many countries strengthened the provision 
and quality of career guidance and counselling services. 

Sweden’s new Education Act, which entered into force in 2011, stipulates that all pupils 
and students at every stage of the education system (from compulsory school throughout 
adult  education)  should  have  access  to  a  person  with  sufficient  competence  as  to  meet 
their  guidance  needs  for  planning  their  forthcoming  education  and  work.  Guidance 
counsellors must be properly trained. In 2010/2011, there were 847 guidance counsellors 
working for the compulsory school system, which corresponds to one counsellor per 526 
pupils. In upper secondary schools, there were 955 counsellors, or one counsellor per 500 
pupils.  In  Finland,  every  person  is  entitled  to  guidance  and  counselling  services, 
regardless of whether he or she is studying, working, unemployed or outside the labour 
market.  Public  sector  education  and  employment  authorities  and  education  providers, 
normally  municipalities,  are  the  main  actors  responsible  for  guidance  and  counselling 
services. The division of duties between them is clear. Education and training institutions 
bear  the  main  responsibility  for  guidance  and  counselling  of  pupils  and  students.  The 
vocational  guidance  and  career  planning  and  educational  and  vocational  information 
services,  available  at  employment  offices,  are  primarily  intended  for  those  outside 
education  and  training.  All  guidance  and  counselling  services  of  employment  offices, 

43 

 
 
 
however,  are  also  available  for  students.  Career  plans  are  also  tackled  in  youth 
workshops.  

The  Czech  Republic’s  national  youth  strategy  contains  an  initiative  to  increase  the 
effectiveness  and  quality  of  career  counselling  in  leisure-based  and  non-formal 
education. This is part of a wider goal to promote greater cooperation between schools, 
education institutions, other educators, employers, professional and sectoral associations 
and  labour  offices  to  improve  the  young  people’s  opportunities  on  the  labour  market. 
Greece  also  implemented  a  number  of  actions  to  raise  the  quality  of  career  guidance 
services, such as regular training seminars for public and private sector career guidance 
counsellors, development of a job profile for career guidance counsellor, and preparation 
of a code of ethics for this profession.  

The National Employment Action Plan of Serbia contains a strategy for career guidance 
and  counselling  which  has  already  established  career  info  corners  in  120  local  youth 
offices.  More  of  these  will  follow  in  the  course  of  2014-2015.  In  Croatia,  the  public 
employment  service  developed  a  mobile  expert  team  combining  career  guidance 
counsellors,  employment  counsellors,  lawyers  and  other  professionals.  Slovenia  also 
strenghtened  its  policy  on  counselling  work  with  young  people.  In  April  2014,  40  new 
counsellors were hired by the public employment service. The aim of another project is 
to  set  up  a  network  of  regional  career  centres  for  young  people  by  2020.  Offering 
regional  guidance  and  counselling  services  is  also  the  endeavour  of  France,  where  the 
pilot phase of a new type of public service collaboration between national and regional 
levels (tested in eight regions) has proven to better respond to citizens’ needs. Therefore, 
it  was  decided  in  November  2014  to  deploy  this  new  service  public  régional  de 
l’orientation (SPRO) across the remaining regions. Other countries have also introduced 
new approaches, such as Luxembourg, where career guidance services were centralised 
within the House of Guidance (maison de l’orientation) in September 2012.  

It  goes  without  saying  that  career  guidance  and  counselling  is  also  and  increasingly 
provided through dedicated or specialised online portals, which sometimes integrate the 
possibility to create a personal account, to carry out self-assessments, etc. An example is 
the Greek career guidance portal for adolescents 43 launched at the end of 2012. 

3.2.1.5.  Lowering barriers to the free movement of workers across the EU 

Besides their participation in the EURES network and the YfEJ scheme, several countries 
refer  to  the  implementation  of  Directive  2014/54/EU  of  16  April  2014  on  measures 
facilitating  the  exercise  of  rights  conferred  on  workers  in  the  context  of  freedom  of 
movement for workers.44 This directive addresses the lack of awareness or understanding 
of the rules by public and private employers, which is a major source of discrimination 
based on nationality. People also consider that they do not know where to turn to in the 
host Member State when faced with problems concerning their rights to free movement. 
The  directive  aims  to  help  workers  to  overcome  obstacles  to  working  in  another  EU 

43 www.eoppep.gr/teens  

44 OJ L 128, 30.4.2014, p. 8-14. 

44 

 
 
 
                                                 
country,  notably  by  requiring  Member  States  to  designate  bodies  at  national  level  to 
provide assistance to mobile EU workers and their families. 

3.2.1.6.  Facilitating reconciliation between professional and private life 

Many  countries  maintained  or  introduced  measures  to  keep  or  increase  the  number  of 
childcare facilities and places available to families in need of it. Since the initial situation 
seems  to  vary  greatly  between  countries,  the  targeted  coverage  rate  mentioned  ranges 
from at least 12 % to 100 %, also depending on the age group (under 3 or between 3 and 6 
years  old).  The  measures  do  not  only  aim  to  achieve  better  coverage  but  also  seek  to 
improve  the  quality  of  childcare  available.  In  general,  there  is  an  increased  focus  on 
shared parental and paternity leave. Certificates or awards for family-friendly enterprises, 
such as delivered in Slovenia or Austria, are other means to facilitate the reconciliation 
between professional and private life and to generate cultural change. 

3.2.1.7.  Supporting and promoting young people’s entrepreneurship 

A  broad  range  of  measures  promoting  young  people’s  entrepreneurship  via 
entrepreneurship  education,  support  to  start-up  funds  and  junior  enterprises,  mentoring 
programmes  as  well  as  –  mainly  national  –  networks  and  structures  were  taken  by  the 
different  countries.  These  aim  at  improving  the  employability  of  young  people  by  the 
development  of  relevant  skills  matching  labour  market  needs,  and/or  providing  an 
alternative  way  to  get  out  of  unemployment.  Some  of  these  measures  are  included  in 
Youth  Guarantee  Implementation  Plans  (Luxembourg,  Croatia)  and  target,  among 
others,  NEETs.  This  is  particularly  highlighted  by  countries  with  high  unemployment 
rates like Spain and Portugal. In other countries, such as the Netherlands, Austria and 
France,  the  emphasis  is  put  on  developing  the  creative  potential  of  young  people  and 
encouraging  innovation  and  business  start-ups,  with  a  special  focus  on  SMEs  or  social 
enterprises.  Some  measures  are  also  aimed  at  school  and  higher  education  teachers, 
in 
enabling 
entrepreneurship  education  (France,  Lithuania).  Another  emphasis 
is  put  on 
establishing  broad cross-sectoral cooperation and networking platforms  between formal 
education,  non-formal  learning  and  the  world  of  work:  employers,  businesses  and 
employment services. 

to  develop  relevant  competencies 

to  support  young  people 

them 

in 

In  Poland,  entrepreneurship  education  is  one  of  the  priorities  of  education  policy;  the 
country has a comprehensive system of entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurship 
is a compulsory subject at school. Denmark put in place a national innovation strategy 
which aims to develop students’ relevant skills and competencies from primary to PhD 
level.  Similarly, 
the  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium,  an  action  plan  on 
entrepreneurship includes various measures, implemented also in school education, with 
the  goal  to  equip  youngsters  with  entrepreneurial  skills.  In  Spain,  an  entrepreneurship 
and employment strategy has a strong focus on enhancing employability of young people 
through  improvement  of  intermediation,  incentives  for  hiring  and  promotion  of 
entrepreneurship. Croatia developed plans to encourage self-employment of unemployed 
persons  through  financial  incentives  and  professional  assistance.  In  addition,  a 
comprehensive  Strategy  of  Entrepreneurship  Development  (2013-2020)  includes  a 
targeted  entrepreneurship  education  programme  ‘Entrepreneurial  Impulse’,  promoting 
entrepreneurial  knowledge  and  skills,  entrepreneurial  culture,  and  self-employment 

45 

 
 
 
through  entrepreneurship.  In  Sweden,  a  strategy  for  entrepreneurship  in  the  field  of 
education  was  integrated  in  comprehensive  reforms  of  the  education  system  – 
entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial teaching are now part of the national teaching plan 
for  lower  education  as  well  as  in  high  schools.  In  Portugal,  the  business  network 
programme RPGN supports young entrepreneurs from generating an idea to establishing 
a sustainable initiative.  

In Lithuania, the National Entrepreneurship Action Plan (2014-2020) aims at creating a 
coherent entrepreneurship education system embedded in the lifelong learning continuum 
and  embracing  both  formal  education  and  extracurricular  activities  provided  by  youth 
work.  The  main  pillars  of  the  action  plan  are:  improving  the  entrepreneurship  learning 
environment;  promoting 
leadership; 
entrepreneurship  education;  teachers’  competencies;  and  stronger  partnerships  between 
schools,  universities  and  companies.  The  plan  receives  funding  from  the  Structural 
Funds. In 2013, France put in place an action plan to support students’ entrepreneurship 
with the aim of creating 20 000 youth enterprises. 

students’  creativity,  entrepreneurship  and 

In  most  cases  the  enlisted  projects  are  implemented  by  stakeholders,  including  civil 
society  organisations,  with  funding  provided  and  monitored  by  relevant  administrative 
bodies.  An  example  is  a  comprehensive  education  programme  for  young  people  of  all 
ages developed, which is implemented by the Junior Achievement Serbia 45 (partnership 
with  local  businesses).  The  United  Kingdom  Frontline  London  Campaign  focuses  on 
social business start-ups (partnership between the Cabinet Office and the daily newspaper 
London  Evening  Standard,  with  support  of  community  organisations  and  volunteers). 
Close  cooperation  between  the  University  of  Malta  and  business  organisations  is  the 
foundation  for  the  Takeoff  programme  supporting  enterprising  graduates,  students  and 
staff  to  champion  innovation  and  entrepreneurship.  Support  for  start-ups  is  also  at  the 
core of the operational programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness in the 
Czech  Republic.  Equally,  Latvia  adopted  measures  to  encourage  innovation  and  start-
ups to support young people in schools and at universities to become entrepreneurs. The 
programme  includes  practical  training  courses  targeted  at  young  people,  seminars, 
competitions,  events,  and  marketing  activities.  Financial  aid  and  training  was  also 
provided  through  a  national  scheme  for  enhancing  youth  entrepreneurship  in  Cyprus, 
aiming at the creation of new and sustainable small and micro enterprises. 

Creating  an  entrepreneurial  mind-set  and 
the  acknowledgement  of 
entrepreneur  career  is  the  aim  of  several  initiatives  addressed  to  children  and  young 
people  of  all  ages  in  Austria,  such  as  the  Kids  Business  Week,  seminars,  junior 
enterprise, the programme for self-employment and start-up of the Alumni Association of 
the  University  of  Vienna,  as  well  as  the  entrepreneurship  professorship  in  Klagenfurt, 
Linz and Vienna. 

improving 

Since  entrepreneurship  is  to  be  seen  as  a  horizontal  topic  requiring  a  holistic  cross-
sectoral  approach,  a  broad  coalition  of  ministries  in  charge  of  education,  youth,  labour 
market  and  employment,  enterprise  and  innovation,  economy,  industry  and  trade,  and 
agriculture  was  set  up  in  many  countries.  Many  stakeholders  were  involved,  including 

45 http://www.ja-serbia.org/en  

46 

 
 
 
                                                 
chambers  of  commerce,  employers’  organisations,  trade  unions,  youth  networks, 
education  centres  and  employment  services,  to  conceive  and  implement  relevant 
strategies and programmes. 

In many countries the European Social Fund and other Structural Funds are an important 
source  of  financing  these  measures,  alongside  national  public  expenditures  and  private 
funding.  

3.2.1.8.  Measures promoting entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable development 

A  number  of  countries  have  already  introduced  measures  promoting  sustainable 
development,  investing in  green  economy  and  social  economy  with  special  attention  to 
social  enterprises.  Slovenia  adopted  a  legislative  act  on  social  entrepreneurship  to 
increase the visibility and understanding of this business model. In most cases promoting 
social  entrepreneurship  is  part  of  dedicated  programmes  or  projects.  For  instance,  the 
Czech  Republic  offers  support,  within  the  REVIT  framework  programme,  to  micro 
entrepreneurs  or  SMEs  in  economically  problematic  regions  or  to  entrepreneurs  having 
faced natural catastrophes. The programme primarily aims at increasing employment in 
particular  regions  and  is  not  specifically  addressed  to  young  people.  The  Irish  ECO-
UNESCO’s  Green  Pathways  programme  aims  to  train  and  progress  participants  onto 
employment  in  the  green  economy  while  building  strong  environmental,  business, 
communication and leadership skills. Similarly, the Green Deal programme launched in 
the  Netherlands  fosters  sustainable  development  in  the  fields  of  energy,  elements, 
biodiversity,  water  and  transport.  The  ‘Innovation  Challenge:  Go  Green’ 46  is  a 
competition  for  young  people  aged  between  17  and  30,  incentivising  them  to  identify 
environmental  problems  that  affect  Malta  and  to  come  up  with  green  innovation 
solutions.  In  Denmark,  funding  is  provided  to  establish  existing  initiatives  within 
sustainable  and  social  entrepreneurship  in  further  education,  and  to  test  selected 
initiatives in a pilot project and measure their effects.  

46 https://www.um.edu.mt/create/notices/innovation_challenge_go_green  

47 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2.2. 

Implementation of subsequent Council agreements 

3.2.2.1.  Flexicurity measures 

In the Council resolution of 19 May 2011 on the Structured Dialogue with young people 
on youth  employment, Ministers acknowledged the importance of improving flexibility 
as well as security for boosting youth employment.  

Figure 6 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning  the type of 
flexicurity measures taken at national level 

25 

17 

16 

12 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Effective active labour
market policies

Comprehensive lifelong
learning

Flexible and reliable
contracts

Modern social security
systems

Effective  active  labour  market  policies  are  amongst  the  flexicurity  measures  most 
frequently  mentioned.  Measures  aimed  at  improving  flexibility  range  from  laws 
regulating  flexible  work  arrangements  (which  are  not  specific  to  young  persons)  and 
subsidy  schemes  aimed  at  attracting  people  in  the  labour  market  or  creating  new  jobs 
through flexible forms of employment to regulations on student jobs (lower taxation and 
social  insurance  contributions).  A  lot  of  attention  is  paid  to  skills  development  or 
upgrading, and to first (short-term) work experience offers for young people. 

In  terms  of  security,  the  countries  refer  to  early  activation  measures,  lifelong  learning 
strategies, modernisation of social security systems (ensuring a higher level of security in 
the  transitions  between  different  jobs  or  between  work  and  learning)  or  incentives  for 
employers  to  offer  young  persons  open-ended  full-time  contracts.  In  2013,  Romania 
amended  its  law  regarding  the  unemployment  insurance  system  and  employment 
stimulation 47  with  the  objective  to  stimulate  employers  to  hire  people  who  are  looking 
for  a  job  and  to  ensure  the  protection  of  persons  within  the  unemployment  insurance 
system. The recent structural labour market reform in Italy 48 gives gradually rising levels 
of  labour  protection  to  people  hired  on  open-ended  permanent  contracts,  but  it  also 

47 Law No 76/2002, amended and supplemented by Law No 250/2013. 

48 LEGGE 10 dicembre 2014, n. 183. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
softens  protection  against  unfair  dismissal.  It  should  encourage  firms  to  hire  new  staff 
and help combat unemployment, in particular youth unemployment. 

3.2.2.2.  Youth Guarantee 

In the Youth Guarantee recommendation of 22 April 2013, Ministers agreed to make a 
good-quality  offer  to  all  young  people  up  to  age  25  of  a  job,  continued  education,  an 
apprenticeship  or  a  traineeship  within  four  months  of  leaving  formal  education  or 
becoming unemployed. 

Figure 7 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning  the  
involvement of young people and/or youth organisations and 
the partnerships  

25 

20 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Involvement of young people and/or
youth organisations

Partnerships

Involvement of young people and/or youth organisations 

Member States were asked to ensure consultation or involvement of young people and/or 
youth  organisations  in  designing  and  further  developing  the  Youth  Guarantee  scheme. 
Most of the countries consulted or involved their national youth councils or forums in the 
design,  implementation  and  promotion  of  the  national  scheme.  Other  types  of 
organisations listed are youth structures of social partners (both sides of industry), other 
non-governmental youth organisations, youth parliaments and youth information centres. 

In Malta, European Youth Card holders and youth workers were also consulted. Young 
people in Finland were invited to evaluate the Youth Guarantee through a survey which 
fed into the overall evaluation and further development of the scheme. Finland is also an 
example for an institutionalised involvement: the Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi, a 
national  service  and  lobbying  organisation  for  youth  work,  is  member  of  the 
interministerial  working  group  on  the  Youth  Guarantee.  Bulgaria’s  Youth  Guarantee 
Implementation  Plan  was  developed  by  an  inter-institutional  working  group  which 
included  representatives  of  youth  organisations.  In  Lithuania,  representatives  of 
ministries,  both  sides  of  industry  and  youth  organisations  signed  a  memorandum  of 
cooperation  on  the  implementation  of  the  Youth  Guarantee.  Another  example  is  the 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
Czech  Republic  where  young  people  and  non-governmental  youth  organisations  are  – 
alongside  representatives  of  different  ministries,  social  partners,  regional  authorities, 
municipalities and educational institutions – part of advisory boards established in each 
regional  labour  office  in  2004.  The  national  labour  office  is  responsible  for  the 
implementation  of  the  Youth  Guarantee.  In  Romania,  the  Young  Entrepreneurs’ 
Association  Asociatia  Patronatul  Tinerilor  Intreprinzatori  din  Romania  was  consulted. 
In the Flemish Community of Belgium, the youth council participates in a working group 
on the Youth Guarantee, which was established within the public employment service. In 
Italy,  representative  youth  organisations  were  involved  in  the  preparation  of  the 
operational programme of the Youth Employment Initiative as well as in the monitoring 
committee for the European Structural and Investment Funds. 

Partnerships 

Building  up  partnership-based  approaches  is  an  important  feature  of  the  Youth 
Guarantee. In two thirds of the countries, partnerships  were established between public 
and  private  employment  services,  education  and  training  institutions,  career  guidance 
services and with other specialised youth services. These specialised youth services are 
either  non-governmental  youth  organisations,  youth  centres,  outreach  youth  services  or 
others  (those  mentioned  include  local  youth  offices,  social  work,  municipalities, 
government bodies, public-private partnerships). 

Figure 8 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the type of 
youth services involved in partnerships 

14 

13 

10 

9 

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Other

Outreach youth services

Youth centres

Non-governmental
youth organisations

In Malta, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, which provides a number of services to young people, is 
one  of  the  key  institutions  involved  in  the  implementation  of  the  Youth  Guarantee.  In 
Estonia, the national youth council, the Estonian youth work centre and the Association 
of  Estonian  Open  Youth  Centres  are  amongst  the  key  organisations  supporting  and 
delivering the scheme. In Austria, these are the Centre of Competence for Open Youth 
Work  ‘bOJA’  and  the  youth  information  centres  (Bundesnetzwerk  Österreichische 
Jugendinfos). The Finnish Youth Act laid down provisions on outreach youth work and 
multi-disciplinary  cooperation  at  local  level.  The  Youth  Guarantee  is  seen  as  a  way  to 
make  this  kind  of  activities  available  all  over  the  country.  In  Croatia,  the  public 

50 

 
 
 
 
employment  service  supports  the  development  of  Job  Clubs  (Razvoj  klubova  za 
zapošljavanje  mladih),  which  offer  intensive  short-term  targeted  programmes  for  small 
groups  of  young  people  which  are  guided  and  managed  by  Job  Club  leaders.  The 
programmes consist of tailor-made support and individualised service, such as training of 
job search skills, goal-setting and motivational workshops.  

Finland – Tailor-made training provided by youth centres 

Nuotta  training  is  a  service  offered  by  the  Finnish  Youth  Centres,  a  nationwide 
organisation founded in 1993 to promote youth centres in Finland. The service co-funded 
by the Ministry of Education and Culture relies on volunteerism, practical applications, a 
participatory  spirit  and  community.  These  elements  are  implemented  in  either  daily  or 
intensive  training  that  is  tailor-made  to  suit  the  needs  of  the  individual  or  group  in 
question. The expertise of the youth centres in experiential and action-based pedagogy is 
instrumental in the training, where each of the youth centre’s strong points and operating 
environments are used to the fullest. 

http://www.snk.fi/en/services/nuotta+training/  

Poland – Outreach youth services 

Voluntary  Labour  Corps  (Ochotnicze  Hufce  Pracy,  OHP)  is  a  state  organisation 
functioning  under  the  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Social  Policy.  The 
primary  objective  of  OHP  is  to  create  adequate  conditions  for  proper  social  and 
vocational development of young people, including special activities that are addressed 
to  disadvantaged  young people to  support them  in  the  process  of  going  out  of  poverty, 
unemployment  and  social  pathology  effects.  Actions  taken  by  OHP  are  addressed  to 
young people aged 15 to 25 years. The tasks are carried out by the central headquarters of 
OHP and 16 regional headquarters together with 49 youth education and job centres and 
nine education and nurture centres. 

The  aim  of  the  cooperation  of  OHP  at  local  level  is  to  ensure  the  widest  outreach  to 
young people requiring special support in terms of education and employment. OHP has 
a  network  of  over  700  units  of  care,  education,  training  and  labour  market  services, 
spread  throughout  the  country  (most  often  located  in  smaller  towns).  OHP  units  have 
developed  an  effective  system  of  reaching  young  people  who  are  disadvantaged  in  the 
labour  market,  through  cooperation  with  schools,  education  offices,  churches  (parish 
communities) and other institutions. OHP cooperates also with local governments and its 
specialised units (social welfare centers, family assistance centers, etc.). 

http://www.ohp.pl/en/  

51 

 
 
 
 
 
Estonia – The contribution of youth work to the Youth Guarantee 

Youth  work  contributes  to  the  development  of  young  people  and  helps  to  acquire 
knowledge  and  life  skills.  In  preparation  for  working  life,  methods  increasing  young 
people’s  contact  with  working  life  and  developing  their  social  skills  are  of  utmost 
importance. 

During the period 2008-2013, support from the European Social Fund helped to increase 
the quality of local youth work institutions in solving young people’s problems and the 
possibilities  of  young  people  to  acquaint  themselves  with  working  life.  The  ‘Startline’ 
website (www.stardiplats.ee) was set up, helping young people to describe their acquired 
knowledge and skills to employers.  

To  develop  social  skills,  young  people  can  volunteer  in  activities  offered  by  youth 
organisations.  In  addition  to  participating  in  youth  work  in  Estonia,  each  year  several 
dozens of young people have the possibility to work in youth work organisations outside 
Estonia via the European Voluntary Service scheme. 

http://www.entk.ee/developingyouthworkquality  

3.2.2.3.  Developing entrepreneurial and creative competences 

The  above-mentioned  European  expert  group  on  how  to  promote  the  creativity  and 
innovative  capacity  of  young  people  recommended  developing  concrete tools to  enable 
young  people  to  develop  entrepreneurial  and  creative  competences  through  non-formal 
and informal learning. Most of the quoted measures aiming at this are part of strategies, 
programmes or projects already described above. Some documents, for instance national 
youth  strategies  in  the  Czech  Republic  and  Serbia,  emphasise  the  role  of  non-formal 
learning  in  developing  transversal  skills.  Specific  national  structures  and  programmes 
also support youth work and non-formal learning. In Hungary, the ‘Design Terminal’, a 
national  creative  industry  centre  promoting  and  strengthening  entrepreneurs,  provides 
free of charge mentoring and consulting sessions in order to help young people gaining 
the skills and knowledge needed to enter the labour market. 

In response to the expert group’s recommendations, Slovakia organised a regional round 
table gathering representatives of regional employers, secondary schools and universities, 
youth NGOs and other youth work structures as well as regional and local administrative 
bodies with the aim to find common ground for the recognition of youth work and non-
formal  learning.  This  led  to  a  declaration  on  the  recognition  of  non-formal  learning  in 
youth  work.  A  follow-up  of  this  initiative  is  a  national  school  competition  promoting 
non-formal  education, funded by the European Social  Fund. Slovakia also  included the 
youth worker profession in its National Qualifications Framework with a clearly defined 
set of competencies. 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
Greece – Ideatree Contest 

Ideatree  is  a  nationwide  contest  on  innovation  and  youth  entrepreneurship  for  young 
people  aged  16  to  35  years  old.  It  was  set  up  by  the  Foundation  of  Youth  &  Lifelong 
Learning of Greece (INEDIBIM) in 2014. 

The objectives of the competition are: 

  enhancement and promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and extroversion of 

young workforce of our country; 

  promotion of research, innovation production and extroversion as basic 

philosophy on upgrading; 

  competitiveness of the country and the promotion of its creative and productive 

potential; 

  encouragement of start-ups in sectors of high added value and innovation. 

This project was funded with support from the Lifelong Learning programme. 

http://ideatree.gr/  

3.2.2.4.  Youth entrepreneurship fostering social inclusion of young people 

In the Council conclusions of 20 May 2014, Ministers agreed on measures to boost youth 
entrepreneurship  to  foster  social  inclusion  of  young  people,  especially  in  the  area  of 
social entrepreneurship. 

Promoting entrepreneurial education from an early age 

Most measures promoting entrepreneurial education from an early age and highlighting 
the  role  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  are  part  of  general  strategies  described 
above;  some  countries  highlight  additional  initiatives  in  this  area.  For  instance, 
Luxembourg  supported  innovative  educational  projects  which  enhance  entrepreneurial 
spirit  (‘Go-first’,  ‘Go-on’,  ‘Go-further’).  In  its  Promoting  Entrepreneurship  and 
Flexibility  programme,  Slovenia  developed  a  holistic  approach  to  entrepreneurship 
education, which involves all school types and levels and also puts emphasis on training 
of  professionals  in  schools.  A  broad  coalition  of  partners  was  established,  and  an 
informal working group on entrepreneurship in education shall integrate entrepreneurship 
in  a  systematic  way  into  the  education  institutions.  Amongst  other  initiatives,  the 
Netherlands  launched a Young Entrepreneur  programme  for all  levels of school (from 
primary  school  to  university)  with  the  aim  of  ensuring  that  each  student  gets  in  touch 
with  entrepreneurship  over  the  course  of  his  or  her  education.  In  Estonia,  the 
Entrepreneurship  Awareness  programme  aims  at  enhancing  entrepreneurship  spirit  and 
culture  in  society  as  well  as  helping  potential  and  operating  companies  to  develop,  by 
providing a range of services such as consultancy and training. There is a strong focus on 
projects highlighting the importance of non-formal learning. 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Promoting youth work and voluntary activities  

Many  measures  promote  youth  work  and  voluntary  activities  as  key  instruments  in 
developing transversal skills, which are needed in running businesses and entrepreneurial 
action.  For  instance,  Cyprus’  2014-2020  Lifelong  Learning  strategy  foresees  the 
establishment  of  a  mechanism  for  validation  of  non-formal  learning  in  addition  to 
enhancing  cooperation  between  the  youth  board  of  Cyprus  and  youth  NGOs,  and  to 
developing  a  specific  strategy  on  entrepreneurship  including  formal  and  non-formal 
education. In Austria, a specific law on volunteering supports the development of quality 
volunteering  services  and  helps  acknowledging  the  educational  effects  of  volunteering, 
providing  also  financial  support.  Slovenia’s  Public  Interest  in  Youth  Sector  Act  is  a 
harmonised  set  of  various  sectoral  public  policies  with  the  aim  of  integrating  youth  in 
economic, cultural and political life of their communities; it also serves to develop youth 
work and support youth organisations. In addition, youth awards recognise extraordinary 
achievements in the youth sector. Serbia carried out a mapping study on EU practices in 
recognition  of  competencies  gained  through  non-formal  learning  in  youth  work, 
demonstrating their relevance to young people’s employability. The research served as a 
basis  for  developing  a  recognition  tool  for  competencies  gained  through  youth  work  in 
Serbia.  This  tool  should  help  young  people  increase  their  employability  through 
systematic competence development and career planning. 

Supporting business start-ups and social enterprises 

Many countries have put measures in place which support business start-ups and social 
enterprises  in  overcoming  considerable  barriers  to  access  finance,  support  services  and 
mentoring possibilities. They are either part of broader entrepreneurship programmes or 
specific  funding  schemes.  The  United  Kingdom,  for  instance,  has  established  a  New 
Enterprise Allowance 49 scheme to support business start-ups for inactive people aged 18 
or over. These loans are combined with mentoring support.  Finland has introduced (as 
part of the Youth Guarantee) entrepreneurship workshops for young people under the age 
of  30  for  the  development  of  their  business ideas.  Subsequently,  participants  can  apply 
for start-up grants. The Czech Republic offers support for start-ups (‘CzechAccelator’), 
coaching,  mentoring  and  counselling  (‘CzechEkoSystem’)  and  a  guarantee  programme 
for social enterprises (2015-2023). Portugal also created a support programme for social 
businesses. The Netherlands set up a Social Enterprise Lab as a community of practice. 
In Lithuania, social entrepreneurship is promoted via a national entrepreneurship action 
plan (2014-2020), whilst France does so via a plan entrepreneurs des quartiers. Poland’s 
national programme for entrepreneurship supports new and existing enterprises. It is also 
addressed  to  young  people  and  aims  at  building  a  positive  image  of  entrepreneurs  and 
entrepreneurial learning, including business creation.  

49 https://www.gov.uk/new-enterprise-allowance  

54 

 
 
 
                                                 
Ireland – Foróige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship 

Foróige  is  a  leading  youth  organisation  in  Ireland  who  operates  the  Network  for 
Teaching  Entrepreneurship  (NFTE)  programme  in  cooperation  with  educational 
institutions. In 2013 it received funding from the Ulster Bank’s Community Impact Fund. 

Foróige  NFTE  is  committed  to  changing  the  lives  of  young  people  in  disadvantaged 
communities by enabling them to develop core skills in business and enterprise, and in 
doing  so  help  them  to  unlock  their  individual  talents  and  potential.  Foróige  NFTE 
operates in-school and out-of-school programmes, both of which have been shown to be 
successful in increasing school completion and college attendance rates. The programme 
is  delivered  to  young  people  from  12  to  18  years  of  age  through  schools  and  youth 
centres  throughout  Ireland.  The  programme  runs  from  September  to  May.  Each  year, 
teachers and youth workers attend an intensive training programme ‘NFTE University’, 
which  equips  them  with  the  necessary  skills  and  resources  to  successfully  deliver  the 
programme directly to young people.  

During the programme, students study all aspects of starting and successfully running a 
business;  receive  a  seed  grant  to  start  their  business;  visit  wholesalers  to  buy  their 
business supplies; engage with entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, business executives, 
community  leaders;  visit  local  and  national  companies;  work  with  business  corporate 
mentors; sell their products at the NFTE Class Trade Fair; and prepare and present their 
business plan to a panel of judges. In 2013, 1 500 young people graduated from NFTE.  

http://www.foroige.ie/our-work/youth-entrepreneurship  

Increasing the visibility of social entrepreneurship 

Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new concept; only few countries have legislation 
to  lay  down  its  definition,  objectives,  principles  and  to  better  capture  this  new  type  of 
business. In the Czech Republic there is a Social Entrepreneurship Act; Latvia plans to 
adopt  regulation  by  2018,  and  Lithuania  has  a  specific  act  under  preparation  with  an 
implementation  period  till  2020.  On  the  basis  of  its  Social  Entrepreneurship  Act, 
Slovenia has set up an implementation strategy for 2013-2016. In other counties social 
entrepreneurship  aspects  are  included  in  general  legislation  or  strategies  linked  to 
enterprise  or  employment  issues,  for  instance  in  the  national  action  plan  for  youth 
employment  in  Cyprus,  in  the  national  employment  strategy  in  Slovakia,  and  in  the 
Youth Guarantee  programme in  the French Community of  Belgium, while the Flemish 
Community developed a Social Innovation Factory.50 In 2014, Poland set up a national 
programme for the development of social economy, which outlines the general direction 
in this sector. In the education and youth fields the programme focuses on entrepreneurial 
learning  from  the  earliest  stage  of  education,  by  promoting  and  implementing 
cooperative student ideas, traineeships in social enterprises and social economy as well as 
creating youth funds for the development of informal youth initiatives. Greece adopted a 

50 http://www.socialeinnovatiefabriek.be/nl/english#sthash.TwtqpMPF.dpbs  

55 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Social  Economy  and  Social  Entrepreneurship  legal  act  in  2011  and  uses  its  operational 
programme  Development 
information, 
in  Human  Resources  (2013) 
counselling, coaching and mentoring for new social entrepreneurs and training in social 
economy and social entrepreneurship. 

to  provide 

Enhancing entrepreneurial attitudes and skills 

learning  mobility  activities, 

including 
Traineeships,  apprenticeships  as  well  as 
volunteering  and  training  courses,  are  the  most  frequently  reported  measures  which 
facilitate  exchanges,  sharing  of  experiences  and  other  learning  activities  enhancing 
entrepreneurial  attitudes  and  skills.  The  Czech  project  ‘Internship  in  Companies  – 
learning  by  practicing’  was  funded  by  the  ESF  for  people  with  little  or  without  work 
experience including the unemployed. Turkey offers Applied Entrepreneurship Training 
programmes 
the  2013-2020 
Entrepreneurship  Development  strategy  and  the  Entrepreneurial  Impulse  programme 
include  education  for  craft  to  enable  the  acquisition  of  key  skills  and  competencies  for 
craft occupations, but also to involve small business entities in education. In this context 
scholarships and apprenticeships were financed by the ESF.  

support  young  entrepreneurs. 

In  Croatia, 

to 

Spain – Social network Emprende XL 

Emprende XL is an online platform functioning like a social network set up in Spain in 
2013. Its main objective is to promote entrepreneurship amongst young people up to 35 
years of age, and to act as reference point for new entrepreneurship projects. It provides 
training and counselling to young entrepreneurs who are involved in this network. It also 
offers services for improving collaboration between various actors and to obtain funding 
for the projects involved.  

The  social  network  allows  users  to  share  their  ideas;  there  are  more  than  2 100  free 
training  hours  available through  an e-learning  platform;  experts’  advice and  experience 
from other entrepreneurs are also provided. Moreover, users may, through the platform, 
find public and private sources of funding to implement their projects. 

To date, Emprende XL has had almost 4 000 registered users, but it is planned to extend 
its  outreach  to  some  Latin  American  countries.  The  platform  was  established  through 
collaboration between the Spanish Youth Institute and Biznet, a private company. 

www.emprendexl.com 

Cross-sectoral cooperation to create favourable conditions for young entrepreneurs 

Taking  into  account  the  complex  environment  that  influences  young  people’s  life,  the 
need  for  cross-sectoral,  inter-institutional  cooperation  to  find  adequate  responses  to 
young  people’s  needs  is  frequently  highlighted.  In  most  countries  such  platforms  and 
networks  involving  various  sectors  are  already  established  as  part  of  strategies,  action 
plans  or  programmes 
to  entrepreneurship,  education  and  employment. 
Lithuania’s  National  Youth  Policy  Development  programme  (2011-2019)  strives 

linked 

56 

 
 
 
 
towards  inter-institutional  and  cross-sectoral  cooperation  in  developing  a  coherent, 
evidence-  and  knowledge-based  youth  policy.  Slovenia  set  up  an  entrepreneurship 
programme to bring together previously fragmented funding. And the Czech Concept of 
Support  for  Small  and  Midrange  Entrepreneurs  (2014-2020)  promotes  projects  which 
aim to create favourable conditions for young entrepreneurs. 

3.2.3.  Other policy measures in this field of action 

One  third  of  the  countries  list  policy  measures  here  but  most  of  the  topics  are  already 
identified  in  the  youth-related  aims  and  possible  initiatives  of  the  EU  Youth  Strategy. 
They concern the provision of suitable skills, support to young people’s entrepreneurship 
and more particularly to start-up funds, traineeships and other measures to stimulate the 
integration of young people in the labour market. 

3.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and actions at EU level 

For  the  European  Youth  Forum  (YFJ),  quality  employment  is  essential  to  ensuring  a 
decent  life  for  young  people  all  over  Europe.  Against  the  background  of  the  economic 
crisis  that  impacted  heavily  on  the  quality  of  employment,  the  YFJ  analysed  the 
evolution of working conditions, skills usage, income and wages as well as job stability 
and job security for young people. The results of this research are available in the 2013 
publication ‘Quality Jobs for Young People’.51 

The  Council,  in  its  Resolution  on  the  Structured  Dialogue  with  young  people  on  youth 
employment (May 2011), stressed the importance of flexicurity measures to boost youth 
employment.  However,  the  YFJ’s  report  ‘Youth  in  the  crisis  –  What  went  wrong?’52 
(2014) reveals that many Member States imposing austerity measures disproportionately 
reduced  the  protection of young people by cutting  minimum wages and unemployment 
benefits.  The  YFJ  therefore  thinks  that  measures  ensuring  better  protection  of  young 
people in the labour market must be put back on the EU agenda. 

The  YFJ  is  in  favour  of  the  Youth  Guarantee  and  has  closely  followed  the 
developments since the adoption of the Council recommendation to this effect. Based on 
the publication ‘Youth  organisations and the Youth  Guarantee in  Europe’ 53  (2013), the 
forum and its membership have identified several hurdles in the Member States, such as 
the  need  to  prioritise  the  Youth  Guarantee  and  make  it  part  of  a  broader  investment 
programme in public employment services and education and training systems. It is also 
crucial that Member States ensure quality offers and protect young people from ending 
up in precarious work or poorly designed training schemes without additional benefit for 
their  personal  and  professional  development.  Another  problem  is  that  too  many  young 
people have never heard of the Youth Guarantee. Finally, only a few Member States have 
effectively  involved  young  people  in  shaping,  implementing  and  monitoring  the  Youth 
Guarantee.  This,  however,  is  a  vital  element  of  the  scheme  because  it  promotes 

51 http://issuu.com/yomag/docs/yfj_qualityjobs_en_issuu_  

52 http://www.youthforum.org/publication/youth-in-the-crisis-what-went-wrong-2/  

53 http://issuu.com/yomag/docs/yfj_youthorganisationsandtheyouthgu  

57 

 
 
 
                                                 
transparency,  increases  the  outreach  and  ensures  that  the  programme  is  tailored  to  the 
specific needs of young people.  

identified  good  examples  of  successful 
The  above-mentioned  publication  also 
cooperation  between  national  governments  and  youth  organisations.  For  instance, 
Slovenia’s  national  youth  council  was  heavily  involved  in  the  design  of  the  Youth 
Guarantee. It led the corresponding information campaign and this approach proved to be 
successful: according to a 2014 Flash Eurobarometer survey,54 young people in Slovenia 
are much more aware of the scheme than other nationalities. 

The  YFJ  draws  attention  to  the  disappointment  felt  among  organised  young  people  at 
being  denied  any  real  input  into  a  policy  that  directly  impacts  on  them.  Although  the 
forum participated in several EU-level events, such as the ‘Youth Guarantee: Making it 
Happen’  conference  (organised  by  the  Commission  in  April  2014),  there  is  little 
involvement  of  organised  young  people  in  monitoring  implementation  at  EU  level.  For 
instance, young people were not formally consulted when the Employment Committee 55 
put in place the Indicator Framework for Monitoring the Youth Guarantee. 

The  YFJ  has  also  called  for  a  Quality  Framework  for  Traineeships  to  combat  youth 
unemployment,  precarious  employment  and  social  exclusion.  Whilst  the  Council 
recommendation  of  10  March  2014  set  out  quality  principles  regarding  the  education 
component of internships in the EU, it did not address the most pressing area of concern 
for  young  people  –  the  issue  of  remuneration.  The  YFJ  believes  that  too  many  young 
Europeans  are  being  exploited  when  first  entering  the  labour  market  through  unpaid 
traineeships.  Therefore  the  forum’s  European  Quality  Charter  for  Internships  and 
Apprenticeships 56  calls  for  a  minimum  level  of  remuneration  for  traineeships  taking 
place outside education. In the YFJ’s view, governments have a duty to adopt legislation 
that  ensures  equal  and  fair  treatment  of  trainees  in  the  workplace,  going  above  and 
beyond the Council recommendation. The forum also actively worked with businesses to 
jointly  draft  an  Employers’  Guide  to  Quality  Internships.57  This  guide  is  aimed  at 
employers  who  are  interested  in  setting  up  traineeship  schemes  or  who  would  like  to 
improve their traineeship opportunities for young people.  

Additionally,  the  forum  and  its  member  organisations  contribute  to  promoting 
entrepreneurial and creative skills through non-formal and informal learning. With its 
2014  publication  ‘Money  Grows  on  Trees  –  Youth  Organisations  Setting  up 
Cooperatives’ 58 the YFJ has provided a six-step guide to help young entrepreneurs set up 
their  own  cooperative.  Besides  creating  new  jobs  for  young  people  and  stimulating 

54 Flash Eurobarometer European Youth in 2014 of the European Parliament (EP EB395) of April 2014. 

55 Advisory committee for Employment and Social Affairs Ministers in the Employment and Social Affairs 
Council (EPSCO). 

56 http://www.youthforum.org/quality-internships/  

57 http://www.youthforum.org/publication/an-employers-guide-to-quality-internships/  

58 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/05/YFJ_MoneyGrowsOnTreesweb.pdf  

58 

 
 
 
                                                 
economic  activity,  cooperatives  are  particularly  valuable  because  they  transfer  the 
principle  of  democracy  to  the  business  world.  Cooperatives  tend  to  be  financially 
autonomous from the financial markets, which makes them less affected by international 
crises. They empower their members, are embedded in their local communities, promote 
responsible and sustainable management and often work in close cooperation with public 
authorities. Finally, cooperatives can also be a part of a financial sustainability strategy of 
youth organisations, enabling them to continue operating in times of severe public budget 
cuts.  

59 

 
 
 
 
 
4. 

SOCIAL INCLUSION 

Under this strand of the EU Youth Strategy, the social exclusion and poverty of young 
people and perpetuation of such  problems  should be prevented, while mutual  solidarity 
between  society  and  young  people  should  be  strengthened.  Another  aim  is  to  promote 
equal opportunities for all and to combat all forms of discrimination. 

4.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

Fighting poverty and social exclusion is one of the headline targets of Europe 2020, the 
EU’s strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The target of lifting 20 million 
people out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020 seems difficult to achieve, given that 
the unemployment and poverty and social exclusion levels in Europe have reached record 
highs  due  largely  to  the  economic  crisis  in  2008  and  subsequent  recessions  in  the 
majority of Member States.  

Young people are particularly vulnerable and the number of policies aimed at them and 
their  social  inclusion  has  increased  in  the  aftermath  of  the  crisis.  The  European 
platform against poverty and social exclusion 59 is one of seven flagship initiatives of 
the Europe 2020 strategy. It is designed to help EU countries reach the above-mentioned 
headline target. It aims inter alia at delivering actions across the whole policy spectrum 
such as the labour market, minimum income support, healthcare, education, housing and 
access to basic banking accounts and at making better use of EU funds to support social 
inclusion.  It  also  provides  the  frame  for  working  with  civil  society  and  for  enhanced 
policy  coordination  among  EU  countries  through  the  use  of  the  open  method  of 
coordination  for  social  protection  and  social  inclusion  and  the  Social  Protection 
Committee  60  in  particular.  The  social  situation  of  children  and  of  young  people  in 
Europe  61 was discussed in the Social Protection Committee in 2013 and 2014. 

In  February  2013,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Social  Investment  Package  calling 
particularly for investment in children and young people to increase their opportunities in 
life.  It  includes  a  Commission  recommendation  against  child  poverty,  pointing  to  the 
need  for  children  to  have  access  to  adequate  resources,  access  to  affordable  quality 
services, and a right to participate. An overall emphasis is put on preventive approaches 
and  early  intervention.  In  this  context,  the  Commission  built  an  inventory  of  140  ICT-
enabled  social  innovation  initiatives  of  which  50  are  focussed  on  youth  initiatives, 
addressing  mainly  education  and  training,  employment,  employability  and  social 
inclusion.62 

59 COM(2010) 758 final of 16.12.2010. 

60 Advisory committee for Employment and Social Affairs Ministers in the Employment and Social Affairs 
Council (EPSCO). 

61 Social Europe – Aiming for inclusive growth – Annual report of the Social Protection Committee on the 
social situation in the European Union (2014), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 

62 Research project ‘IESI – ICT-Enabled Social Innovation in support to the implementation of the EU 
Social Investment Package’, http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.html.  

60 

 
 
 
                                                 
The  EU  acts  on  behalf  of  EU  citizens  to  prevent  them  being  discriminated  against  on 
grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation 
and sex, and has introduced and initiated a broad set of measures 63 to combat different 
forms and manifestations of racism and xenophobia. In 2015, the Commission published 
a report entitled ‘Overview of youth discrimination in the European Union’.64 It focuses 
on  two  areas  of  discrimination  from  the  perspective  of  young  people,  namely 
discrimination  on  the  grounds  of  racial  and  ethnic  origin,  and  discrimination  based  on 
sexual  orientation  and  gender  identity.  The  report  found  that  improving  the  quality  of 
education and employment for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) and 
ethnic  minority  youth  requires  an inclusive  environment.  This  can  be  achieved  through 
training  of  teachers  and  creation  of  youth  networks,  as  well  as  awareness-raising  on 
rights and prospects of these vulnerable groups. 

Under  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  programme  (2014-2020),  the  Commission 
currently  supports  the  International  Lesbian,  Gay,  Bisexual,  Transgender,  Queer  Youth 
and Student Organisation (IGLYO). This organisation promotes youth empowerment and 
leadership,  builds  the  capacity  of  member  organisations  and  argues  for  LGBTQ  youth 
and student rights at European level. 

Another  activity  regarding  information  and  education  activities  for  young  people 
about their rights is the Commission ‘Consumer Classroom’ project launched in 2013, 
aiming  at  promoting  consumer  education.65  This  multilingual  website  encourages  and 
facilitates  the  teaching  of  consumer  education  in  European  secondary  schools;  it  is 
addressed to teachers – all across Europe – of students aged 12 to 18, counting more than 
21 000  registered  users,  including  over  13 600  teachers  who  are  part  of  a  dynamic  web 
community throughout the EU.  

The  Commission  proposed  in  November  2013  a  directive  on  procedural  safeguards  for 
children  suspected  or  accused  in  criminal  proceedings.66  This  directive  will  lay  down 
minimum rules concerning children involved in criminal proceedings, taking account 
of their particular vulnerability (e.g. mandatory assistance by a lawyer). In addition, any 
deprivation  of  liberty  of  children  should  be  a  measure  of  last  resort  and  alternative 
measures  should  be  explored.  The  Commission  also  adopted  a  recommendation  on 
procedural  safeguards  for  all  vulnerable  persons  suspected  or  accused  in  criminal 
proceedings including also children.67 

63 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/racism-xenophobia/index_en.htm  

64 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/overview_youth_discrimination_en.pdf  

65 http://www.consumerclassroom.eu/  

66 COM(2013) 822 final of 27.11.2013. In accordance with international law instruments, any individual 
below the age of 18 years will be considered as a child. 

67 C(2013) 8178 final of 27.11.2013. 

61 

 
 
 
                                                 
Children who become victims of crime will be better protected and will get better access 
to justice thanks to the Victims’ Directive,68 adopted in 2012 and due to be implemented 
in the Member States by 16 November 2015. 

European youth cooperation on social inclusion 

Following publication  of the 2012  EU Youth  Report, three sets of Council  conclusions 
and one Council resolution 69 relating to social inclusion of young people were adopted 
under  the  EU  Youth  Strategy.  This  is  the  result  of  the  Trio  Presidency  of  Ireland 
(January-June 2013), Lithuania (July-December 2013) and Greece (January-June 2014), 
whose main priority was to tackle social inclusion from different angles.  

First,  the  Council  conclusions  on  the  contribution  of  quality  youth  work  to  the 
development, well-being and social inclusion of young people make it clear that youth 
work  can  enhance  the  skill  sets  of  young  people  while  addressing  the  barriers  they 
encounter, and may be particularly beneficial for young people with fewer opportunities; 
these  conclusions  advocate  mechanisms  to  ensure  that  youth  work  is  quality-based, 
outcomes-focused  and  evidence-informed,  and  can  reach  out  to  more  young  people, 
especially  those  at  risk  of  social  exclusion.  Second,  the  Council  conclusions  on 
enhancing  the  social  inclusion  of  young  people  who  are  not  in  employment, 
education or training (NEETs) underline the need to focus on this vulnerable group of 
young  people  with  an  individually  tailored  and  flexible  approach  to  effectively  and 
successfully (re)integrating them into the labour market, the education or training system, 
and  social  life.  Third,  the  Council  adopted  conclusions  on  promoting  youth 
entrepreneurship to foster social inclusion of all young people. 

The  Council  resolution  on  the  overview  of  the  Structured  Dialogue  process  including 
social  inclusion  of  young  people  (20  May  2014)  lists  the  priority  areas  which  emerged 
from the Structured Dialogue and youth conferences in Dublin, Vilnius and Thessaloniki, 
seeking to enhance the social inclusion of all young people in Europe: promoting equal 
opportunities for all young people; promoting cooperation between education authorities, 
youth  organisations  and  other  relevant  stakeholders;  promoting  equal  access  of  young 
people to rights and to opportunities; and strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation on and 
between local, regional, national and European levels. The importance of focusing on the 
participation and social inclusion of young people with a migrant background, and 
the  role  of  youth  work  and  youth  policy  to  deal  with  the  growing  diversity  among  all 
young people, had already been underlined under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council 
of the EU (July-December 2012). 

The Commission published the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity strategy in the field 
of youth in December 2014. It outlines the support and possibilities available through the 
Erasmus+ programme (youth) for inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.70 

68 Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing 
minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council 
Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA, OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 57-73. 

69 All Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) are listed in Annex 2. 

70 Overall close to 24 % of Youth in Action participants were young people with fewer opportunities. 

62 

 
 
 
                                                 
The strategy also sets out the aims to be reached and defines the target groups. It seeks to 
ensure that Erasmus+ responds positively to diversity in the field of youth: ‘Diversity in 
all  its  forms  is  referred  to  throughout,  alongside  inclusion.  This  ensures  there  is  a  dual 
focus  –  not  only  on  including  young  people  but  also  on  strengthening  the  knowledge, 
skills  and  behaviours  needed  to  fully  accept,  support  and  promote  the  differences  in 
society’.71 

The  European  Union’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  research  and  technological 
development (2007-2013) supported research activities related to the social inclusion of 
youth at the margins of society.72 

EU-funded research projects on social inclusion 

Ongoing FP7 projects: 

  SocIEtY – Social Innovation, Empowering the Young for the Common Good, 

proposes a shift in how inequality among young people and its ensuing 
disadvantages can be tackled, applying the capability approach 
(http://www.society-youth.eu/)  

  CITISPYCE – Combating inequalities through innovative social practices of, and 

for, young people in cities across Europe 
(http://www.aston.ac.uk/lss/research/research-centres/interland/citispyce/)  

Ongoing Horizon 2020 project: 

  EXCEPT – Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe: cumulative disadvantages, 

coping strategies, effective policies and transfer 

4.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

4.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

The main measures at national level concern support to youth work and youth centres as 
well  as  facilitating  access  to  quality  services.  Initiatives  supporting  the  development  of 
intercultural  awareness  amongst  young  people  arrive  in  second  position.  Globally,  a 
significant amount of countries have developed, for the major part after 2010, measures 
in  all  areas  mentioned  below.  This  clearly  shows  the  importance  attached  to  the 
integration  of  socially  excluded  young  people.  Cross-sectoral  cooperation  was  widely 
used for the initiation, implementation and monitoring of these measures. 

71 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/library/reports/inclusion-diversity-strategy_en.pdf 

72 http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/policy_reviews/social-inclusion-of-
youth_en.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none  

63 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 9 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of social inclusion 

26 

25 

24 

24 

23 

22 

27

26

25

24

23

22

21

20

A

B

C

D

E

F

A – Youth work and youth centres as means for social inclusion 
B – Development of intercultural awareness 
C – Addressing homelessness, housing and financial exclusion 
D – Promoting access to quality services 
E – Promoting specific support for young families 
F – Supporting youth information and education about their rights 

4.2.1.1.  Youth work and youth centres as means for social inclusion 

The majority of countries took measures in support of youth work and youth centres to 
improve  social  inclusion.  Many  of  them  developed  national  youth  programmes  that 
enclose general policies on social inclusion  and on the development of youth work and 
youth  centres.  This  is  the  case  for  example  of  Latvia,  Lithuania  and  Slovenia.  A 
number of countries have specific  youth  work strategies 73 in  place,  such as  the  United 
Kingdom  with  the  Scottish  strategy  ‘Our  ambitions  for  improving  the  life  chances  of 
young  people  in  Scotland:  National  Youth  Work  Strategy  2014-2019’.  Estonia’s 
European Youth Work Strategy 2006-2013’ aims at developing youth work quality. 

Several Member States strengthened the network of youth centres, such as Luxembourg, 
which  set  up  a  national  network  of  local  youth  centres,  and  Finland  with  its  youth 
centres  network  aiming  at  developing  youth  work  methods,  spreading  knowledge  and 
promoting youth mobility both at national and international level. Austria also created a 
network of youth centres (the Centre of Competence for Open Youth Work ‘bOJA’), and 
the  Netherlands  established  the  Nederlands  Jeugdinstituut.  Malta  founded  ‘Youth 
Cafés’,  a  welcoming  place  for  young  people  offering  special  services.  Sweden  and  the 
Czech Republic provide direct financial support to youth organisations. 

73 See table 2 in Section 2.2.2. 

64 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
4.2.1.2.  Development of intercultural awareness 

Most  countries  adopted  various  measures  to  support  intercultural  awareness  amongst 
young  people.  Denmark,  for  instance,  launched  an  ‘Initiative  Part  of  the  National 
Strategy against Honour-Related Conflicts’ to provide information and open a dialogue 
between youngsters with a view to changing attitudes towards honour-related conflicts. 
Developing intercultural awareness at school and in cultural institutions is the purpose of 
the  Netherlands’  Cultuureducatie  met  kwaliteit  programme.  Slovenia  established  a 
‘Youth Ambassadors of Intercultural Dialogue’ programme to facilitate understanding of 
other cultures; this is based on youth participation. This country also launched ‘The Role 
Models  Attract’  campaign,  which  is  made  of  video  compilations  on  various  topics 
concerning intercultural awareness that can be used by educators, counsellors, mentors, 
cultural animators and others. One of these videos, ‘Richness in Diversity’, promotes key 
competences needed in a multicultural environment. In Finland, an essential criterion for 
awarding grants to youth organisations is the promotion of multiculturalism and equality. 
Sweden  launched  an  action  plan  to  safeguard  democracy  against  violent  extremism, 
which  is  specifically  targeted  at  young  people.  While  the  Flemish  Community  of 
Belgium  published  a  call  for  projects  regarding  tolerance  and  anti-homophobia,  the 
French Community developed a Histoires croisées programme to facilitate collaboration 
between  youth  organisations,  youth  centres,  local  youth  movement  groups  and  public 
youth  services.  The  aim  is  to  share  experiences  amongst  youth  groups  from  different 
social  backgrounds.  Lastly,  Austria  kicked  off  a  global  learning  strategy  with  the 
purpose  of  providing  young  people  with  educational  responses  to  the  globalisation 
process. Since 2010, there has been a counselling centre specialised on questions related 
to youth extremism,74 including prevention, intervention and a helpline. 

4.2.1.3.  Supporting youth information and education about their rights 

Many  countries  provide  support  to  youth  information  and  education  about  young 
people’s  rights.  Most  measures  were  taken  after  2010.  The  tendency  is  that  these  are 
included  in  broader  national  youth  (work)  strategies  or  other  governmental  documents 
(for  instance  in  Estonia,  Ireland,  Lithuania,  Sweden,  Croatia  and  the  Czech 
Republic). 

Denmark, however, launched specific campaigns and education activities on children’s 
rights  with  a  particular  focus  on  privacy,  violence  and  children  in  a  divorce  situation. 
Luxembourg and Austria set up online portals, providing young people with a range of 
information,  among  others  about  their  rights  and  obligations.  The  Ombudsman  for 
Children  in  Finland  and  the  Central  Union  for  Child  Welfare,  an  NGO,  promote  the 
rights of children and young people. In Italy, a specific policy on children’s rights was 
initiated in 2011; there now exists a ‘National Authority for Children and Adolescents’. 
Similarly, in 2013, the Flemish Parliament Act on conducting a renewed policy on youth 
and children’s rights entered into force in the Flemish Community of Belgium. 

74 https://www.familienberatung.gv.at/beratungsstelleextremismus  

65 

 
 
 
                                                 
4.2.1.4.  Addressing homelessness, housing and financial exclusion 

Measures addressing youth  homelessness, housing  and financial exclusion  with  a focus 
on young people, taken in many countries mostly after 2010, are usually based on cross-
sectoral cooperation. A range of countries carried out studies, reports or reviews on the 
current level of poverty and housing needs of young people. 

Czech Republic – Programy finanční gramotnosti (Financial Literacy programmes) 

‘Financial Literacy’, an NGO, launched different programmes to develop projects in the 
field of further education of citizens – especially young people and children – in the area 
of financial literacy, by teaching people how to effectively manage their own properties, 
in particular regarding their financial resources. The objective is to use better knowledge 
acquired as prevention instrument against school bullying, crime of children and youth, 
gambling,  over-indebtedness,  social  exclusion,  family  and  affiliate  crises,  extremism, 
fear of old age as well as other negative phenomena.  

In  2014,  the  NGO  was  awarded,  by  the  Ministry  of  Education,  Youth  and  Sports,  a 
certificate accreditation giving it the legal status of a training institution until the end of 
2017.  

http://www.financnigramotnost.eu/stranka/english-summary/78/  

The conclusions of the 2015 poverty report issued by the German-speaking Community 
of Belgium draw the attention on the need to harmonise and better coordinate the living 
space available. Denmark also published an annual poverty review and launched a study 
on  how  to  tackle  social  and  material  deprivation  linked  to  economic  poverty.  Finland 
carried  out  a  study  on  the  experience,  views  and  problems  linked  to  housing  issues  of 
young  people,  with  a  special  focus  on  immigrants.  Many  other  countries  implemented 
national programmes and strategies or adopted regulations related to this issue. Amongst 
other  development  and  reform  programmes,  Bulgaria  adopted  a  ‘National  Strategy  for 
Poverty  Reduction  and  Encouragement  of  Social  Inclusion  2020’  to  tackle  youth 
homelessness,  housing  and  financial  exclusion.  Ireland  also  has  a  youth  homelessness 
strategy in place, while  Denmark provides temporary transitional housing for the most 
vulnerable young homeless people through social reserve agreements in 2014 and 2015. 
The  country  also  works  on  solid  preventive  and  early  intervention  targeted  at  young 
homeless  people  as  well  as  young  people  considered  at  risk  of  becoming  homeless. 
Luxembourg created housing structures for young people in distress as well, and Malta 
built  temporary  to  permanent  residential  homes  and  provided  aid  in  the  transitional 
phase. Poland’s Flat for the Young programme provides public funds for young married 
couples, single parents and singles (until 35 years) who buy their first flat. 

Regarding financial exclusion of young people, the  Netherlands has taken measures in 
support of young people and their parents to enable them to pay for the education system, 
whereas Finland protects minors from negative effects of gambling by enhancing the age 
limit  to  18  years  and  by  restricting  gambling  advertisement.  The  United  Kingdom 

66 

 
 
 
 
(England) launched a ‘Fair Chance Fund’ to support young homeless NEETs in entering 
employment, education, or training. 

4.2.1.5.  Promoting access to quality services 

Almost  all  countries  took  measures  promoting  access  to  quality  services  for  young 
people, and this mostly after the inception of the EU Youth Strategy. The establishment 
of  youth  centres  which  provide  information  targeted  at  young  people  is  a  common 
feature. 

In the Flemish Community of Belgium, youth advice centres (Jongeren Advies Centrum, 
JAC) offer this type of support at local level, where young people can come along with 
their  questions  and  problems.  Likewise,  the  Netherlands  has  central  points  for  youth, 
children  and  their  parents,  but  also  for  professionals.  Slovenia  created  a  centre  for 
information  and  career  guidance  within  its  national  employment  service,  which  is 
specifically targeted at pupils, students and young adults. 

Access  to  psychological  services  is  also  increasingly  being  promoted.  In  Cyprus,  the 
youth board implements an ‘Anger Management Group for Adolescents’ project, aimed 
at reducing the risk of dropping out of school for adolescents with risky and aggressive 
behaviour.  The  project’s  purpose  is  to  facilitate  access  to  psychological  services  for 
young people whose families cannot support them. Finland has a new law on pupil and 
student  welfare  services  with  the  objective  to  improve  well-being  in  the  school 
environment,  notably  by  providing  services  of  a  psychologist  and  welfare  officer  in 
secondary education.  

In several other countries (such as Croatia, Ireland, Latvia and Malta), enhancing the 
capacity of service providers targeted at young people at risk of social exclusion is part of 
the national youth strategy. 

Sweden – The Online Youth Friendly Clinic (OMU) 

The Swedish Online Youth Clinic (OMU) is a website whose overall aim is to improve 
young people’s access to information related to sexual health and gender issues. It was 
set  up  in  November  2008  and  is  run  by  the  ‘Council  for  Care’,  a  non-commercial 
organisation funded by the Swedish regions. In Sweden, most regions have youth clinics, 
which  specialise  in  sexual  health  and  psychiatric  care  and  are  staffed  by  a  range  of 
professionals,  including  midwifes,  therapists  and  social  workers.  The  success  of  these 
clinics  led  them  to  decide  to  set  up  a  website,  which  young  women  and  men  aged 
between 13 and 25 can turn to for advice and services regarding birth control, pregnancy 
and sexually transmitted disease tests. 

http://www.umo.se/Andra-sprak/Om-UMO/About-UMO/  

67 

 
 
 
 
4.2.1.6.  Promoting specific support for young families 

The  majority  of  countries  provide  financial  support  to  young  families.  The  Czech 
Republic,  for  instance,  took  specific  measures  on  taxation  policy,  social  welfare  and 
financial  support  for  housing  by  taking  into  account  the  specific  financial  situation  of 
young  families.  Estonia  also  financially  helps  young  families  to  buy  or  renovate  their 
homes. A state guarantee for mortgage has also been developed in order to allow young 
families to buy their own dwelling. Italy disposes of a fund for housing young families 
and  young  precarious  parents.  Poland  financially  and  legally  supports  young  parents 
who leave foster care, and young parents who need help in rising up their child.  

Many  other  measures  are  worth  mentioning,  such  as  the  establishment,  by  the  Flemish 
Community  of  Belgium,  of  a  new  public  organisation  providin 
information, 
opportunities and global support to young children’s caretakers (Flemish Parliament Act 
on  preventive  care  for  young  children  –  Agency  Child  &  Family).  Sweden  launched  a 
governmental ‘Assignment to Implement Actions to Promote Young Parents to Complete 
their  Education’,  and  Greece  developed  a  project  named  ‘School  for  Parents’,  offering 
various  courses  on  issues  parents  are  (or could be)  faced  with in  the  education  of  their 
children,  or  on  global  and  specific  knowledge  on  family  issues.  Cyprus’  programme 
called ‘Parents Group for Parents with Children with Special Needs’ provides support to 
young  families  facing  a  diagnosis  of  a  neurodevelopmental  disorder  or  a  chronic 
condition of their child. 

Several countries took general measures within their national policies or youth strategies, 
amongst  others  Ireland,  Slovenia,  Finland,  the  United  Kingdom  (Scotland)  and  the 
French Community of Belgium. 

4.2.2. 

Implementation of subsequent Council agreements  

4.2.2.1.  Cross-sectoral approach to improve community cohesion and solidarity 

As  highlighted  in  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  and  reiterated  by  the  Council  on  several 
occasions  –  such  as  in  its  resolution  of  11  May  2010  on  the  active  inclusion  of  young 
people  –  cross-sectoral  cooperation  is  essential  in  promoting  youth  social  inclusion. 
Nearly all countries covered by this report took relevant measures for at least one of the 
issues  (youth  employment,  education,  health  and  well-being,  political  participation, 
cultural and social participation, and housing and living conditions), involving minimum 
two different public authorities. 

Cross-sectoral  cooperation  was  widely  used  in  the  fields  of  youth  employment  and 
education,  and  this  mainly  between  national  ministries.  In  some  cases,  there  is  broader 
consultation  and  cooperation  involving  other  public  authorities  or  actors  (e.g.  national 
youth  councils,  national  youth  agencies,  representatives  of  a  specific  region, 
associations). 

68 

 
 
 
Figure 10 - Number of Member States using a cross-sectoral approach 
involving minimum two different public authorities  

3 

1 

Yes

No

No answer

24 

Cross-sectoral  cooperation  is  also  often  practiced  in  the  field  of  health  and  well-being 
and  to  a  lesser  extent  in  the  other  fields  mentioned  above.  In  addition,  working  across 
sectors was implemented in the Czech Republic regarding youth information, access to 
youth rights, leisure time, media, environment and global development, volunteering and 
in  Denmark  regarding  young  families  and  young  motherhood 
mobility;  and 
programmes. 

20

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Figure 11 - Number of Member States' reports addressing issues through 
cross-sectoral cooperation with at least two public authorities 

18 

19 

16 

13 

12 

11 

8 

Youth
employment

Education

Health and
well-being

Cultural and
social
participation

Political
participation

Housing and
living
conditions

Other

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Concerning  youth  employment,  a  number  of  countries,  such  as  the  United  Kingdom, 
Croatia  and  the  Netherlands,  have  developed  specific  national  youth  policies.  Serbia 
undertook  a  policy  assessment  on  youth  employment  in  order  to  provide  and  develop 
more  effective  youth  employment  measures.  Many  Member  States  refer  to  measures 
contained  in  their  Youth  Guarantee  Implementation  Plan.75  For  obvious  reasons, 
measures taken in the field of youth employment are seen in connection with measures 
taken to improve the social inclusion of NEETs. 

In  the  fields  of  education  and  health  and  well-being,  cross-sectoral  cooperation  took 
mostly  place  between  two  public  authorities.  Individual  measures  can  be  found  in  the 
respective  chapters  of  this  document.  Remarkably,  the  education  sector  often  works  in 
cooperation with  the  employment  sector  or  with  the  health sector.  By  way  of  example, 
cooperation was set up in Sweden between the Ministry of Employment and the Swedish 
National Agency for Education to work on a government assignment entitled ‘Efforts to 
Create an Open and Inclusive Environment at Schools for Young LGBT People’. 

4.2.2.2.  Emphasis on youth with a migrant background 

In its conclusions of 27 November 2012, the Council stressed the need to foster the social 
inclusion  of  young  people,  particularly  those  with  a  migrant  background.  A  significant 
number of countries refer to initiatives addressing this issue. 

Several  countries,  such  as  Spain,  Belgium  (French  Community)  and  Croatia,  took 
general measures at national level, not specifically targeting young people but including 
them. Many Member States developed language courses for young people with a migrant 
background.  Slovenia,  Austria,  Poland,  Latvia,  Greece  and  Malta  also  developed 
language  training  for  young  foreign  nationals  and  minorities  with  the  purpose  of  better 
including them in society and increasing their ability to succeed in the national education 
system. Turkey launched a specific training programme which provides young migrants 
from Syria and Afghanistan with free Turkish language courses. 

Italy’s  ‘National  Project  for  the  Inclusion  and  the  Integration  of  Roma,  Sinti,  and 
Travellers  Children’  focuses  on  these  minorities;  it  is  designed  to  prevent  early  school 
dropout through actions aimed at improving school attendance and educational success. 
Denmark  also  launched  projects  with  the  objective  to  strengthen  young  ethnic 
minorities’ participation in civil society and in Danish democracy as well as to organise 
activities enhancing their inclusion in local associations. The Czech Republic started an 
ESF project called ‘Development of Counselling Services for Foreigners Provided by Job 
Centres’  to  develop  and  improve  the  standard  of  services  provided  by  the  national 
network  of  job  services  to  (young)  people  with  a  migrant  background.  Germany  has 
developed  a  specific  national  programme  on  services  targeted  at  young  people  with  a 
migrant background, and the Netherlands launched a Diversiteit in Jeugdbeleid policy, 
enabling children and young people with a migrant background as well as their parents to 
have easy access to general facilities such as educational support, youth work, sport and 
cultural facilities. 

75 See Chapter 3. 

70 

 
 
 
                                                 
4.2.2.3.  Supporting quality youth work to foster social inclusion 

The  majority  of  countries  support  quality  youth  work  with  a  view  to  fostering  social 
inclusion.  Many  do  so  by  funding  youth  organisations  or  providing  training  for  youth 
workers. 

The  Netherlands  drew  up  a  ‘Policy  Note  Youth  2014-2019’  setting  the  objective  that 
youth  work  should  reach  all  young  people.  The  Czech  Republic  amended  its  state 
support  programme  for  NGOs  to  ensure  that  youth  organisations  benefitting  from 
subsidies  meet  accurate  quality  criteria.  France  also  gives  direct  subsidies  to  national 
youth and non-formal education organisations through its Programme 163 Jeunesse et vie 
associative.  In  cooperation  with  the  Estonian  Ministry  of  the  Interior,  the  Ministry  of 
Education and Research, Estonia introduced a youth work quality assessment system for 
local municipalities. Similarly, Ireland adopted a National Quality Standards Framework 
in Youth Work. Slovenia plans to integrate youth work in its operational programme for 
the  use  of  EU  Structural  and  Investment  Funds,  with  the  objective  of  supporting  the 
development of quality systems in youth work, to define the professional qualification of 
a youth worker and to build on the education and training for youth workers and youth 
work.  Within  its  national  youth  programme,  Croatia  aims  at  creating  institutional 
requirements  for  the  advancement  of  youth  work  through  cooperation  between  NGOs 
and  decision-makers.  The  National  Association of  Youth  Workers (NAPOR)  in  Serbia 
developed guidelines for the quality insurance of youth work.  

4.2.2.4.  Public funding for youth work 

In  two  thirds  of  the  countries,  public  funding  is  available  to  youth  work  activities 
fostering  the  social  inclusion  of  young  people.  In  most  of  them,  the  amount  of  public 
funding available to youth work activities is higher than three years before. In Slovenia 
the increase is linked to the use of EU Structural and Investment Funds. While in several 
countries – like the Czech Republic, France and Sweden – the level of public funding 
remained stable, it decreased in some other countries (Italy, Netherlands, Ireland) due 
to  the  crisis.  In  Ireland,  for  instance,  funding  for  youth  work  services  drastically  fell 
between 2008 and 2014, whereas the budget for 2015 remains at the level of 2014. 

71 

 
 
 
Figure 12 - Number of Member States mentioning the status of public 
funding for youth work in the past 3 years 

10 

10 

5 

3 

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

It has increased

It remained the same

It has decreased

No answer

4.2.2.5.  Social inclusion of NEETs 

Almost all countries took action on enhancing the social inclusion of NEETs, and this by 
way of cross-sectoral cooperation. However, these measures did not necessarily target the 
situation  of  NEETs  but  were  addressed  to  all  young  people  in  need.  Several  Member 
States, such as Ireland, Spain, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia, refer to 
their  national  action  plans,  in  particular  their  Youth  Guarantee  Implementation  Plans 
which  are  most  relevant  for  NEETs.  Poland  and  Estonia  took  measures  to  support 
NEETs in a comprehensive manner, helping them to get back to employment, education 
or training. 

In Germany, a national initiative called ‘Strenghten Youth’ (Jugend stärken) focuses on 
NEETs,  especially  those  who  are  not  registered  with  the  public  employment  service. 
England  (United  Kingdom)  developed  a  Youth  Contract  programme  for  16-  and  17-
year-olds,  which  provides  young  people  who  face  the  greatest  risk  of  becoming 
disengaged with the individualised help they need to re-engage sustainably in education, 
training or employment with training. England disposes of a ‘Vulnerable and Disengaged 
People  Fund’  to  support  young  people  with  special  and  complex  needs,  young  care 
leavers  and  youth  offenders  who  are  easier  victims  of  social  exclusion.  Slovakia 
currently  works  on  a  project  named  ‘InNEETiative’  to  facilitate  cross-sectoral 
cooperation between authorities and stakeholders, with a view to detecting and including 
NEETs. The project seeks to enable these young people to be personally involved in an 
activity  and  get  a  first  working  experience  (traineeships  in  youth  centres,  voluntary 
service in public institutions, business sector, social enterprises, etc.).  

72 

 
 
 
 
 
Latvia – Šķeļot viļņus (Break the Waves) 

Šķeļot  viļņus (Break  the  Waves),  a  non-formal  educational programme, seeks to  ensure 
support  to  young  people  in  prisons  to  help  them  to  develop,  change,  educate  and  take 
responsibility. In  order to achieve this  goal,  the project developed six  steps including a 
ten-week  long  training  programme  (one  training  day  per  week)  focusing  on  particular 
needs according to different groups of young people in various prisons.  

The first edition of the project (2012-2013) was coordinated by the National Agency for 
the Youth in Action programme and financed by the EU. The second edition is financed 
by the Latvian state budget. 

http://skelotvilnus.blogspot.be/2014/12/eng.html  

4.2.2.6.  Priority areas defined in the Council resolution of May 2014 

The  Council  resolution  on  the  overview  of  the  Structured  Dialogue  process  including 
social  inclusion  of  young  people  (20  May  2014)  lists  the  following  priority  areas  to 
enhance the social inclusion of all young people in Europe. 

Promoting equal opportunities for all young people 

Two  thirds  of  the  countries  report  on  initiatives  in  this  field.  In  several  countries  these 
were legislative measures, such as in Italy which endorsed a ‘Legislative Decree on the 
National  System  of  Certification  of  Skills  and  Validation  of  Non-formal  and  Informal 
Learning, No 13’ in 2013, or in Croatia whose ‘Croatian Qualification Framework Act; 
OG 22/2013’ serves as a basis for a coming ordinance that will regulate procedures for 
the  validation  and  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  Slovakia  issued  a 
public  declaration  on  the  recognition  of  the  contribution  of  non-formal  education  in 
youth work, while Sweden, conscious of the need to establish transparent systems for the 
validation of non-formal and informal learning, established in 2014 a working group to 
arrive at a more efficient use of existing resources (enabling more individuals to get their 
skills validated).  

Promoting cooperation between stakeholders 

Although  a  significant  number  of  countries  indicate  that  they  promote  cooperation 
between education authorities, youth organisations and other relevant stakeholders, only 
few  concrete  examples  are  available.  The  Czech  Ministry  of  Education,  Youth  and 
Sports  and  National  Institute  for  Further  Education  implemented  the  ‘K2  –  quality  and 
competitiveness  in  non-formal  education’  project  (financed  by  the  ESF  and  the  Czech 
government  budget),  which  aimed  at  qualitative  changes  in  NGOs  and  schools  by 
facilitating  a  non-formal  learning  approach.  In  cooperation  with  the  public  and  private 
sector as well as with NGOs, Malta established an Education Plus strategy to get young 
people involved in programmes that develop, beyond the knowledge acquired in schools, 
skills  which  are  relevant  in  life.  The  ultimate  objective  is  to  equip  young  people  with 
skills  and  attitudes  useful  to  participate  in  the  country’s  democratic  and  economic  life 

73 

 
 
 
 
and  thus  to  become  active  and  employable  citizens.  Through  its  ‘Step  up  to  Serve’ 
campaign, the United Kingdom strives for establishing a bridge between the educational 
and  voluntary  sectors,  with  the  aim  of  empowering  young  people  and  getting  them 
involved in social actions. 

Promoting equal access of young people to rights and to opportunities 

Many  initiatives  were  taken  in  this  field  to  allow  young  people  to  fully  participate  in 
society.  In  the  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium,  for  instance,  there  is  an  act  on 
conducting a renewed policy on youth and children’s rights; in the French Community, a 
decree  on  youth  centres  includes  a  dedicated  part  on  ‘Specific  Support  to  Equal 
Opportunities for All’, which provides additional support to youth organisations working 
with  disadvantaged  young  people.  The  Ombudsman  for  Children  in  the  Netherlands 
plays an important role in informing children and young people about ways to stand up 
for their rights. It also serves as instrument to monitor the proper application of children’s 
rights  by  the  government  and  the  educational,  children,  youth  and  healthcare  systems. 
Serbia carried out a project on how to develop, create and strengthen new mechanisms, 
networks  and  services  enabling  young  people  to  have  better  access  and  knowledge  of 
their rights and resources. 

Strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation 

The country reports show that cross-sectoral cooperation at and between local, regional, 
national and European levels still needs to be strengthened to meet young people’s needs 
and  to  ensure  coherent  social  inclusion  policies,  although  there  are  good  practices  at 
national  level  and  below.  The  implementation  of  the  Czech  national  youth  strategy  is 
done in collaboration with regional and municipal authorities as well as with the National 
Network  of  Local  Action  Groups.  The  youth  advisory  board  of  the  Croatian 
Government  works  similarly  by  developing  youth  policies  in  a  cross-sectoral  manner, 
involving several ministries and other governmental representatives, public associations, 
educational  and  scientific  institutions  and  youth  organisations.  Another  example  for 
working  together  between  different  levels  is  the  Child-Friendly  Cities  strategy  in  the 
Netherlands, which aims to spread information and contacts between local, national and 
European municipalities and regions. 

74 

 
 
 
Ireland – Big Brother Big Sister 

Big  Brothers  Big  Sisters  is  an  internationally  recognised  youth  mentoring  programme 
initiated in  the  United  States in  1904. It forms  supportive friendships for young people 
inspiring  them  to  brighter  futures.  It  establishes  professionally  supported  one-to-one 
mentoring relationships between a caring adult and a young person, both on a voluntary 
basis. The adult volunteer takes the role of a big brother or a big sister, backing the young 
person  with  a  positive  development  approach  and  identifying  specific  needs  and 
necessary competencies that will help him/her  to grow, to be productive and to acquire 
his/her  own  potential.  The  programme  is  based  on  the  conviction  that  the  relationship 
between  an  adult  and  a  young  person  can  be  very  useful  for  a  young  person  facing 
adversity in his/her life. It is therefore a good tool to support social inclusion. 

In  Ireland,  the  Big  Brother  Big  Sister  programme  is  operated  by  Foróige,  the  National 
Youth Development Organisation. 

https://www.foroige.ie/our-work/big-brother-big-sister  

Turkey – Supporting Social Inclusion through Sports Education 

This  project  –  Technical  Assistance  for  Supporting  Social  Inclusion  through  Sports 
Education – coordinated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports aimed at increasing future 
opportunities  and  living  standards  of  children  and  young  people  in  the  disadvantaged 
regions  of  Turkey  through  the  use  of  sports  and  sports  training  as  a  tool  for  building 
inclusion and social cohesion. 

It also aimed at contributing to physical and physiological developments of children and 
young  people  and  thus  strengthens  social  ties.  It  furthermore  had  the  objective  to 
generate important values, such as team spirit, solidarity, tolerance and fair play, and to 
contribute to personal development as well as personal fulfilment of young people.  

The project was financed through the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). 

http://www.niras.com/current-events/news/2013/social-inclusion-through-sports-
education-in-turkey.aspx  

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The European Youth Forum (YFJ) has put social inclusion at the top of its priorities for 
the coming two years. 

Together  with  the  Social  Platform  (bringing  together  European  rights  and  value-based 
NGOs  working  in  the  social  sector),  the  YFJ  has  monitored  the  implementation  of  the 
European  platform  against  poverty  and  social  exclusion,  the  above-mentioned  Europe 
2020 flagship initiative. The forum specifically contributed to the Social Platform’s two 
position  papers  ‘Position  Paper  on  Minimum  Wage’ 76  and  ‘An  EU  Directive  on 
Adequate Minimum Income’.77  

The  YFJ  also  analysed  the  situation  of  young  people’s  social  inclusion  in  Europe 
(covering  in  particular  the  areas  of  poverty,  inequality,  non-regular  employment  and 
unemployment)  through  its  2014  report  ‘Youth  in  the  crisis  –  What  went  wrong?’.78  It 
underlined  the  value  of  youth  work,  too,  especially  for  the  social  inclusion  of  young 
people in civic life, and jointly provided guiding principles for quality youth work in its 
2014 ‘Policy Paper on Youth Work’.79 

76 http://www.socialplatform.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/20150226_SocialPlatform_PositionPaper_MinimumWage.pdfc 

77 http://www.socialplatform.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/06/20140624_SocialPlatform_PositionPaper_Directive-Minimum-Income.pdf  

78 http://www.youthforum.org/publication/youth-in-the-crisis-what-went-wrong-2/  

79 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/12/PP-Youth-Work.pdf  

76 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
5. 

YOUTH PARTICIPATION 

The aim of this field of action is to support young people’s participation in representative 
democracy and civil society at all levels, and in society at large. 

5.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

Encouraging  the  participation  of  young  people  in  democratic  life  in  Europe  is  not  only 
central to the EU Youth Strategy, it is a key aim of EU-level action as set out in Article 
165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The right of young people 
to  participate  in  decision-making  is  also  underlined  in  the  Council  conclusions  on  the 
European  and  international  policy  agendas  on  children,  youth  and  children’s  rights 
(November  2010).80  In  addition,  Article  24(1)  of  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of 
the European Union stipulates that children may express their views freely and that their 
views  shall  be  taken  into  consideration  on  matters  which  concern  them  in  accordance 
with their age and maturity. 

Protection  and  promotion  of  the  rights  of  the  child  is  one  of  the  objectives  of  the 
European  Union,  as  laid  down  in  the  UN  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child 
(UNCRC).81  This  includes  promoting  child  participation,  which  was  the  subject  of  a 
study 82  in  2015.  It  includes  a  resource  catalogue  on  child  participation,  a  child-led 
research  strand  report,  and  reports  for  each  Member  State.  In  addition,  funding  was 
awarded  to  numerous  projects  on  awareness-raising  on  rights  of  the  child  in  judicial 
proceedings, and in general on the child’s right to be heard (UNCRC Article 12) under 
the 2014 pilot project on raising the awareness of children with regard to their rights in 
judicial  proceedings,  the  Fundamental  Rights  and  Citizenship  programme  (2007-2013), 
the  Daphne  III  programme  (2007-2013)  and  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship 
programme (2014-2020). 

The  Kids’  Corner  website 83  launched  in  2011  aims  to  give  children  and  young  people 
information on their rights as well as information about the EU and its Member States. A 
key feature of the Kids’ Corner is the EU website on the Rights of the Child,84 where 
they can learn about their rights through games, quizzes and child-friendly texts in 24 EU 
languages. 

Youth  participation  was  the  overall  thematic  priority  of  the  second  Trio  Presidency 
(Poland, Denmark and Cyprus) after the entry into force of the renewed framework for 
European cooperation in the youth field. In May 2011 the Council adopted a resolution 
on  new  and  effective  forms  of  participation  of  all  young  people  in  democratic  life  in 

80 All Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) are listed in Annex 2. 

81 http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx  

82 http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/evaluation-of-legislation-policy-and-practice-of-child-participation-in-the-
european-union-eu--pbDS0514101/  

83 http://europa.eu/kids-corner/index_en.htm  

84 http://ec.europa.eu/0-18/  

77 

 
 
 
                                                 
Europe. Youth empowerment, a subject closely linked to participation, is the priority of 
the  current  Trio  Presidency  (Italy,  Latvia  and  Luxembourg).  Council  conclusions 
addressing  young  people’s  access  to  rights  as  a  means  of  fostering  their  autonomy 
and participation in democratic life, and the need to reinforce youth work to ensure 
cohesive societies were adopted. An EU Work Plan for Youth for 2014-2015 also deals 
with political participation. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  measures  in  regard  to  participation  at  EU  level  is  the 
Structured  Dialogue,  which  is  a  key  initiative  of  the  EU  Youth  Strategy.  Given  its 
importance, Chapter 11 of this document is entirely dedicated to this process. 

The Commission’s regular Flash Eurobarometer surveys on youth 85 address opinions 
and  attitudes  of  young  people,  for  example  about  their  involvement  in  society  as 
volunteers,  as  members  of  organisations  and  as  participants  in  international  activities, 
cultural activities and political activities. 

In 2013 the Commission published a study on youth participation in democratic life,86 
which addressed youth representation, promoting youth engagement, voting, media and 
youth  participation,  as  well  as  youth  exclusion.  According  to  the  findings,  there  is  no 
crisis  of  democratic  participation  or  disenchantment  with  political  issues  and  concerns 
among  youth  in  Europe,  but  young  people  often  feel  that  their  opinions  are  not 
represented,  are  dissatisfied  with  the  way  politics  are  conducted  and  are  less  likely  to 
vote than older age groups. They are keen to participate, but their interests are shifting; 
they ask for more channels of participation. The study also stressed the need to support 
certain groups to warrant their involvement. 

In  May  2015,  the  Commission  adopted  a  report  on  the  2014  European  Parliament 
elections 87 which underlines that younger people were the largest group of abstainers.88 
The report highlights the need to identify further ways in which to foster participation in 
the  next  elections,  in  particular  through  timely  support  for  national,  regional  and  local 
awareness-raising campaigns.  This  is  even  more the case with  respect to  young voters’ 
participation  in  European  Parliament  elections,  for  which  concrete  support  can  be 
provided  to  authorities  and  civil  society  at  the  local  level  seeking  to  raise  awareness 
about EU political rights and in particular when reaching out to youth groups. 

‘Democratic engagement and civic participation’ is one part of the Europe for Citizens 
funding  programme 89  (2014-2017).  It  aims  at  strengthening  the  general  public’s 
understanding of how EU policies are shaped today. It also fosters the close involvement 
of civil society in European policy-making. A number of innovative youth projects were 

85 The latest one was published in April 2015: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_408_en.pdf. 

86 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/tools/documents/lse_study_on_youth_participation_2013.pdf 

87 COM(2015) 206 final of 8.5.2015. 

88 Only 27.8 % of 18 to 24 year-olds voted, as compared with 51.3 % in the 55+ age group. 

89 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/europe-for-citizens_en  

78 

 
 
 
                                                 
funded  under  this  programme  in  2014  and  2015,  such  as  ‘Europe  2038  –  Voice  of  the 
youth’, ‘Debating Threats to Democracy and Human Rights’ and ‘International Session 
of the European Youth Parliament in Leipzig’ (see box). 

80th International Session of the European Youth Parliament 

This  12-month  project  financed  under  the  Europe  for  Citizens  programme  includes  a 
series  of  four  youth  events  during  2015  which  will  culminate  in  an  international  youth 
conference in Leipzig in November 2015 – marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the 
Berlin wall. This final event will gather 300 young people from all over Europe as well 
as  local  youth  from  Leipzig.  The aim  is  to  discuss  current political  issues  and  promote 
mutual  understanding  and  a  stronger  European  identity  among  participants.  By  taking 
part in the project, the young participants will experience parliamentary democracy first-
hand  and  articulate  their  views  on  current  European  issues,  within  multi-cultural  and 
international  working  groups.  The  project  will  help  participants  to  acquire  long-term 
competences, cultural awareness and respect, tolerance, and democratic participation, and 
offer them the possibility to engage as volunteers afterwards. 

The project will be organised by voluntary active young people aged between 18 and 25, 
making it an almost entirely volunteer and youth-driven project. The project beneficiary 
is  Schwarzkopf-Stiftung  Junges  Europa,  the  international  umbrella  organisation  of  the 
European Youth Parliament. 

http://www.leipzig2015is.eu/?page_id=165  

The European Youth Portal 90 was restructured and re-launched in May 2013, adding a 
great  deal  more  information  on  opportunities  for  young  people.  The  portal  is  evolving 
into a platform for young people to engage with policy-makers and to have their say on 
the  issues  that  affect  them.  It  supports  widening  of  the  Structured  Dialogue  and  also 
includes the Ideas Lab platform, through which creates young people can generate ideas 
on a wide range of issues, which are then rated online by their peers around Europe. The 
use of social media tools to engage with young people has also been improved. The new 
‘European Youth’ Facebook page serves to conduct online chats with young people on 
different topics. These tools are also successfully used to support big events, for example 
the  seventh  European  Youth  Week  (2015),  which  witnessed  new  levels  of  outreach 
thanks to social media.  

The Commission also promotes direct exchanges of views between Commissioners and 
citizens, mainly through Citizens’ Dialogues 91 (with some 300 to 500 participants each) 
across the EU. The series was launched in January 2015 and 30 dialogues were held in 18 
Member States in the first half of 2015. The Citizens’ Dialogues are not one-off events 
but  part  of  a  permanent  debate  cycle  that  covers  the  entire  European  Union.  The 

90 http://europa.eu/youth/splash_en  

91 http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-dialogues/  

79 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
dialogues  focus  on  specific  themes,  usually  linked  to  the  Commission’s  political 
priorities, and many of them are prepared and followed up by further dialogues (in social 
media,  but  also  physically  on  the  ground).  They  complement  formal  consultation 
processes  and  serve  to  increase  understanding  of  the  concerns  and  expectations  of 
citizens  in  a  number  of  Member  States  where  the  specific  aspects  of  an  initiative  are 
particularly  important.  The  rate  of  participation  of  young  people  at  these  events  is 
remarkable. The largest Citizens’ Dialogue to date was on 9 May 2015 in Milan – with 
the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the High Representative and 
European Commission Vice-President Federica Mogherini – where roughly two thirds of 
the  1 200  participants  belonged  to  the  young  generation.  It  took  place  during  the 
European  Youth  Week.  Apart  from  participating  physically  in  the  dialogues,  young 
people  often  very  actively  contribute  through  social  media  channels  as  well.  Citizens’ 
Dialogues  are  normally  web  streamed  live  or  even  broadcast  on  TV  and  by  Europe  by 
Satellite,  allowing  ‘virtual’  participants  to  follow  the  event,  make  comments,  put 
questions to Commissioners via social media (which are then channelled into the debate) 
and get answers from them, just like their fellow participants at the venue. 

Some  research  projects  supported  by  the  European  Union’s  Seventh  Framework 
Programme  and  Horizon  2020  contribute  to  providing  scientific  evidence  on  the  way 
young people participate in society and politics (see box). 

EU-funded research projects on young people’s participation in society and politics 

  MYPLACE – Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement 

(http://www.fp7-myplace.eu)  

  SocIEtY – Social Innovation, Empowering the Young for the Common Good, 

(http://www.society-youth.eu/)  

  PIDOP – Processes Influencing Democratic Ownership and Participation 

(http://www.fahs.surrey.ac.uk/pidop/index.htm)  

  PARTISPACE – Spaces and Styles of Participation: Formal, non-formal and 
informal possibilities of young people’s participation in European cities 
(http://www.partispace.eu)  

  CATCH-EyoU – Constructing AcTive CitizensHip with European Youth: 

Policies, practices, challenges and solutions 

80 

 
 
 
 
5.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

5.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

Figure 13 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning  the measures 
taken in the field of participation 

29 

28 

28 

24 

23 

22 

19 

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

A – Mechanisms for dialogue with youth on national youth policies 
B – Governmental support of youth organisations and youth councils 
C – Developing opportunities to debate with young people 
D – Broadening youth participation through effective use of ICT 
E – Supporting ‘learning to participate’  
F – Guidelines on youth participation, information and consultation  
G – Promoting a greater diversity in youth participation in representative democracy 

5.2.1.1.  Mechanisms for dialogue with youth on national youth policies 

Member States have a genuine interest in promoting youth participation and they actively 
seek  to  create  or  enhance  previously  existing  mechanisms  in  order  to  engage  young 
people in decision-making. Whilst more than half of the Member States have maintained 
measures  from  before  2010,  the  vast  majority  instigated  new  ones  after  2010.  For 
instance, in Slovenia one of the main principles of the national programme for youth is to 
ensure  the  participation  of  young  people  in  the  decision-making  process  on  policies 
which affect them. The national programme of youth councils in Estonia stipulates that 
local municipalities consult with the local youth council on the planning, implementation 
and  assessment  of  youth  work.  In  other  countries  measures  on  participation  are  legally 
binding.  In  Sweden  the  consultation  with  young  people  is  a  constitutional  prerequisite, 
and Serbia passed its Law on Youth in 2011. 

5.2.1.2.  Guidelines on youth participation, information and consultation 

Many  Member  States  already  had  guidelines  on  youth  participation,  information  and 
consultation in place before the inception of the EU Youth Strategy, and they have been 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
even  more  active  in  this  area  since  then,  either  by  maintaining  previously  existing 
structures  or  by  deepening  the  existing  ones.  Croatia  passed  its  new  Law  on  Youth 
Advisory Boards in 2014, establishing youth advisory boards as advisory bodies of units 
of  local  and  regional  self-governments.  The  law  involves  young  people  in  decision-
making on public matters of interest. The interministerial conference on youth, organised 
by  the  Government  of  the  French  Community  of  Belgium  in  February  2014,  produced 
guidelines  for  consultation  between  young  people  and  official  advisory  bodies  and 
encouraged  all  directorates  within  the  administration  to  use  criteria  on  young  people’s 
participation  for  their  calls  for  projects  targeted  at  young  people.  Some  countries 
developed  digital  structures  for  information  and  consultation.  Spain  offers  grants  to 
youth  organisations  and  services  to  develop  and  promote  ICT  and  social  networks  for 
their communication with young people. 

5.2.1.3.  Governmental support of youth organisations and youth councils 

Member States provide, to a different extent, political and/or financial support to youth 
organisations  and  local  or  national  youth  councils.  Most  countries  pursued  or 
strengthened policies which existed before 2010 in this area. The Cabinet Office in the 
United  Kingdom  supports  the  British  Youth  Council,  a  structure  responsible  for  the 
annual  delivery  of  the  UK  Youth  Parliament.  In  Austria,  the  Federal  Ministry  of 
Families and Youth, under the provisions of the Federal Youth Promotion Act, is funding 
actions which get young people genuinely involved in youth organisations that focus on 
vocational guidance and the transition to professional life. The Czech Republic’s 2011-
2015  grant  programmes  for  youth  organisations  and  other  organisations  working  with 
young  people  will  be  renewed;  the  planned  new  generation  grant  programmes  will 
support  quality  systems  for  youth  work  as  from  2016.  In  Finland  approximately  140 
organisations  are  financially  supported  each  year  from  the  state  youth  budget,  and  in 
Lithuania support at regional and national level is organised under the National Youth 
Policy Development programme. 

5.2.1.4.  Promoting a greater diversity in youth participation in representative democracy 

It becomes apparent that young people are increasingly involved in democratic processes. 
Member  States  are  anxious  for  including  young  people  from  the  entire  socio-economic 
spectrum. The national youth debate project in the Netherlands gives young people aged 
between  12  and  18  years  the  opportunity  to  express  their  views  in  youth  debates  at 
provincial  level.  Out  of  the  participants  in  these  regional  debates,  150  are  selected  to 
participate  in  a  youth  debate  at  national  level,  which  is  held  once  a  year.  Before  they 
participate,  they  are  being  trained  to  promote  their  ideas  in  front  of  ministers  and  state 
secretaries.  Within  the  project  ‘Youth  &  Volunteering  –  a  laboratory  of  ideas  in 
evolution’(2010-2014),  Italy  aimed  at  promoting  active  citizenship  through  workshops 
involving young people and youth organisations, schools, universities and businesses into 
a  process  promoting  youth  volunteering  –  as  an  experience  of  active  and  responsible 
citizenship. In the United Kingdom, a major campaign was launched in January 2015 to 
raise  awareness  of  the  National  Citizen  Service,  the  UK  Government’s  flagship  youth 
programme. 

82 

 
 
 
5.2.1.5.  Broadening youth participation through effective use of ICT 

Measures 
to  broaden  youth  participation  through  the  use  of  information  and 
communication  technologies  were  mostly  taken  after  2010.  ICT,  usually  websites,  are 
primarily  used  to  pass  information  on  the  country’s  youth  policies.  Many  countries 
financially  support  youth  organisations  and  youth  information  centres  to  advise  young 
people  about  their  opportunities  to  engage  in  public  life.  The  French  Community  of 
Belgium, for instance, helps youth information centres develop their own tools for youth-
targeted information.  

With  its  multilateral  cooperation  project  ‘youthpart’,  Germany  initiated  an  important 
step towards e-participation (see box). At the beginning of 2015, the Ministry of Justice 
in Finland launched Nuortenideat.fi, an e-participation service for young people. 

Germany – youthpart 

Youthpart – a multilateral cooperation project by IJAB, the International Youth Service 
of the Federal Republic of Germany – was established to start international dialogue on 
how to encourage more young people to participate in decision-making in today’s digital 
society. The project’s overarching aim was to provide support, advisory services and help 
in  advancing  online  participation  formats  in  cooperation  between  Germany  and  project 
partner countries (Austria, United Kingdom, Spain and Finland). 

Guidelines  for  successful  e-participation  by  young  people  in  decision-making  at  local, 
regional,  national  and  European  levels  offer,  to  those  in  charge  of  planning  an  e-
participation  process  for  young  people,  a  set  of  factors  they  should  take  into 
consideration  to  make  the  process  more  effective.  These  guidelines  are  designed  to 
support  youth  policy  experts,  decision-makers,  young  people,  youth  organisations  and 
administrative  staff.  They  are  advisory  and  can  be  adapted  to  the  needs  of  different  e-
participation initiatives and target groups. 

The project (2011-2014) received funding from the EU Youth in Action programme. 

https://www.ijab.de/en/youthpart/  

5.2.1.6.  Supporting ‘learning to participate’ 

Member States generally seek to cultivate active citizenship and participative attitude via 
formal education, for instance by including citizenship education in the curriculum or by 
supporting  pupil  and  student  councils.  There  are,  however,  also  several  interesting 
examples from the non-formal learning sector.  

In Italy, the Campo Giovani programme provides young people from 14 to 22 years an 
opportunity  to  participate  in  a  civic  education  project,  which  is  organised  by  the 
Department of Youth and the National Civic Service in collaboration with the Navy, the 
Coast Guard and the Italian Red Cross. The programme started in 2009 and is now in its 
seventh edition; approximately 2 700 young people take part each year. In Luxembourg, 

83 

 
 
 
 
the youth newspaper SLAM! By Youth for Youth published quarterly since 2014 (with an 
online  portal  as  well)  offers  place  for  expression  for  young  people  on  topics  of  their 
interest. The project aims at developing critical thinking and professional skills amongst 
young  people.  The  Czech  ESF  project  ‘Keys  for  Life’  trained  14  regional  non-formal 
learning  coordinators  and  105  youth  workers  and  established  a  network  where  youth 
participation is promoted through formal and non-formal education settings. 

Austria – Jugendplattform (Youth Platform) 

This project is based on the concept of the ARGE  Partizipation 92 guidelines (Leitfaden 
zur  nachhaltigen  Beteiligung  von  jungen  Menschen  in  Gemeinden  –  Guidelines  for  the 
sustainable participation of young people in communities). The objectives are: 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

to  create  a  platform  with  local  politicians,  people  from  the  administration, 
multipliers and young people; 
to promote participation; 
to integrate young people in political processes; 
to inform young people about youth issues; 
to promote direct contact between politicians and young people; 
to implement projects with broad approval; 
to understand democratic processes in the municipality; 
to promote the identification with the municipality; 
to create mature and active citizens; 
to develop political knowledge; 
to promote social inclusion. 

The youth platform brings together politicians, multipliers and young people to work on 
certain  youth  projects.  The  members  can  vary  depending  on  the  topic.  The  platform 
meets four times per year in the municipal office to discuss youth issues and to develop 
new projects (such as a skate park, youth centre). The youth platform is accompanied and 
supported by the regional staff of akzente Salzburg. 

http://www.akzente.net/fachbereiche/regionale-kommunale-jugendarbeit/mitreden-in-
den-gemeinden/jugendplattformen/   

5.2.1.7.  Developing opportunities to debate with young people  

Almost  every  country  disposes  of  mechanisms  to  facilitate  debate  between  public 
institutions  and  young  people.  In  some  cases,  these  mechanisms  are  part  of  a  wider 
strategy for social consensus in the decision-making process, while in other cases debates 
are  organised  on  occasion.  In  the  United  Kingdom,  the  English  Government  involved 
young  people  in  an  open  debate  on  the  decentralisation  and  economic  growth  in  the 
North of England, under the ‘Northern Futures’ programme. In the Flemish Community 

92 http://www.jugendbeteiligung.at/materialien  

84 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
of Belgium, the 2013 conference 100 x Jong in de Stad allowed young people to share 
their vision and insights about the shaping of youth policy in their city. As from 2014, the 
youth  board  of  Cyprus  organises  at  least  two  public  consultations  per  year,  involving 
young people and youth organisations.  

5.2.2. 

Implementation of subsequent Council agreements 

5.2.2.1.  Promoting youth participation in decision-making structures 

In  the  Council  resolution  of  11  May  2011  on  encouraging  new  and  effective  forms  of 
participation  of  all  young  people  in  democratic  life  in  Europe,  Ministers  agreed  on 
promoting  the  participation  of  young  people  in  decision-making  structures  and  on 
enhancing their contribution to the policies that affect them. Nearly all of the reporting 
countries (28) refer to their formal and institutionalised mechanism for consulting young 
people  during  policy-making.  Most  countries  consider  a  national  youth  council  as 
important structure for developing dialogue between young people and promoting youth 
participation. Local youth (and children) councils also exist, for instance in Poland and 
Iceland.  Ireland  set  up  a  ‘Children  and  Young  People’s  Participation  Support  Team’ 
and a national youth parliament for 12 to 18 year-olds. A youth parliament also exists in 
Luxembourg,  where  in  addition  the  Government  has  set  up  a  Structured  Dialogue 
mechanism  with  young people. In  the United Kingdom  (England),  young people were 
involved  in  the  recruitment  of  the  new  Children’s  Commissioner  in  2014.  France 
organises  regular  meetings  between  the  Interministerial  Delegate  for  Youth  (délégué 
interministériel de la jeunesse) and the French youth forum (CNAJEP). Malta passed a 
law  which  extends  voting  rights  to  16  and  17  year-olds  in  local  council  elections.  The 
purpose  of  this  law  is  to  strengthen  democratic  co-determination  and  participation  of 
young people. Many countries refer to measures and methods within their national youth 
strategy,  youth  law  or  youth  programme  (e.g.  the  Czech  Republic,  Bulgaria,  Austria 
and Estonia).  

5.2.2.2.  Increasing information about democratic rights and democratic values 

In  the  Council  resolution  mentioned  above,  Ministers  also  agreed  on  increasing  the 
information  to  children and young people about  their democratic rights and democratic 
values. A high number of countries (25) confirm that they took measures on this issue. In 
many cases general information is provided through youth information centres.  

Often  children’s  and  young  people’s  rights,  obligations  and  opportunities  are  actively 
promoted. In Spain, this is for instance done by the youth institute INJUVE as well as by 
other regional youth institutions, which are spreading information through websites and 
social  networks.  Finland  launched  a  national  communication  strategy  on  children’s 
rights, which saw the creation of a Human Rights Centre as an expert institution in this 
field. Starting in 2011, Sweden organises every year a Living History Forum, reinforcing 
democratic  values  and  combating  violent  extremism  amongst  young  people  by 
highlighting the importance of democracy in a European context. The country also made 
its  system  of  citizen  proposals  (addressed  to  local  councils)  available  to  children  and 
young  people  under  the  age  of  18,  enabling  them  to  influence  and  participate  in  their 
local communities.  

85 

 
 
 
In  order  to  maximise  electoral  registration  and  democratic  engagement,  the  United 
Kingdom (England) launched a programme called ‘Rock Enrol!’, offering young people 
a free downloadable learning resource on the topic. In Wales, the National Assembly set 
up an online platform ‘Your Assembly  – your say, your way’ with explanations on the 
Assembly  and  on  democracy  in  general.  Germany  has  a  Federal  Agency  for  Civic 
Education,  providing  citizenship  education  and  information  on  political  issues  to  all 
people in Germany. Similarly, ‘ProDemos’ is the House for Democracy and the Rule of 
Law in the Netherlands. It explains the systems that govern democracy and the rule of 
law and shows what citizens can do to exert political influence – at municipal, provincial, 
national and European level. In the Czech Republic there is a specific Civic Education 
Centre  to  make  participation  of  young  citizen  in  public  life  more  effective.  Austria 
published a brochure entitled ‘Co-existence in Austria’ to raise awareness of the rule of 
law and values of citizenship. In several countries, such as Denmark, Italy, Ireland and 
the Netherlands, there is an ombudsman for children and/or young people investigating 
their complaints, taking into account their views and offering consultancy to authorities 
on their situation. 

5.2.2.3.  Developing an eastern dimension of youth participation and mobility 

Most of the countries which developed youth exchanges and cooperation between eastern 
countries  and  EU  Member  States  did  so  in  the  framework  of  EU  youth  programmes. 
Naturally, the Eastern Partnership Youth Window within the Youth in Action programme 
was fundamental for the cooperation with Eastern European countries.93 

Apart  from  relying  on  EU  programmes,  Poland  founded  a  Polish-Ukrainian  Youth 
Exchange Board and a Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding. In 2006, 
Germany  established  a  Foundation  for  German-Russian  Youth  Exchange  –  a  public-
private partnership. Based on former cooperation agreements with Georgia and Moldova 
(2006-2007),  Lithuania  prepared  renewed  agreements  on  youth  affairs  with  both 
countries. Romania also develops youth exchange projects with Moldova. Croatia and 
Azerbaijan  signed  a  memorandum  of  understanding  in  2013  to  develop  cooperation  in 
the youth field. The  Czech Republic and Slovakia underline the work of the Visegrad 
Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), which annually meets with 
Eastern  Partnership  countries  to  discuss  youth  issues  and  which  agreed  in  2012  on  an 
action plan which includes youth mobility. Serbia developed support for youth mobility 
within its national youth strategy. Overall, it becomes apparent from the national reports 
that  there  is  scope  for  further  developing  exchanges  and  cooperation  with  Eastern 
European countries. 

93 See Section 12.5.2. 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
5.2.2.4.  Supporting  active  involvement  and  participation  of  youth  with  a  migrant 

background 

In the Council conclusions of 27 November 2012, Ministers agreed on supporting active 
involvement and participation of young people with a migrant background. 

Figure 14 - Number of Member States mentioning support to active 
involvement and participation of youth with a migrant background 

4 

6 

Yes

No

No answer

18 

A  considerable  number  of  countries  have  maintained  or  introduced  relevant  measures; 
these are mostly general measures to include and support the integration of young people 
with  a  migrant  background  as  part  of  national  youth  programmes  or  national  youth 
strategies,  but  do  not  focus  specifically  on  active  involvement  and  participation  of  this 
target  group.  Many  countries  provide  official  support  in  language  trainings  and/or 
historical and cultural learning programmes. 

Some  countries  particularly  focus  on  participation  in  society  and  democratic  life  of 
young people with a migrant background. Denmark, for instance, set up a ‘Civil Society 
–  Building  Bridges  Website’  with  the  purpose  of  empowering  ethnic  minority 
organisations.  The  Danish  youth  council  carried  out  a  project  for  young  newcomers’ 
participation  in  civil  society  and  democratic  life;  another  project,  ‘MS  ActionAid 
Denmark  –  Opinion  Leaders  Against  Discrimination’,  aims  at  empowering  young 
opinion  leaders  with  a  minority  background  to  stand  up  and  make  their  voice  heard  in 
public debates, also by challenging discriminating stereotypes they face in their everyday 
life.  In  addition,  following  a  study  that  showed  the  positive  correlation  between  the 
behaviour of first-time voters and participation in elections of their mothers, a campaign 
called ‘Mothers voting for local elections 2013’ was launched. 

As  a  follow-up  to  the  above-mentioned  interministerial  conference,  the  French 
Community of Belgium proposed to organise an intersectoral conference on obstacles to 
youth participation for young people with a migrant background, young people living in 
poverty  or  young  people  with  disability.  Ireland  held  a  Dialogue  for  Change  in  2014, 
which aimed to provide young asylum seekers with an opportunity to come together with 

87 

 
 
 
 
policy-makers  and  identify  key  policy  issues  that  affect  them.  The  Czech  Republic 
mentions the international ACCESS project (see box). 

ACCESS – Enhancing political participation of migrant youth  

The  ACCESS  project  aims  to  empower  migrant  youth  to  become  politically  active 
citizens on a local, national and EU-wide level and to be able to better contribute to the 
formulation  of  policies.  It  is  a  multi-stakeholder  project  whose  activities  target  policy-
makers  from  municipalities,  youth  leaders,  youth  workers  and  young  people  with  a 
migrant background. 

Through  peer  reviews  of  policies  and  practices  in  ACCESS  project  countries  (Finland, 
Romania, Czech Republic, France and Spain), the project provides concrete advice and 
tools  to  policy-makers  on  involving  young  people’s  ideas  and  concerns  in  decision-
making.  In  the  context  of  this  project,  political  participation  of  youth  does  not  only 
include  participation  in  electoral  processes  but  consists  of  a  more  comprehensive 
approach, engaging all young people in the development, implementation and evaluation 
of all policies which affect them. Active political participation may entail taking part in 
e.g.  local  municipalities,  youth  parliaments,  lobbying,  providing  feedback  to  decision-
makers and voluntary involvement such as neighbourhood committees and associations. 

The  ACCESS  project,  which  runs  from  December  2013  till  May  2015,  is  managed  by 
IOM (International Organization for Migration) Helsinki with support from IOM offices 
in Prague, Marseille, Barcelona and Bucharest. 

http://www.iom.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=230&Itemid=191 

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
5.2.2.5.  Further promoting youth participation 

In  the  Council  resolution  of  11  December  2012  on  the  overview  of  the  Structured 
Dialogue  process  on  youth  participation  in  democratic  life  in  Europe,  several  priority 
areas  emerged  to  promote  youth  participation.  The  study  ‘Youth  Participation  in 
Democratic Life’ of 2013 issued a set of recommendations regarding the themes below. 

Figure 15 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning further 
measures promoting youth participation 

21 

19 

18 

18 

17 

25

20

15

10

5

0

Enhancing the
recognition of
youth work

Establishing youth
facilities guided by
youth workers

Raising awareness
of European values

Promoting youth
participation
through social
media and e-
participation

Supporting the
participation and
intercultural
dialogue of young
people from EU
and non-EU
countries

Promoting youth participation through social media and e-participation 

The use of the internet can be more appealing to young people to express their views than 
more  traditional  forms  of  participation.  Hence,  many  Member  States  see  a  significant 
role  for  social  media  and  e-participation  in  promoting  youth  participation.  Germany 
launched a ‘youthpart#lokal’ project in 2013, which supported six model municipalities 
in  testing  web-based  youth  participation.  After  a  successful  pilot  phase  between  spring 
2013  and  autumn  2014,  best  practices  were  showcased  and  advice  is  now  provided  to 
those who wish to implement e-participation processes. The ‘Power is Yours’ website in 
Sweden  is  an  online  platform  enabling  young  people  to  influence  youth  policy  issues 
carried out at EU level. In the framework of its governmental programme ‘It’s about you! 
–  Dialogue  with  the  youth’  (Rólad  szól!  –  Párbeszéd  a  fiatalokkal),  Hungary  first 
established  personal  meetings  with  young  people  in  order  to  hear  their  opinions  on 
national  youth  policies,  and  after  six  months,  went  on  with  an  online  questionnaire.  In 
2014,  over  870 000  young  people  participated  in  ‘Make  your  Mark’,  the  United 
Kingdom Youth Parliament’s annual ballot of the public, giving young people their say 
on  what  is  debated  by  their  Members  of  Youth  Parliament  in  the  House  of  Commons. 
Latvia developed a social initiative named ManaBalss.lv (see box).  

89 

 
 
 
 
 
Latvia – Public participation platform ‘ManaBalss.lv’ 

The  platform  aims  to  strengthen  civic  society  and  explore  new  forms  of  democratic 
participation in general. Every citizen from the age of 16 in Latvia who has an idea can 
launch  an  initiative  to  gather  supporters’  signatures.  Once  an  initiative  reaches  10 000 
signatures, it is officially submitted to the Parliament, where it is processed and included 
in  the  Parliament’s  official  agenda.  Later  it  is  discussed  together  with  the  author  and 
experts, and Parliament takes a final decision (either the idea presented in the initiative 
becomes a law or not). Using the site is free of charge. ManaBalss.lv ensures privacy and 
security  of  personal  data.  All  initiative  authors  and  users  of  ManaBalss.lv  receive 
technical,  legal  and  communication  support,  and  ManaBalss.lv  makes  sure  all  ideas 
presented to Parliament are processed and heard. 

ManaBalss.lv was founded in 2011 in close cooperation with the National Civic Alliance 
and NGO community in Latvia as well as with the National Parliament and other public 
institutions.  At  the  moment  there  is  wide  cooperation  with  the  main  civil  society 
stakeholders, NGOs and IT companies, public and private foundations. 

After three years of operation ManaBalss.lv has proved to be one of the most effective, 
widespread  and  popular  civic  participation  projects  in  Latvia  ever.  Close  to  1 000 000 
people (around 35 % of Latvia’s population) have visited the platform. 14 initiatives have 
gathered  more  than  10 000  votes,  making  their  way  to  the  Parliament,  and  8  initiatives 
were approved by Parliament. 

https://manabalss.lv/  

Enhancing the recognition of youth work 

Many  countries  enhance  the  recognition  of  youth  organisations,  youth  information  and 
counselling structures and professional youth work as channels developing participatory 
skills and competences. In October 2014, the Croatian Government adopted a National 
Youth  Programme  2014-2017  which,  together  with  several  other  strategic  documents, 
provides a complete framework for the functioning and development of youth structures 
and  youth  organisations.  In  Lithuania,  a  National  Youth  Policy  Development 
Programme  2011-2019  creates  a  structured  framework  for  youth  information  and 
counselling with a view to raise public awareness on youth issues. Luxembourg adopted 
guidelines  regarding  non-formal  education  during  childhood  and  adolescence,  with  a 
particular  emphasis  on  transmitting  participatory  skills  to  young  people  and  promoting 
autonomous  action.  In  Ireland,  a  number  of  ‘Youth  Cafés’  operate  all-around  the 
country to offer support to young people; in addition, in 2010 the Department of Children 
and Youth Affairs released two publications intended to assist those seeking to run and 
set up a youth café.  

Raising awareness of European values 

Raising  awareness  of  European  values,  especially  amongst  young  people  with  fewer 
opportunities,  is  a  concern  in  several  Member  States,  which  therefore actively  promote 

90 

 
 
 
 
respect  for  human  rights  and  minorities,  democracy  and  equality.  The  Scottish 
Government (United Kingdom) published its National Youth Work strategy 2014-2019, 
which includes continuing support to two NGOs actively promoting European values and 
citizenship. Another example is the German-speaking Community of Belgium where the 
promotion  of  a  European  identity  is  amongst  the  priorities  of  the  2011  Decree  on  the 
promotion of youth work. 

Supporting  the  participation  and  intercultural  dialogue  of  young  people  from  EU  and 
non-EU countries 

Several  Member  States  promote  intercultural  dialogue  between  young  people  from  EU 
and  non-EU  countries.  In  Austria,  the  Eastern  Partnership  Youth  Window  2012-2013 
supported  activities  raising  awareness  of  European  values,  especially  amongst  young 
people in neighbouring countries. In addition, Austria launched a long-term strategy on 
inclusion  in  Eastern  Partnership  countries  and  Russia  in  order  to  continue  cooperation 
and  training  activities  in  the  region  from  2016  and  beyond.  In  Denmark,  the  ‘Youth 
Ambassadors  for  Constructive  Dialogue’  programme  aims  at  bringing  together  young 
people  from  Denmark  and  the  Middle  East  in  order  to  increase  understanding  between 
them and overcome cultural, religious and national borders. In 2012-2013, ‘SOS Malta’, 
in  partnership  with  the  National  Agency  of  Malta,  ran  a  project  ‘Youth  Upbeat’ 94  co-
financed  through the European Refugee  Fund. It aimed to  promote integration between 
different sectors of Maltese society, in particular young people, and refugees or persons 
with  subsidiary  protection,  by  providing  opportunities  for  interaction  and  awareness-
raising through the use of culture and performing arts. This project was highly successful 
and  demonstrated  the  importance  of  intercultural  dialogue  as  a  means  to  tackling 
negative perceptions and attitudes from both sides.  

Establishing youth facilities guided by youth workers 

The majority of Member States established youth facilities where young people can meet 
and get involved in projects. For example, the Youth Hub service in Malta, a non-formal 
educational  service  which  operates  within  formal  education  set-ups,  offers  an  informal 
and  recreational  environment  through  which  a  youth  worker  can  build  a  trustful 
relationship  with  young  people,  allowing  them  to  get  involved  into  projects  which 
enhance  their  personal  and  social  skills.  In  the  Czech  Republic,  leisure-time  centres 
which provide extra-curricular education also serve as platform for children and youth to 
enable  them  to  enter  local,  national  or  international  projects.  In  2014,  270 000 
participants  attended  activities  provided  by  these  centres.  In  Lithuania,  open  youth 
spaces  are  actively  involved  in  drafting  legislative  acts  towards  systematic  and  general 
recognition of youth work and pay attention to the support and implementation of open 
youth work. These open youth spaces are funded by the Department of Youth Affairs and 
involve every year around 7 500 young people and 330 volunteers in organised activities. 
In  the  Netherlands,  the  levelZ  jongerencentrum  provides  a  different  example  of  youth 
participation at local level. Young people were united in various working groups and, in 
cooperation  with  the  municipality  of  Zwolle,  they  developed  a  youth  centre  providing 
opportunities for genuine participation to local young people. 

94 http://www.sosmalta.org/youthupbeat  

91 

 
 
 
                                                 
5.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

Increasing the participation of young people in civic life and in European politics is part 
of the core business of the European Youth Forum (YFJ). The forum’s pivotal role in the 
Structured  Dialogue,  the  European  Youth  Event  and  the  European  Youth  Capital 
demonstrates how, through its membership, it can reach out to and engage young people 
all over Europe. The forum also sees its role as highlighting the concerns of young voters 
and supporting efforts to lower the voting age to 16 across Europe. 

In 2013 the YFJ launched the League of Young Voters,95 a politically neutral initiative 
that  aimed  to  amplify  young  people’s  concerns  and  expectations  in  the  run-up  to  the 
European elections. The league, for example, co-hosted the first European Presidential 
Debate  (28  April  2014)  between  the  Spitzenkandidaten  which  generated  over  50 000 
tweets. The league’s study ‘Addressing Youth Absenteeism in European Elections’ 96 in 
the  same  year  identified  the  sociological  profile  of  abstainers  and  outlined  the  reforms 
that the EU, political parties and Member States could put in place to address this issue. 
During  the  European  elections,  the  LoveYouthFuture 97  campaign  focused  on  the 
demands  of  young  people  and  on respect  of  youth  rights  across  the  EU  and  included  a 
pledge to consult young people more widely using better participation tools. In addition, 
many of the YFJ members were in the forefront of ‘vote@16’ campaigns across Europe. 

The  European  Youth  Event 98 (EYE)  in  May  2014  was  a  key  moment  for  young 
people’s  engagement  with  the  European  Union.  It  brought  together  over  5 000  young 
people aged 15 to 30 from every Member State to share ideas and opinions during events 
and activities on the themes of youth unemployment, the digital revolution, the future of 
the  EU,  sustainability  and  European  values.  The  YO!Fest 99  held  at  the  same  time 
welcomed  over  8 000  young  people  to  learn,  exchange  and  build  cooperation  on  topics 
such  as  ‘vote@16’,  traineeships,  democratic  participation  and  the  future  of  the  EU, 
multiple discrimination, education and youth work.  

European Youth Capital 100 is a title awarded to a European city for a one-year period, 
during  which  it  can  showcase,  through  a  multi-faceted  programme,  its  youth-related 
cultural,  social,  political  and  economic  life  and  development.  The  title  was  held  by 
Maribor  (2013),  Thessaloniki  (2014)  and  Cluj-Napoca  (2015),  each  demonstrating  the 
positive change that young people can bring to a city when they are empowered. Using 
tools such as participatory budgeting and co-management to deliver exciting programmes 
of activities, the initiative has left a legacy of youthful engagement in these cities, leading 
to the recent creation of the Network of European Youth Capitals. 

95 http://www.youngvoters.eu/eu  

96 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/02/YFJ-LYV_StudyOnYouthAbsenteeism_WEB.pdf  

97 http://www.loveyouthfuture.eu/  

98 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/european-youth-event/en/old-edition/eye2014.html  

99 The name comes from the YO!Mag (Youth Opinion), which is the magazine of the YFJ since 1980. 

100 http://www.europeanyouthcapital.org/  

92 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
6. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING 

The aim of action in this field is to support equal access for young people to high-quality 
education and training at all levels and opportunities for lifelong learning and to promote 
and  recognise  non-formal  learning  as  a  complement  to  formal  education.  Better  links 
between formal education and non-formal learning should be developed, young people’s 
transition  between  education  and  training  and  the  labour  market  facilitated  and 
supported, and early school leaving reduced. 

6.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

Reducing the rate of early school leaving to below 10 % and increasing the proportion of 
30 to 34 year-olds who complete third level education to at least 40 % is one of the five 
headline targets which were agreed for the whole EU to measure progress in meeting the 
Europe 2020 goals.  Looking  at the indicators in 2013, the EU seems to  be  on track to 
meet this target. However, striking discrepancies both between and within Member States 
remain and should be regularly monitored: there are still more than 5 million early school 
leavers across Europe, facing an unemployment rate of 41 % and in countries hit hardest 
by the crisis, the employability of tertiary education graduates remains a severe problem. 

While responsibility for education and training systems lies with the Member States, the 
EU  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training 
(ET 2020) 101  is  instrumental  in  supporting  Member  States  in  their  efforts to  modernise 
education and training systems. In particular, it relies on peer learning and the exchange 
of  good  practices  in  the  context  of  ET 2020  working  groups,102  as  well  as  informal 
groupings of senior officials.  

ET 2020  includes  a  set  of  seven  European  benchmarks  designed  to  foster  policy 
developments  and  monitor  outcomes  in  different  fields,  including  for  instance 
benchmarks on early childhood education and on basic skills in reading, mathematics and 
science.  The  annual  Education  and  Training  Monitor 103  sets  out  the  progress  on  these 
benchmarks and core indicators, including the Europe 2020 headline target on education 
and training. It illustrates the evolution of education and training systems across Europe. 
It is accompanied by 28 individual country reports and an online visualisation tool. The 
Centre  for  Research  on  Education  and  Lifelong  Learning  (CRELL)  provides  additional 
indicators 104  used  throughout  the  monitoring  exercise,  which  are  part  of  the  Joint 
Assessment Framework (JAF), a tool enabling consistent and transparent monitoring for 
all Member States. 

The mid-term stocktaking exercise underpinning the current ET 2020 review confirmed 
that the framework’s four strategic objectives (and current European benchmarks) remain 

101 OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p. 2-10. 

102 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/expert-groups_en.htm  

103 http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/et-monitor_en.htm  

104 https://crell.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ET2020Indicators/  

93 

 
 
 
                                                 
valid. It also confirmed that a recalibration of ET 2020 policy focus is needed, to include 
both  the  pressing  economic  and  employment  challenges  and  the  role  of  education  in 
imparting  fundamental  values,  intercultural  competences  and  active  citizenship.  This 
latter issue will be a key priority in the coming ET 2020 work cycle, with a concrete set 
of measures underpinned by funding from the Erasmus+ programme, in line with the four 
areas identified in the Paris Declaration of European Education Ministers 105 of 17 March 
2015. 

Further to the EU Security Agenda and the Paris Declaration, Member States undertook 
to step up efforts to foster the inclusion and participation in society of all young people. 
These  efforts  complement  the  work  of  the  EU-funded  Radicalisation  Awareness 
Network  (RAN)  which  has  increasingly  looked  into  the  role  of  education  in  tackling 
radicalisation. Among the concrete outcomes of exchanges between practitioners within 
the RAN in this field, the recent Manifesto for Education is of particular relevance.106 

Drawing on the conclusions of the ET 2020 mid-term stocktaking, a 2015 Joint Report 107 
will  identify  priority  areas  and  concrete  issues  for  future  work  at  European  level  up  to 
2020. The 2014 Education, Training and Youth Forum, a platform for stakeholders, made 
a structured contribution to the ET 2020 mid-term stocktaking with a particular emphasis 
on cross-sectoral cooperation with the youth sector.108  

Apart from ensuring coordination under the ET 2020 strategic framework, the EU plays 
an  equally  crucial  role  in  supplementing  Member  States’  efforts  through  its  funding 
instruments.  In  this  context,  the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  support 
investments which help with the modernisation of education and training systems, reduce 
early school leaving, promote better access to good quality education, enhance access to 
lifelong learning, strengthen vocational education and training systems, and improve the 
labour market relevance of education. 

The  Commission  communication  Rethinking  Education:  Investing  in  skills  for  better 
socio-economic outcomes 109 calls for a fundamental shift in education, with more focus 
on learning outcomes: ‘There is a need to recognise and value non-formal learning in a 
creative  and  innovative  way,  raising  the  visibility  of  skills  acquired  outside  the  formal 
system and fostering complementarity between non-formal and formal learning, while at 
the same time promoting equal opportunities.’ 

Part  of  this  need  to  rethink  education  is  linked  to  improving  the  recognition  of 
qualifications and skills, including those gained outside the formal education and training 

105 http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/2015/documents/citizenship-education-declaration_en.pdf  

106 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/about-
ran/ran-prevent/index_en.htm  

107 The Joint Report is expected to be adopted at the November 2015 Education Council. 

108 https://education-training-youth-forum.teamwork.fr/docs/ETY_Forum_Report.pdf  

109 COM(2012) 669 final of 20.11.2012. 

94 

 
 
 
                                                 
system,  e.g.  by  encouraging  validation  mechanisms.  That 
is  why  a  Council 
recommendation was adopted on 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and 
informal learning.110 

In  its  final  report 111  published  in  2014,  the  thematic  expert  group  set  up  in  the 
framework  of  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  for  sharing  best  practice  on  how  to  promote  the 
creativity  and  innovative  capacity  of  young  people  by  identifying  competences  and 
skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning relevant to employability 
stressed the need to improve and widen the recognition of non-formal learning, and not 
just  in  relation  to  employability.  A  better  equipped  workforce  is  required;  one  that  can 
interact effectively with young people, especially those who are disadvantaged and lack 
access to the labour market. 

The  peer-learning  activity  on  the  writing  of  learning  outcomes  for  assessment  and 
validation,112  which  took  place  in  Ireland  in  November  2014,  sought  to  explore  in  a 
practical manner issues related to the integration of different learning contexts, purposes 
and stakeholder concerns into learning outcomes. 

An  updated  European  Inventory  on  Validation  of  Non-formal  and  Informal 
Learning,113  which  covered  33  European  countries  (EU  Member  States,  Iceland, 
Liechtenstein,  Norway,  Switzerland  and  Turkey),  was  published  at  the  end  of  2014.  It 
shows  that  effective  tools  for  recognising  those  skills  need  to  be  better  designed  and 
applied with a view to tackling current bottlenecks within the European labour market. 

In 2014, the Commission ran a public consultation on the potential benefits of developing 
a  European  Area  of  Skills  and  Qualifications.114  The  consultation  collected  views  of 
stakeholders  on  the  obstacles  faced  by  people  in  having  their  skills  and  qualifications 
recognised  across  Europe.  It  found  that  there  is  strong  support  for  action  to  simplify 
European tools for recognition of skills and qualifications, to make them more coherent 
and easier to use, and to ensure a stronger focus on the needs of pupils, students, workers 
and employers. 

Seeking  to  boost  education  through  new  technologies,  the  Commission  launched  the 
Opening  up  Education  initiative  in  September  2013,  presenting  the  actions  that  the 
Commission  will  implement,  including  policy  orientation  for  operations  funded  under 
Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation programme (2014-2020). 
The initiative also launched the OpenEducationEuropa.eu portal, aimed at helping users 

110 OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1-5. 

111 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/library/reports/creative-potential_en.pdf  

112http://extendedcampus.cit.ie/contentfiles/PLA%20Cork%2019_20%2011%202014%20Report%20final.
pdf  

113 http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events-and-projects/projects/validation-non-formal-and-informal-
learning/european-inventory  

114 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/more_info/consultations/skills_en.htm  

95 

 
 
 
                                                 
(teachers  or  learners)  to  find  relevant  open  educational  resources  and  enhancing  the 
visibility of the many high-quality resources produced in Europe.115 

The  EU  Youth  Strategy  promotes  youth  work,  which  offers  non-formal  and  informal 
learning environments. Generally speaking, youth work equips young people with skills 
and competences that are relevant to many aspects of their life, including the workplace. 
By engaging in youth activities, young people for example can gain important transversal 
skills,  experience  of  leadership,  a  sense  of  initiative,  or  working  in  teams.  For  some, 
engaging  in  these  activities  can  provide  the  impetus  to  come  back  to  formal  education 
after dropping out, while for others it can be a way to complement formal qualifications 
and  thus  increase  their  chances  in  the  labour  market.  The  study  on  the  value  of  youth 
work in the European Union 116 published by the Commission in 2014 substantiates this 
view. It shows a positive correlation between participation in non-formal education and 
achievement  in  formal  education  because,  for  instance,  it  teaches  young  people 
persistence, staying motivated to complete a task.  

On  16  May  2013,  the  Council  adopted  conclusions 117  on  the  contribution  of  quality 
youth work to the development, well-being and social inclusion of young people, which 
resulted in the setting up of a thematic expert group on youth work quality systems in the 
EU  Member  States.  It  sought  to  examine  these  systems  and  explore  how  common 
indicators or frameworks might be developed.  In their report 118 submitted to the Youth 
Working  Party  on  8  April  2015,  the  experts  pointed  out  that  ‘working  with  indicators, 
quality tools and systems is crucial to the continuous development of youth work and has 
great potential to contribute to an enhanced credibility and recognition of the youth work 
sector as a whole’. 

Two  large-scale  ongoing  research  projects  supported  by  the  European Union’s  Seventh 
Framework Programme (2007-2013) are worth mentioning; they address the governance 
of  educational  trajectories  in  Europe  and,  in  particular,  access  to  and  relevance  of 
education for young people (see box). 

The  Commission  established  the  Scientix  platform  www.scientix.eu,  a  community  for 
science  education  in  Europe,  to  ensure  a  wide  uptake  and  dissemination  of  STEM 
(science, technology, engineering and maths) education practices. The Commission also 
recognises  that  science  events  intended  to  inspire  and  mobilise  young  people  are  more 
important  than  ever.  The  annual  European  Union  Contest  for  Young  Scientists 119 

115 The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) conducts several studies to contribute to the 
development of a knowledge base on open education issues dealing with research on the recognition of 
learning through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), on the profile and motivations of MOOC 
learners, and on how higher education institutions deal with open education issues. 

116 http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/working-with-young-people-pbNC0414172/ 

117 All Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) are listed in Annex 2. 

118 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/library/reports/quality-youth-work_en.pdf  

119 http://ec.europa.eu/research/eucys/index_en.cfm  

96 

 
 
 
                                                 
(EUCYS)  is  one  of  Europe’s  premier  events  for  showcasing  young  scientific  talent.  It 
brings together winners of national science competitions – young people between 14 and 
20 years of age – to compete with their European counterparts.  

EU-funded research projects on education 

Ongoing FP7 projects: 

  RESL.eu – Reducing Early School Leaving in Europe (www.resl-eu.org) 
  GOETE – Access, coping and relevance of education for young people in 

European knowledge societies in comparative perspective (http://www.goete.eu/) 

6.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

This summary is primarily focused on non-formal learning, in line with the priorities of 
the EU Youth Strategy. It does not encompass all ET 2020 priority areas. 

6.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

Figure 16 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of education and training 

29 

27 

30

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

26 

26 

26 

26 

25 

25 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A – Encouraging formal education and non-formal learning to support young people’s 
innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship 
B – Raising public awareness of the value of non-formal learning 
C – Use of EU tools for the validation of skills and the recognition of qualifications 
D – Promoting learning mobility of all young people 
E – Adressing gender and other stereotypes 
F – Promoting cohesion by formal education and non-formal learning 
G – Developing non-formal learning opportunities to address early school leaving 
H – Developing participative structures 

97 

 
 
 
 
 
6.2.1.1.  Developing non-formal learning opportunities to address early school leaving 

The number of measures introduced or planned after January 2010 has increased. Many 
countries  present  good  practices  around  youth  work  activities  targeting  early  school 
leaving.  These  include  a  strategy  to  combat  early  school  leaving  in  Austria;  an  ESF-
funded project Schulverweigerung – Die 2. Chance (Chronic truants – A second chance) 
in Germany; the ‘Youth.inc’ educational programme in Malta helping young people to 
improve their standard of education and gain more knowledge, values and skills to enter 
the labour market or gain qualifications to continue in further education and/or training; 
the  T.O.M.  project  in  the  Netherlands  (see  box);  and  an  ESF  project  in  Slovakia 
developing competences of young people through non-formal education.  

Netherlands – Traject op Maat (T.O.M.) 

T.O.M. (literally ‘tailor-made trajectory’) offers tailor-made guidance on the (re)gain of 
action skills and making choices by young people themselves to give them better access 
and  thus  inflow  back  in  education  and  work.  Young  people  are  registered  and 
accompanied  to  school  and/or  work.  Some  young  people  are  even  visited  at  home. 
Intensive  coaching  combined  with  group  counselling  is  provided.  All  young  people 
receive  individual  coaching  from  one  of  the  T.O.M.  coaches.  After  attending  a  T.O.M. 
course participants go back to school or move on to work. Such a course lasts as long as 
necessary. On average, it takes about six months for a young person to be able to go back 
to school and/or work. 

http://www.tomdenbosch.nl/  

Luxembourg’s specific Orientation Voluntary Service (service volontaire d’orientation) 
is targeted at early school leavers. 

Some countries have strategies or action plans, such as the 2012 strategy to combat early 
school  leaving  in  Austria,  an  action  plan  on  early  school  leaving  in  the  Flemish 
Community  of  Belgium,  a  strategy  for  reducing  the  number  of  early  school  leavers  in 
Bulgaria,  or  the  Youth  Act  in  Finland  with  outreach  to  youth  work  and  multi-
disciplinary cooperation at local level.  

The  Czech  Republic  and  Serbia  put  particular  emphasis  on  supporting  youth 
organisations  or  youth  projects  which  address  early  school  leaving.  Other  countries 
highlight specific programmes in schools, such as  Ireland with its ‘School Completion 
Programme’ and its strategy ‘Delivering Equality of Education in Schools’. France, the 
French Community of Belgium and Latvia, among others, refer to activities in favour of 
validation  and  recognition  of  non-formal  learning,  while  Estonia  focuses  on  the 
development of youth work quality. 

Bulgaria and Luxembourg mention the use of IT services to tackle early school leaving. 
In Luxembourg an internet portal for the education and training programme ‘Level Up’ is 
addressed to young people without professional or school activity wishing to bridge the 
transition to active life with a useful occupation. 
98 

 
 
 
 
6.2.1.2.  Use of EU tools for the validation of skills and the recognition of qualifications 

Many  countries  present  the  state  of  play  regarding  their  National  Qualifications 
Framework to be developed within the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The 
state of play concerning strategies on the validation of non-formal and informal learning 
is  also described. Besides the EQF, other  European  tools such as  Europass, Youthpass, 
the  European  credit  transfer  and  accumulation  system  (ECTS)  and  the  European  credit 
system for vocational education and training (ECVET) are often quoted. 

Compared to the 2012 Youth Report, more measures were introduced to strengthen the 
use  of  the  various  tools  established  at  EU  level  for  the  transparency  and  validation  of 
skills  and  the  recognition  of  qualifications.  Some  countries  focus  their  answer  on  the 
validation of competences acquired through non-formal learning activities (such as youth 
work).  In  Bulgaria  a  system  for  the  validation  of  knowledge,  skills  and  competences 
gained through voluntary work is under evaluation. Croatia plans to adopt an ordinance 
on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning by the end of 2015. In Slovakia 
an ESF-funded project focuses on developing competences for youth leaders and youth 
workers based on a competence model – the qualification gained will be included in the 
National Qualifications Framework. In Greece a system of recognition and certification 
of  qualifications  acquired  via  non-formal  and  informal  learning  was  established  and  a 
framework  for  licensing-awarding  bodies  is  in  preparation.  It  aims  at  certifying  those 
qualifications  that  reinforce  employment,  assuring  that  the  certified  qualification 
corresponds  to  specifications  set  out  in  the  respective  accredited  occupational  profile. 
This provides equity and access to qualifications regardless of the way learning outcomes 
were achieved. 

Latvia – National Network of Cooperation and Information Exchange (Val-Net) 

The  project  ‘Towards  an  integrated  system  for  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning:  initiating  a  national  network  of  cooperation  and  information  exchange’  (Val-
Net) initiated a national network of cooperation and information exchange.  

Two  national-scale  conferences,  four  regional  forums,  seminars  and  round  table 
discussions  aimed  at  addressing  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning, 
interlinking the general, vocational and higher education, as well as lifelong learning and 
the labour market. 

All  institutions  participating  in  Val-Net  (e.g.  the  Latvian  Parent  Movement,  UNESCO 
Latvia, Ventspils Digital Centre, Riga Central Library) are involved in the validation of 
non-formal and informal learning outcomes. 

The project (March 2012 - April 2013) received funding from the EU Lifelong Learning 
programme. 

99 

 
 
 
 
Slovenia – Nefiks and e-Nefiks, tools to prove non-formal learning outcomes 

Nefiks aims to help youth organisations and other NGOs to show competences possible 
to obtain in their projects, not only to showcase them but also to describe them in terms 
relevant  for  other  sectors,  e.g.  employers.  At  policy  level  Nefiks  strives  to  achieve 
general recognition of non-formally obtained competences as equal and consisting part of 
an  individual’s  education.  Nefiks  comes  in  two  shapes,  a  booklet  and  an  electronic 
portfolio  (e-Nefiks).  The  electronic  portfolio  is  free  of  charge  and  easily  accessible 
everywhere where  internet is available. The output  of e-Nefiks  is: Europass CV, list  of 
competences  (according  to  eight  key  competences),  portfolios  (social  capital,  career 
building),  e-Nefiks  forms,  employer  recommendations,  attachments  (other  certificates, 
e.g.  Youthpass).  Since  e-Nefiks  was  established,  the  main  focus  has  moved  towards 
youth employability, proving that competences obtained in non-formal settings are useful 
for employment.  

http://www.talentiran.si/en-nefiks  

6.2.1.3.  Promoting learning mobility of all young people  

More than half of the Member States mention the key role the Erasmus+ programme and 
its  predecessors  (Youth  in  Action  programme  and  Lifelong  Learning  programme, 
particularly  Erasmus  and  Comenius)  for  promoting  learning  mobility  of  young  people. 
The number of measures promoting learning mobility of all young people – introduced or 
planned since January 2010 – has increased significantly.  

In the French Community of Belgium, Bureau International Jeunesse is the main actor 
to award public grants for mobility in the non-formal sector. In Finland, the Centre for 
International  Mobility  CIMO  is  in  charge  of  all  EU  mobility  programmes.  In  France, 
where  the  outgoing  international  mobility  is  widely  encouraged,  180 000  young  people 
take  part  in  various  national  and  European  programmes  for  training,  traineeships, 
sporting  or  cultural  exchanges,  community  projects  or  volunteering.  Romania 
established, as part of its National Agency for Community Programmes in Education and 
Training  (ANPCDEFP),  a  national  Europass  centre  in  charge  of  the  provision  of 
information and support to complete and issue Youthpass and Europass documents.  

6.2.1.4.  Addressing gender and other stereotypes 

Many  countries  mention  their  programmes  and  projects  addressing  gender  and  other 
stereotypes via formal education and non-formal learning. In the Flemish Community of 
Belgium,  a  set  of  projects  and  tools  were  established,  ranging  from  coaching  within  a 
network  of  schools  over  a  publication  to  a  website  on  gender  and  diversity.  In  some 
countries,  for  instance  Cyprus  and  Croatia,  the  topic  is  part  of  a  health  education 
curriculum  in  cooperation  with  other  ministries  such  as  the  Ministry  of  Education  and 
Culture, Ministry of Health, or local and national NGOs. In some countries like Austria, 

100 

 
 
 
 
Germany and Luxembourg, Girls’ and Boys’ Days 120 take place as national initiatives. 
In Malta, emphasis is put on bullying at school in all forms including on LGBT students. 
In Turkey, trainings are organised in youth centres and youth camps associated with the 
Ministry of Youth and Sports and in coordination with young people.  

Austria – Special Gender Department of the association Amazone 

The Special Gender Department sees itself as a place for the promotion of education and 
expertise on all matters and issues of gender work as a whole, with a focus on feminist 
work with girls. The Special Gender Department integrates the aspects of working with 
girls,  mixed-gender  aspects  and  aspects  of  development,  qualification  and  raising 
awareness. From these three perspectives, measures are proposed for the deconstruction 
of gender role images with and for girls, boys, adults, institutions and anyone else who is 
interested. Through the gateways of education and promotion, work is carried out on the 
following  eight  topics  which  have  emerged  over  the  course  of  many  years:  work, 
education, health, violence, culture, multimedia, politics and sexuality. The qualification 
area includes information on talks, seminars, specialist consultations and work materials. 
In  many  of  the  association’s  services,  qualified  peers  function  as  role  models  for  other 
young people. The association also works with a trained pool of advisers, who pass on 
their expertise as needed, thus bringing together the approaches of work with both girls 
and boys. 

www.amazone.or.at  

6.2.1.5.  Promoting cohesion by formal education and non-formal learning 

A  number  of  measures  were  introduced  after January  2010  using  formal  education  and 
non-formal  learning  to  promote  cohesion  and  understanding  across  different  groups,  to 
promote equal opportunities and narrow the gaps in (educational) achievement.  

to  give 

information,  for  example  a  book  about 
Some  projects  are  designed 
‘superdiversity’ in the youth sector published in the Flemish Community of Belgium in 
2014. Special grant schemes targeting projects in the field of non-institutional education 
for young people exist in the French Community of Belgium or in Croatia. In Germany, 
a set of strategies include a funding strategy that promotes school success of children and 
young  people  with  a  migrant  background.  In  England,  United  Kingdom,  an  additional 
funding  programme,  separate  from  core  education  funding,  is  targeting  economically 
disadvantaged  pupils  in  school.  Legislation  is  in  place  in  many  countries,  such  as  the 
‘Framework law for assistance, social integration and rights for people with disabilities’ 
in Italy with additional guidelines on school integration of pupils with disabilities. 

120 Technical enterprises and training facilities, universities and research centres are invited to organise an 
open day for girls to change attitudes towards vocational orientation; conversely, on a dedicated day, boys 
learn more about service occupations in education, social affairs, healthcare or other occupations where 
men are underrepresented. 

101 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
6.2.1.6.  Developing participative structures 

Legislation  is  in  place  in  several  countries,  and  student  bodies  are  established  and 
implemented within different educational institutions in many countries. In Finland, the 
laws  on  secondary  and  vocational  educational  schools  oblige  these  educational 
institutions to have a student body.  

In Ireland, one of the priority areas of the national strategy on education for sustainable 
development  is  ‘promoting  participation  by  young  people’,  with  school  council  as  key 
structure within the school context. The strategy aims to increase the number of student 
councils at primary level and to review the effectiveness of such councils in post primary 
schools. In Luxembourg, the coordination of the national student council is transferred 
to the national youth council and will therefore gain more autonomy. The national youth 
council  is  the  umbrella  organisation  of  youth  organisations  and  represents  the  opinions 
and  interests  of  young  people  at  national  level.  A  law  which  gives  schools  the 
opportunity to establish student school councils has existed in  Slovakia since 2003 and 
was  followed  by  the  establishment  of  training  programmes  for  coordinators  of  student 
school  councils.  In  Lithuania,  the  development  of  a  student  parliament  and  the 
implementation of related activities are still ongoing. 

6.2.1.7.  Encouraging  formal  education  and  non-formal  learning  to  support  young 

people’s innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship 

Different strategies, schemes and guidelines for encouraging formal education to support 
young  people’s  innovation,  creativity  and  entrepreneurship  are  in  place  in  almost  all 
countries.  Examples  are  a  strategy  for  entrepreneurship  in  the  field  of  education  in 
Sweden,  a  Young  Enterprise  charity  in  the  United  Kingdom  or  guidelines  for 
entrepreneurship education in Finland. In many countries the topic is part of a national 
youth  strategy,  like  in  the  Czech  Republic  or  Serbia.  In  some  countries  special 
strategies – like a national innovation strategy in Denmark or an action plan for student 
entrepreneurship  in  France  –  are  in  place  to  foster  students’  innovative  and 
entrepreneurial  skills  and  competences.  Sometimes  strategies  and  schemes  on 
entrepreneurship are part of a broader lifelong learning strategy. 

Some  actions  aim  at  stimulating  entrepreneurial  attitude,  others  focus  on  teaching 
entrepreneurial  skills  and  competencies  and  therefore  educate  students  to  become 
entrepreneurs. Several countries include both approaches like the Flemish Community of 
Belgium in an action plan on education for entrepreneurship. 

Other  countries’  programmes  focus  more  on  the  non-formal  sector,  like  Portugal’s 
programme  aiming  at  youth  organisation  leaders,  or  Cyprus’  planned  Career  Camps 
programme which will be implemented in 2015 to enhance entrepreneurial mind-sets and 
trainings  for  the  development  of  non-formal  learning  projects  on  entrepreneurship. 
‘YouSmile’ 121,  a  safe  online  interactive  environment  in  Greece,  promotes  learning  and 
skills  development  through  use  of  new  technologies.  It  also  aims  at  creating  an 
environment for the development of creative, social and literacy skills. The Other School 
programme in Romania involves both students and teachers in non-formal activities. It is 

121 http://www.yousmile.gr/  

102 

 
 
 
                                                 
carried out during one week of the second semester of school and is based on a special 
schedule, consisting exclusively in non-formal activities. 

Amongst other countries, Estonia mentions cooperation with VET providers or projects 
implemented by VET schools in order to support innovation projects. One example for a 
project  to  foster  innovation  is  ‘Youth  Creates’  (Jugend  gründet),  a  nationwide  and 
online-based  competition  for  young  people 
the 
development  of  innovative  entrepreneurial  ideas  for  industry,  service  and  trade. 
Participants test their ideas in an eight-week simulation.  

in  Germany,  which  supports 

6.2.1.8.  Raising public awareness of the value of non-formal learning 

There  is  a  broad  variety  of  projects,  programmes  and  publications  aiming  at  delivering 
better  insight  and  enhancing  awareness  of  the  value  of  non-formal  learning  outcomes. 
The ‘Youth business cards’ in the French Community of Belgium raise awareness of the 
role  and  added  value  of  youth  organisations  for  other  sectors,  such  as  employment  or 
education.  In  several  countries  emphasis  is  put  on  the  value  of  non-formal  learning 
outcomes  through  volunteering.  In  Slovenia,  for  instance,  a  Volunteering  Act  was 
adopted  in  2011.  Other  countries  launched  studies  or  conducted  mapping  exercises  to 
explore the theme  of youth  work and the value of its non-formal learning outcomes.  A 
study 122  on  ‘hidden  competences’  was  published  in  2014  in  Finland,  and  a  mapping 
report will be released in 2015 in Ireland.  

Declarations  on  the  contribution  of  youth  work  are  reported  for  Ireland  and  Slovakia. 
Online portals or platforms informing and promoting exchange on the topic of learning 
outcomes  of  non-formal  learning  are  also  described,  e.g.  by  Luxembourg.  The 
contribution  to  the  recognition  of  non-formal  learning  through  developing  a  quality 
system  for  youth  work  is  acknowledged  by  Austria.  AufZaq 123  is  a  certification  for 
training  courses  and  described  as  an  effective  tool  for  quality  development  in  youth 
work.  

122 http://www.cimo.fi/hidden_competences  

123 http://www.aufzaq.at/  

103 

 
 
 
                                                 
Belgium – European Youth Work Convention 2015 

Belgium  organised  the  European  Youth  Work  Convention  2015  as  one  of  the  flagship 
initiatives  of  the  Belgian  Chairmanship  of  the  Council  of  Europe.  It  looked  at 
developments  in  youth  work  policy  and  practice  since  the  first  convention,  which  took 
place in Ghent in 2010 in the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the 
EU.  The  second  convention  brought  together  over  400  policy-makers,  researchers  and 
practitioners  and  culminated  in  a  declaration  discussing  the  challenges  youth  work  is 
facing at local, national and European level.  

Therein,  the  recognition  and  value  of  youth  work  is  addressed  as  follows:  ‘The 
Convention agreed that there are three levels of recognition that have, up to  now, been 
insufficiently  addressed  and  require  further  attention.  First,  to  gain  more  recognition 
youth work needs active promotion and advocacy by all relevant shareholders in politics, 
public  sector  and  civil  society  at  different  levels.  Second,  there  should  be  greater 
recognition of NGOs working in the youth work field, including as independent partners 
in  the  dialogue  shaping  youth  work  development.  Third,  there  needs  to  be  recognition 
and  validation  of  the  learning  and  achievement  that  takes  place  through  youth  work  in 
non-formal and informal learning environments.’ 

http://eywc2015.be/  

6.2.2. 

Implementation of subsequent Council agreements 

6.2.2.1.  Validating non-formal and informal learning outcomes 

In  the  Council  recommendation  of  20 December  2012  on  the  validation  of  non-formal 
and  informal  learning,  Ministers  agreed  to  have  in  place,  no  later  than  2018, 
arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes. Relevant 
measures  are  introduced  or  planned  by  Member  States  to  a  different  extent  in  the 
different youth-related issues covered by the recommendation: the involvement of youth 
organisations  and  youth  workers  in  the  development  and  implementation  of  validation 
arrangements;  the  role  of  the  youth  organisations  and  civil  society  organisations  on 
promoting  and  facilitating  the  identification  and  documentation  of  learning  outcomes 
acquired at work or in voluntary activities, using relevant Union transparency tools (the 
Europass  framework  and  Youthpass);  and  the  coordination  on  validation  arrangements 
between stakeholders in the education, training, employment and youth sectors.  

In  Austria,  the  German-speaking  Community  of  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Cyprus,  Czech 
Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland (United Kingdom), 
Slovenia as well as Serbia and Turkey, relevant measures in all above-mentioned fields 
are planned or implemented. Youth organisations and youth workers are also involved in 
the  development  and  implementation  of  validation  arrangements  in  the  French  and 
Flemish  Communities  of  Belgium,  Italy,  Luxembourg,  Malta,  Portugal,  Lithuania 
and  Sweden.  The  role  of  the  youth  organisations  and  civil  society  organisations  in 
promoting  and  facilitating  the  identification  and  documentation  of  learning  outcomes 

104 

 
 
 
 
acquired  at  work  or  in  voluntary  activities  are  equally  addressed  (by  planned  or 
implemented  measures)  in  the  German-speaking  Community  of  Belgium,  in  Finland, 
Germany, Luxembourg, Croatia, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden. 

Finally,  measures  to  coordinate  validation  arrangements  between  stakeholders  in  the 
education,  training,  employment  and  youth  sectors  are  introduced  or  planned  by  the 
German-speaking and Flemish Communities of Belgium, by Latvia and Spain. 

6.2.2.2.  Promoting  the  acquisition  of  skills  and  competences  and  their  recognition  and 

validation through quality youth work 

In the Council conclusions of 16 May 2013 on the contribution of quality youth work to 
the  development,  well-being  and  social  inclusion  of  young  people,  Ministers  agreed  to 
promote, through quality youth work, experiential learning and skills development, and 
the recognition and validation of such skills. In nearly all countries, relevant measures are 
introduced  or  planned  in  both  fields:  promoting  the  acquisition  skills  and  competences 
through quality  youth  work,  and promoting the recognition and validation of skills  and 
competences acquired through quality youth work. 

InterCity Youth (ICY) – European Network of Local Departments for Youth Work 

InterCity  Youth  (ICY)  is  a  European  Network  of  Local  Departments  for  Youth  Work 
which  gathers  municipalities  actively  involved  in  youth  work.  The  overall  aim  is  to 
enhance the quality of youth work in Europe, via knowledge sharing, peer learning and 
policy development. 

The network’s objectives are:  

 

 

 

to enhance peer learning between local departments of youth work; providing 
directors and staff opportunities to professional development, mutual support and 
stimulation; 
to promote the exchange and development of tools for enhancing and making 
visible the quality of youth work and promote youth work as an arena for non-
formal learning; 
to contribute to European youth policies; transmitting knowledge and insight 
from local government experiments and solutions to European policy agendas. 

The  project  of  setting  up  such  a  network  was  developed  through  two  InterCity-
conferences  held  in  2012  and  2013;  the  network  itself  was  launched  during  the  third 
conference in 2014. These conferences were supported by the Erasmus+ programme. 

http://intercityyouth.eu/  

105 

 
 
 
 
6.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The  European  Youth  Forum  (YFJ)  has  taken  a  significant  number  of  initiatives  and 
actions related to education and training. Quality education has for instance always been 
a  key  point  on  the  forum’s  agenda.  The  YFJ  published  in  2013  ‘The  European  Youth 
Forum Policy Paper on Quality Education’,124 which underlines the right of access for all 
young people to quality education as well as its general important role in social, political 
and  economic  life  of  young  people.  The  YFJ  has  established  a  Framework  for  Quality 
Assurance of Non-formal Education 125 which proposes to youth organisations an eight-
step  cycle  of  activities,  from  planning  to  evaluation.  A  specific  manual  was  also 
developed to support its implementation.  

With the organisation of the ‘2014 Education Week: Quality Education: a Youth right!’ 
the  YFJ  addressed  the  issue  of  recognition  of  non-formal  education,  which  it  had 
previously tackled in the 2012 study on ‘The Impact of Non-formal Education in Youth 
Organisations on Young People’s Employability’.126 Besides these youth-led initiatives, 
the  forum  also  contributed  to  promotion  of  the  value  of  competences  acquired  through 
youth work by participating in the ET 2020 working group on transversal skills in 2014 
(which is part of the open method of coordination in the field of education and training). 
The YFJ also contributed to the Commission’s public consultation on a European Area of 
Skills and Qualifications which took place in 2014.  

Furthermore,  since  2012  the  YFJ  has  been  a  member  of  the  European  Qualifications 
Framework (EQF) Advisory Group, which brings together representatives from national 
authorities  and  other  stakeholders  to  support  the  implementation  of  the  framework. 
Therein the YFJ has played an important role by raising Member States’ awareness about 
the potential impact and contribution of validation to the youth sector. It also empowers 
youth  organisations  to  follow  up  the  implementation  of  the  EQF  recommendation  at 
national  level.  Connected  to  this  and  building  on  a  series  of  online  questionnaires,  the 
YFJ organised an event for its membership in September 2014 on the validation of non-
formal learning. The objective was to gather first-hand input from youth organisations 
and  experts  across  Europe  on  what  needs  to  be  done  to  establish  effective  validation 
arrangements  for  non-formal  education  activities  in  the  Member  States.  Driven  by  the 
desire  to  meaningfully  contribute  to  the  work  of  the  EQF  Advisory  Group,  the  forum 
collated all the gathered evidence into a report, which it presented to the members of the 
group. 

The  YFJ  deplores  the  little  progress  that  has  been  made  towards  the  introduction  of 
national validation arrangements, as demonstrated by the updated European Inventory on 
Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning. A lack of knowledge and recognition 
of  the  added  value  of  such  arrangements,  specifically  concerning  the  validation  of 
competences  gained  through  non-formal  education  in  the  third  sector,  seems  to  be  the 
main reason for this. 

124 http://www.youthforum.org/policypaper/european-forum-policy-paper-on-quality-educatiuon/  

125 http://www.youthforum.org/quality-assurance-of-non-formal-education/  

126 http://issuu.com/yomag/docs/reportnfe_print  

106 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
7. 

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 

Supporting the health and well-being of young people – with a focus on the promotion of 
good mental and sexual health, sport, physical activity and healthy life styles – is the aim 
of this field of action. The prevention and treatment of injury, eating disorders, addictions 
and substance abuse are equally in the spotlight. 

7.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

Good health has an impact on quality of life and life expectancy, and also contributes to 
personal  well-being  (physical/mental/emotional)  and  self-esteem/self-confidence.  A 
healthy youth performs better at school and work. Investing in and maintaining the health 
of  young  people  lowers  the  pressure  on  national  healthcare  systems  and  budgets,  and 
makes  a  positive  contribution  to  the  labour  market/employment  and  the  European 
economy as a whole.  

The  Eurofound  study  about  NEETs 127  noted  the  detrimental  consequences  for  young 
people falling into this category of not being in employment, education or training, such 
as psychological distress, disengagement and risky behaviour. NEETs were found to be 
more  prone  to  suffer  from  poor  health  and  depression,  use  alcohol,  tobacco  or  illegal 
substances.  The  foundation’s  policy  brief  of  2014  on  the  social  situation  of  young 
people 128  highlighted  the  fact  that  unemployed  and  inactive  young  people  give  a 
comparatively low rating for their subjective well-being. It also stated that unemployed 
and  inactive  young  people  are  more  likely  than  others  to  have  lower  levels  of  mental 
well-being. 

Nature is vital for health and contributes to the quality of life. A recent report,129 jointly 
prepared  by  the  Secretariat  of  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  and  the  WHO, 
underlines how contact with nature brings direct benefits to mental and physical health. 
In addition to these health advantages, parks and green spaces also absorb and disperse 
air pollutants, lower temperatures and prevent heat stress in cities, reduce social tension, 
and buffer noise pollution.  

Health policy 

The  Commission  supports  Member  States’  efforts  to  promote  healthy  lifestyles.  Health 
determinants such as a balanced diet (high consumption of fruit and vegetables, limited 
intake  of  foods  high  in  fat/salt/sugar  and  sugar  sweetened  beverages),  regular  physical 
activity,  tobacco-free  lifestyle  and  moderate  alcohol  use,  play  an  important  role  in 
disease  prevention.  Regarding  indicators,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States 
developed  a  shortlist  of  88  European  Core  Health  Indicators  (ECHI)  through  a  Joint 

127 Eurofound (2012), NEETs – Young people not in employment, education or training: Characteristics, 
costs and policy responses in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 

128 Eurofound (2014), Social situation of young people in Europe, Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg. 

129 World Health Organization and Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2015), 
Connecting global priorities: biodiversity and human health: a state of knowledge review. 

107 

 
 
 
                                                 
Action in 2012.130 Wherever useful or appropriate, health indicators are broken down by 
age.  Prevention  is  particularly  important  among  young  people  as  lifestyle  habits  are 
forged during childhood and adolescence. The EU health policy focuses on nutrition and 
physical activity, alcohol, smoking, sexual health and HIV/AIDS, and drug use. 

Support for nutrition and physical activity takes place through 131 the high-level group 
that provides an EU platform for action on diet, physical activity and health (a forum for 
European-level  organisations,  ranging  from  the  food  industry  to  consumer  protection 
NGOs) and through projects co-financed under the EU Health programme.132 The 2007 
strategy on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues and the 2014-2020 EU 
action  plan  on  childhood  obesity  are  important  frameworks  for  action.  The  action  plan 
was adopted by the high-level group to demonstrate the shared commitment of Member 
States to halting the rise in childhood obesity by 2020. Council conclusions on nutrition 
and  physical  activity 133  were  adopted  in  June  2014.  A  Joint  Action  on  nutrition  and 
physical activity involving 25 Member States is to be launched in 2015. The Commission 
receives additional funding from the European Parliament for pilot projects 134 designed 
to  improve  future  policy  action  in  the  area  of  nutrition  and  physical  activity  and  to 
identify  good  practices  that  can  be  used  to  replicate  these  projects  in  other  European 
cities or regions.  

As  far  as  alcohol-related  harm  is  concerned,  young  people  are  particularly  at  risk  of 
short-term effects of drunkenness, including accidents and violence, with alcohol-related 
deaths accounting for around 25 % of deaths in young men aged 15-29. The EU alcohol 
strategy 135  is  designed  to  help  national  governments  and  other  stakeholders  coordinate 
their action to reduce alcohol-related harm in the EU. The 2014-2016 action plan 136 on 
youth drinking and on heavy episodic (binge) drinking focuses on prevention of alcohol-
related harm resulting from such consumption and contributes to achieving the objectives 
of the EU alcohol strategy. It is complemented by the Joint Action on reducing alcohol-
related  harm,137  also  running  from  2014  to  2016.  Many  projects  funded  under  the  EU 
Health  programme  have  to  do  with  youth  and  alcohol-related  issues.  For  example,  the 
project  ‘Let  it  hAPYN’ 138  aims  to  get  a  better  overview  of  good  and  bad  practices  of 
alcohol intervention programmes used by youth organisations in Europe. 

130 http://ec.europa.eu/health/indicators/echi/list/index_en.htm 

131 http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/policy/index_en.htm  

132 http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/health/index.html  

133 OJ C 213, 8.7.2014, p. 1-6. 

134 http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/projects/ep_funded_projects_en.htm  

135 COM(2006) 625 final of 24.10.2006. 

136 http://ec.europa.eu/health/alcohol/docs/2014_2016_actionplan_youthdrinking_en.pdf  

137 http://www.rarha.eu/Pages/default.aspx  

138 http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/projects/database.html?prjno=20121208  

108 

 
 
 
                                                 
As  to  smoking,  the  new  Tobacco  Products  Directive 139  aims  at  improving  the 
functioning of the EU market for tobacco products whilst ensuring a high level of public 
health, in particular for young people. It has been estimated that the combined provisions, 
which  will  apply  as  from  May  2016,  will  lead  to  a  2 %  reduction  in  EU  tobacco 
consumption  over  five  years.  Anti-smoking  measures  are  also  taken  through  EU 
directives  prohibiting  tobacco  advertising  and  sponsorship  in  the  media,  including  on 
television,  and  through  the  ‘Ex-smokers  are  unstoppable’ 140  campaign  initiated  by  the 
Commission.  

In the area of sexual health and HIV/AIDS, EU policy aims at raising awareness about 
the  risks  of  sexually  transmittable  diseases  by  enhancing  the  comparability  of  data 
(improved  notification  and  comparability  of  national  data).  The  Commission 
communication  Combating  HIV/AIDS  in  the  European  Union  and  neighbouring 
countries,  2009-2013  was  complemented  by  an  operational  action  plan 141  that  was 
extended until 2016. It focuses on effective prevention, including  educational  measures 
to increase awareness on sexual health, particularly relevant to youth. The Commission 
also  funds  projects  or  prevention  campaigns  to  promote  safe  sex  and  address  risk 
behaviour.142  

Drug  abuse  is  a  key  public  health  and  social  concern  throughout  the  EU  and  beyond. 
The EU drugs strategy 143 provides the overarching political framework and priorities for 
EU  drugs  policy  identified  by  Member  States  and  EU  institutions  for  the  period  2013-
2020.  It  aims  at  ensuring  a  high  level  of  human  health  protection,  social  stability  and 
security by focusing on two dimensions of drug policy – drug demand reduction and drug 
supply.  The  strategy  also  has  three  cross-cutting  themes:  (a)  coordination,  (b) 
international cooperation and (c)  research, information,  monitoring and evaluation. The 
strategy is accompanied by an action plan that covers the period 2013-2016 and provides 
for  specific  actions  to  be  undertaken  by  designated  responsible  parties,  a  timetable, 
indicators and data collection tools. The Commission is currently undertaking a progress 
review  of  the  implementation  of  the  strategy  and  its  action  plan,  whose  results  are 
expected  by  the  end  of  2015.  The  Commission  also  finances  a  number  of  projects 
addressing drugs and a major awareness-raising campaign. 

It  is  important  to  reduce  the  pressure  on  youth  that  comes  from  aggressive  marketing 
and  advertising  of  foods  high  in  fat,  sugar  and  salt,  and  of  alcohol,  and  ensure 

139 Directive 2014/40/EU on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of 
the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products, OJ L 
127, 29.4.2014. 

140 http://www.exsmokers.eu/uk-en/index.html  

141 COM(2009) 569 final of 26.10.2009 and SWD(2014) 106 final of 14.3.2014. 

142 ‘Sexual Awareness for Europe’ (SAFE II), ‘Mobile Sexuality’ (SAFESEX), ‘Youth Sexual Violence’, 
‘Sunflower’, ‘H-CUBE’. 

143 http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/european-union-drugs-strategy-2013-2020-pbQC3213067/  

109 

 
 
 
                                                 
compliance  with  the  Audiovisual  Media  Services  Directive 144  and  Member  States’ 
regulations  and/or  voluntary  agreements.  The  above-mentioned  strategy  on  nutrition, 
overweight  and  obesity-related  health  issues  promotes  the  curbing  of  food  marketing 
targeting  children  and  young  people.  This  aim  is  also  included  in  the  action  plans  on 
childhood obesity and on youth drinking and binge drinking. Marketing and advertising 
are  also  addressed  in  the  Council  conclusions  on  nutrition  and  physical  activity. 
Marketing  and  advertising  comprise  one  of  the  areas  of  work  of  the  EU  platform  for 
action on diet, physical activity and health. Since 2005, its members have developed 35 
commitments in this field. 

A Joint Action 145 on mental health and well-being was launched in 2013 under the EU 
Health programme. This three-year initiative aims at building a framework for action in 
mental health policy at EU level. It addresses issues related to five areas: promotion of 
mental health at the workplace; promotion of mental health in schools; promoting action 
against  depression  and  suicide  and  implementation  of  e-health  approaches;  developing 
community-based and socially inclusive mental health care for people with severe mental 
disorders;  and  promoting  the  integration  of  mental  health  in  all  policies.  The  Health 
programme  also  supports  PROYOUTH,146  a  European  initiative  for  the  promotion  of 
mental  health  and  the  prevention  of  eating  disorders.  In  addition,  the  Commission 
implements a European Parliament preparatory action, ADOCARE.147 The purpose is to 
consider  the  usefulness  of  creating  support  services  at  Member  State  level  which  are 
through 
adapted 
multidisciplinary  teams  in  non-stigmatised  environments.  Last  but  not  least,  under  the 
European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, the project ‘Saving and empowering 
young  lives  in  Europe’ 148  (SEYLE)  includes  awareness  interventions  in  schools.  These 
have been shown to reduce suicide attempts and related thoughts among pupils by 50 %. 
Another  project,  ‘Measuring  Youth  Well-Being’ 149  (MYWeB),  currently  explores  the 
feasibility  of  conducting  a  European  longitudinal  survey  on  children’s  and  young 
people’s  well-being.  The  research  involves  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  including 
policy-makers, experts, children and young people. 

the  needs  of  adolescents  with  mental  health  problems 

to 

As  to  environmental-related  pressures,  EU  environmental  legislation  has  delivered 
significant  benefits  for  the  health  and  well-being  of  the  public.  However,  water,  air 
pollution and chemicals remain among people’s top environmental concerns. This is why 
one  of  the  three  key  objectives  of  the  EU’s  Environment  Action  Programme 150  (EAP) 

144 Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or 
administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services, OJ L 95, 
15.4.2010, p. 1-24. 

145 http://www.mentalhealthandwellbeing.eu/  

146 https://www.proyouth.eu/home.html  

147 http://www.adocare.eu/  

148 http://www.seyle.eu/  

149 http://www.fp7-myweb.eu/  

150 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/factsheets/7eap/en.pdf  

110 

 
 
 
                                                 
until 2020 is to safeguard the Union’s citizens from environmental-related pressures and 
risks to health and well-being. 

European youth cooperation on health and well-being 

The  Trio  Presidency  gave  priority  to  the  question  of  social  inclusion  during  the  period 
from  January  2013  until  June  2014,  and  the  Council  adopted  conclusions 151  on  the 
contribution of quality youth work to the development, well-being and social inclusion 
of  young  people.  The  Council  called  for  better  cross-sectoral  cooperation  with  health 
policy and practice and emphasised the importance of seeking quality and clear outcomes 
for  youth  work.  The  study  on  the  value  of  youth  work  in  the  European  Union 152 
published  by  the  Commission  in  2014  describes  how  youth  work  results  in  a  range  of 
positive outcomes for young people, including health and well-being. Youth work plays 
the role of a trustworthy advisor for young people when it comes to prevention or advice 
on  healthcare.  Youth  work  also  helps  change  behaviour  that  can  diminish  the  risk  of 
leading dangerous lifestyles. More generally, youth work activities add to self-awareness 
and confidence in young people, which contributes to their well-being. 

The Youth in Action programme (2007-2013) specifically supported projects promoting 
healthy  lifestyles  and  the  inclusion  of  young  people  into  society,  including  socially-
excluded  youth  with  mental  health  problems.  Next  to  the  permanent  priority  of  social 
inclusion,  health  was  regularly  one  of  the  annual  priorities  of  the  programme.  Funding 
these types of projects continues under the Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020). 

Young  people  and  children  are  today  amongst  the  keenest  users  of  online  and  mobile 
technologies in Europe. To give them the digital skills and tools they need to fully and 
safely benefit from being online, the Commission set out a European strategy for a better 
internet  for  children 153  in  2012.  Its  goals  related  to  the  protection  of  young  people 
against  dangers  arising  from  the  use  of  social  media  are  to  scale  up  awareness  and 
empowerment, including teaching of digital literacy and online safety in all EU schools; 
to create a safe environment for children through age-appropriate privacy settings, wider 
use  of  parental  controls  and  age  rating  and  content  classification;  and  to  combat  child 
sexual  abuse  material  online  and  child  sexual  exploitation.  The  Commission  also 
promotes  a  digital  competence  framework  for  all  citizens  describing  the  knowledge, 
skills and attitudes necessary to live and work in an increasing digital society.154 

151 All Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) are listed in Annex 2. 

152 http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/working-with-young-people-pbNC0414172/ 

153 COM(2012) 196 final of 2.5.2012. 

154 http://openeducationeuropa.eu/sites/default/files/DIGCOMP%20brochure%202014%20.pdf  

111 

 
 
 
                                                 
7.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

7.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution  

Figure 17 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of health and well-being 

27 

27 

26 

24 

23 

21 

21 

21 

21 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

A – Encouraging youth fitness and physical activity 
B – Promoting healthy lifestyles for young people 
C – Taking into account that health is a state of complete physical , mental and social well-
being 
D – Promoting the role of sport 
E – Mobilising stakeholders at local level to detect and help youth at risk 
F – Increasing knowledge and awareness of helath issues among youth workers 
G – Encouraging peer-to-peer education 
H – Promoting safe use of new media amongst young people 
I – Making health facilities more youth friendly 

7.2.1.1.  Encouraging youth fitness and physical activity 

A  large  number  of  countries  developed  national  strategies  or  action  plans  to  promote 
fitness and physical activity of young people. Austria, for instance, adopted a child and 
youth health strategy which complemented an action plan on physical activity.  Finland 
elaborated  a  national  strategy  for  physical  activity  promoting  health  and  well-being 
targeted at all age groups, including children and young people. The country also runs a 
working group with local and regional authorities, which develops recommendations on 
rising physical activity and healthy diets. Luxembourg developed a national action plan 
on  healthy  eating  and  physical  exercise  to  establish  a  coherent  policy  approach  for 
children  and  young  people  in  this  field,  while  Ireland  currently  prepares  a  national 
physical activity plan. 

In many cases, projects are also means of encouraging fitness and physical activity, such 
as a project in Denmark entitled ‘Get moving’ or ‘PMPAM’ in Italy, a project built on 

112 

 
 
 
 
 
networking with and between the local and regional levels to promote physical activity 
and healthy diets. The German-speaking Community of Belgium created a one-stop-shop 
for physical activity in combination with mental, psychological and social development 
and prevention of health problems. 

In  the  Czech  Republic,  volunteering  serves  to  promote  physical  activity,  especially  in 
the  framework  of  a  national  grant  programmes  for  youth  leisure  activities  prioritising 
‘Sport for Everybody’ and ‘Volunteerism in Sport’. Countries often mention schools as 
primary partners for physical education, awareness and training. By way of example, the 
United  Kingdom  points  out  high  quality  data  collected  in  the  framework  of  a  school 
sport survey in Wales, and an online guide to teenage health and well-being created by 
the  national  youth  information  and  citizenship  charity  Young  Scot.  Other  means  to 
encourage physical activity are outreach to young people through associations (Sweden) 
and youth work (Estonia).  

7.2.1.2.  Taking into account that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social 

well-being 

Many  countries  took  measures  regarding  this  aspect.  The  United  Kingdom  and  the 
Czech Republic set up cross-sectoral interministerial platforms on youth health issues at 
the ministries in charge of youth. More specifically, the Czech Republic set up an expert 
platform on health, healthy lifestyles and well-being of young people at the Ministry for 
Youth  and  Sports,  where  experts  tackle  issues  related  to  different  aspects  of  health  in 
regular  roundtable  meetings.  The  Young  People’s  Mental  Health  and  Well-Being  task 
force  in  the  United  Kingdom  focuses  on  innovative  solutions  improving  children’s  and 
young people’s health and well-being.  

Bulgaria  launched  an  intervention  programme  for  health  promotion  and  integrated 
prophylaxis, which is divided into different levels and actions, including the municipal-
level programme Healthy Children in Healthy Families with the overall aim to improve 
the health situation of the local population, including young people. Slovenia refers to a 
planned  national  programme  on  nutrition  and  health-enhancing  physical  activity  whose 
purpose  is  to  complement  the  national  sport  strategy.  In  Croatia,  health  is  promoted 
through  a  network  between  health  professionals,  funding  programmes  and  the  Living 
Healthy  programme,  which  is  made  up  of  a  wide  range  of  measures  from  nutrition  to 
physical  activity  but  also  health  education  and  enhanced  communication.  In  France,  a 
national health programme and a plan priorité jeunesse aim at fighting risky behaviour, 
answering the needs of the most vulnerable young people, developing physical activities 
and  sports,  and  making  young  people  actors  of  their  own  health.  Finland’s 
multidisciplinary agencies promote health literacy – in this country, ‘Teaching Health’ is 
part of the curriculum. 

Youth  health  counselling  offices  in  Portugal  offer  free  and  anonymous  support  on  all 
health-related  questions,  and  the  German  Healthy  Children  network  offers  young 
families  with  children  a  wide  range  of  support  covering  different  aspects  of  young 
people’s  health.  Furthermore,  Italy’s  Gaining  Health  programme  promotes  healthy 
choices  and  points  out  risk  factors,  while  Latvia  aims  at  decreasing  health  risks  by 
promoting  a  safe  and  healthy  environment  for  young  people.  Young  people  follow 
seminars and discussions in which they learn how to take care of their health. 

113 

 
 
 
Luxembourg  promotes  emotional  and  sexual  health  through  an  interministerial 
coordination  unit  and  an  enlarged  steering  group.  Malta  also  took  measures  related  to 
sexual  health  via  a  national  sexual  health  strategy.  Ireland  developed  a  new  national 
suicide  prevention  strategy,  which  aims  at  making  mental  illness  better understood and 
recognised  in  society.  France  took  measures  in  this  field  through  its  national  action 
programme against suicide 2011-2014. The Netherlands invest in prevention through a 
Healthy School initiative, and Sweden launched a study to gain better knowledge about 
young people’s health in different social situations.  

7.2.1.3.  Promoting healthy lifestyles for young people 

Measures  taken  in  this  area  focus  on  the  following  three  aspects:  healthy  lifestyle  in 
general, healthy eating and preventing drug addiction. Slovenia, for instance, developed 
an  integrated  innovative  approach  ensuring  a  healthy  lifestyle  among  children  and 
adolescents  with  the  pillars  nutrition,  physical  activity,  prevention  and  management  of 
obesity. The objective is to reduce health inequalities. In  Finland, a healthy  and active 
lifestyle  is  promoted  through  a  ‘School  on  the  Move’  project.  France  targets  young 
people at school as well; education and health committees aim at raising awareness about 
health issues. Another example is Germany where necessary competences for a healthy 
life are developed through out-of-school learning in Thuringia. Italy’s project ‘Gaining 
Health in Adolescence’ disseminates best practices, engages health professional trainers 
and creates so-called communities of practice. 

To  promote  healthy  eating,  nutrition  plans  in  schools  or  pre-schools  are  part  of  some 
countries’  initiatives.  Austria  developed  a  project  named  ‘Our  School  Cafeteria’.  The 
French  Community  of  Belgium  combines  nutrition  plans  with  physical  activities  in  its 
Manger-Bouger (Eat-Move) programme. In Luxembourg’s youth centres, healthy eating 
is  also  an  important  topic.  And  Slovakia  has  developed  a  national  care  programme 
focusing  on  healthy  nutrition  for  children,  in  particular  in  Roma  communities,  and 
ensuring that fruit is available in schools.  

Preventative measures against drug addiction include national programmes counteracting 
drug addiction in the Netherlands and Poland and a ‘National Drugs Strategy (Interim) 
2009-2013’  of  Ireland.  This  strategy  was  based  on  the  five  following  pillars:  supply 
reduction,  prevention,  treatment,  rehabilitation,  and  research.  Along  these  lines,  the 
United  Kingdom’s  drugs  strategy  provides  information  for  young  people  and  their 
parents about drugs and alcohol through education. It also offers the FRANK (‘Friendly, 
confidential drugs advice’) service, a specialist substance misuse service for youth which 
intervenes quickly and efficiently.  

7.2.1.4.  Promoting the role of sport 

Sport plays an important role in Member States and candidate countries to enhance the 
health  and  well-being  of  young  people.  Latvia  has  developed  a  state  sport  strategy  to 
create equal conditions for healthy living for all.  Slovakia’s national sports programme 
follows a cross-sectoral approach between different ministries, such as the Ministries for 
Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Health, Finances and Defence. 
Serbia and Turkey also launched national sport strategies aiming at facilitating access of 
all young people to sports.  

114 

 
 
 
Germany  backs  sport  infrastructures  and  supports  various  youth  work  projects  in  the 
field  of  sport.  Through  its  initiative  ‘Boost  for  Sport’,  Sweden  aims  to  involve  young 
people  in  sport  associations.  The  Czech  Republic  combines  promotion  of  sports, 
volunteering,  engagement  for  development  cooperation  and  fun  in  the  Football  for 
Development  campaign,  which  is  annually  organised  by  the  Association  for  Voluntary 
Activities INEX, while Lithuania enhances good neighbourly cooperation with Belarus 
through sports in the youth field. In Luxembourg, a national youth service trains young 
experts in freestyle sports to transmit their knowledge and experience to youngsters. 

Finland  uses  sports  as  a  tool  for  integration  of  young  immigrants  in  cooperation  with 
local  authorities,  whereas  the  Netherlands  refers  to  ‘Sport  and  Moving  in  the 
Neighbourhood’,  which  puts  particular  emphasis  on  youth  living  in  disadvantaged 
neighbourhoods (Sportimpuls). 

Austria – Project Bewegung (Physical Exercise) 

The aim of this yearly nationwide project consists in encouraging children and youth to 
be daily involved in sport activities or other forms of exercise. This is promoted by the 
Austrian Scout Movement, whose goal is to link sport with fun through outdoor activities 
and experiences in the nature and to develop teamwork spirit amongst young people. In 
this  framework,  the  Austrian  Scout  Movement  prepared  an  outdoor  activity  booklet, 
which rewarded children and youth with a sticker and a badge every time they completed 
an activity.  

Moreover, a project ‘On the Road’ was carried out, which consisted in a bicycle driven 
for a whole year through Austria by different scout groups. 5 000 kilometres and about 
300 groups took part in this project; the current position of the bicycle could always be 
tracked on the homepage or via a Facebook group.  

https://www.ppoe.at/aktionen/bundesthema/bundesthema1314  

7.2.1.5.  Increasing knowledge and awareness of health issues among youth workers 

The Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland report that knowledge of health issues is part 
of youth worker training in their country. Austria and Ireland organised conferences in 
this field. The Austrian ‘Food for Thought Conference’ took place in relation to a pilot 
project on health literacy in professional open youth work and information, whereas the 
Irish conference was organised in the context of capacity-building of youth agencies and 
organisations.  Other  countries  focused  on  prevention  training,  such  as  the  French 
Community of Belgium which raised youth workers’ awareness of suicide prevention, or 
Malta which organised workshops for youth workers on sexual health of young people. 

7.2.1.6.  Mobilising stakeholders at local level to detect and help youth at risk 

In order to gain better knowledge about the situation of vulnerable children and youth at 
local level, the Flemish Community of Belgium launched a study which served as a basis 

115 

 
 
 
 
for  projects including  health  monitoring  and  screening.  The new  Swedish  youth  policy 
law  –  which  entered  into  force  on  1  January  2015  –  strengthens  young  people’s  self-
support,  primarily  NEETs.  Cross-sectoral  cooperation  at  municipal  level,  for  instance 
between  social  services,  is  an  important  part  of  this  new  approach.  In  the  United 
Kingdom (England), the three-year project ‘Health Champions’, which ran until March 
2015 and was carried out by a voluntary organisation, focused on engagement of young 
people  in  primary  care  and  was  particularly  responsive  to  youth  in  communities.  The 
Irish  Child  and  Family  Agency,  dedicated  to  improving  well-being  of  children  and 
youth,  provided  a  wide  range  of  services,  including  psychological  support,  to  children, 
young people and families. Latvia’s health promotion guidelines for local governments 
aim  at  improving  healthy  lifestyles  and  sports  at  local  level.  Slovenia  counted  on 
capacity-building  regarding  healthcare, 
the 
Netherlands,  local  neighbourhood  expert  teams  intervene  where  and  when  necessary 
with a focus on prevention.  

including  also 

level.  In 

local 

the 

7.2.1.7.  Encouraging peer-to-peer education 

Only  few  peer-to-peer  measures  related  to  health  and  well-being  were  contained  in  the 
national reports. The Flemish Community of Belgium uses peer-to-peer education in all 
domains that touch the daily lives of young people, including health and well-being. The 
Czech  Republic  adopts  a  peer-to-peer  approach  in  schools,  for  example  in  the 
framework of school minimal prevention programmes. In Finland, the method is used at 
the  grass-roots  level  with  the  support  of  the  Government’s  Child  and  Youth  Policy 
programme. 

Belgium – Festi-Team 

The  project ‘Festi-Team’,  led  by  the  association  Latitudes  jeunes  and  working  together 
with other actors of the health sector, provides peer-to-peer awareness in festivals about 
safe  partying.  A  group  of  young  volunteers  are  trained  to  harm  reduction  in  party 
environment  beforehand,  and  then  they  go  to  festivals,  spread  the  word  and  raise 
awareness amongst other young partyers (16-25 years old) about issues related to drugs, 
alcohol abuse, noise and safe sex. 

http://www.cartesdevisite-jeunesse.be/projets/festi-team.html   

7.2.1.8.  Promoting safe use of new media amongst young people 

Although approaches are different, this topic is addressed by many Member States. 

A  strategy  for  information  safety  and  security  is  for  instance  part  of  Luxembourg’s 
2012-2014  Youth  Pact.  Online  youth  work  offers  services  addressed  to  professionals 
working with young people, but also aims at creating an online culture of young people. 
In Germany, children and young people are helped to learn using today’s media in the 
best  possible  way,  which  includes  counselling  and  cooperation  with  youth  media 
protection;  this  was  covered  by  a  support  programme  in  the  framework  of  the  Federal 

116 

 
 
 
 
Children  and  Youth  Plan.  Parents  are  targeted  by  the  United  Kingdom’s  ‘ParentPort’ 
website,  which  provides  useful  help  and  advice  on  children’s  media  use.  The  Flemish 
Community  of  Belgium  wrote  a  concept  note  on  media  knowledge  and  established  a 
dedicated centre on this issue. Malta raises awareness of and empowers minors, parents 
and guardians through a ‘Be Smart’ project. The SaferInternet.at platform in Austria has 
a special focus on children and youth as well as on parents and educators. This measure 
belongs to the country’s child and youth health strategy. 

Cyprus created a Safer Internet Centre to promote safer internet use among children and 
youth.  Another  noteworthy  project  is  ‘CyberEthics’,  which  amongst  other  things 
addresses children pornography, gender discrimination and inappropriate use of personal 
images.  Cyprus  also  runs  a  helpline  and  a  hotline  to  offer  specific  support  to  internet 
users  –  including  children  and  youth.  Greece  launched  a  new  application  for  smart 
phones named ‘Cyberkid’, which enables children in case of danger or threat appearing 
while surfing on the internet to directly communicate with officers of the Directorate of 
Electronic  Crime  –  through  a  process  of  ‘Cyber  Alert’  or  by  e-mail.  Croatia,  the 
Netherlands  and  Italy  specifically  refer  to  action  against  cyber-bullying.  And  the 
Finnish  Internet  Police  monitor  behaviour  on  social  media  sites  with  the  purpose  of 
preventive action, early intervention and online safety for young people. 

Slovenia – ‘LogOut & ReStart’ 

LogOut is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth 
and  families  by  providing  treatment,  help,  information  and  education  needed  for  a 
healthy and balanced life in a world of media and technology.  

With  its  ‘LogOut  &  ReStart’  programme,  LogOut  aims  at  targeting  excessive  use  of 
online media and computer games amongst young people and their dependency to it. It 
offers  therefore  unique  free-of-charge  addiction  treatment  options  and  a  wide  range  of 
different  prevention  activities.  The  main  fields  the  organisation  is  focusing  on  are 
compulsive internet use, excessive playing of online games, online gambling addiction, 
online shopping overuse and online pornography.  

It  also  strives  to  inspire  children  that  the  internet  is  not  just  a  place  to  escape  from 
problems  but  also  a  place  of  creativity  and  endless  potential.  In  this  framework,  the 
organisation  uses  peer-to-peer  support  and  involves  families  and  young  internet  users. 
Team counselling of technological experts and psychologists as well as analysis of online 
activities,  behaviour and roles are part  of the approach. LogOut also organises summer 
camps – Logout Digital Detox Summer Camps – where youngster live one week without 
internet devices and connections. 

The  programme  is  financed  by  the  Ministry  of  Labour,  Family  and  Social  Affairs,  the 
Ministry for Health and the Municipality of Ljubljana. 

http://www.logout.si/starsi-in-otroci/  

117 

 
 
 
 
7.2.1.9.  Making health facilities more youth friendly 

For  this  aspect  Member  States  provide  little  information.  The  Flemish  Community  of 
Belgium  refers  to  its  2014  Special  Youth  Care  Act,  whereas  the  Czech  Republic  and 
Latvia  point  at  their  health  programmes.  Finland  mentions  its  Law  on  Pupils’  and 
Students’ Welfare. In the Netherlands, advice and help is provided by Centres for Youth 
and  Family  (Centra  voor  Jeugd  en  Gezin),  and  in  Sweden,  an  Online  Youth  Clinic 155 
(UMO)  provides  advice  and  services  regarding  birth  control,  pregnancy  and  sexually 
transmitted disease tests but also counselling on mental health illness. 

United Kingdom – NHS England Youth Forum 

The  National  Health  Service  (NHS)  England  launched  a  Youth  Forum  in  March  2014. 
Comprising  20  young  people  recruited  from  all  over  the  country  and  linked  in  to  a 
Facebook network of hundreds more young people, the forum aims to provide a voice for 
young  people.  The  young  people  work  with  NHS  England  to  improve  the  services  for 
young people. 

During the first year, the priorities were the following: 

  working with partners to develop recommendations for improving 

 
 

communication between young people and clinicians; 
improving awareness of mental health issues for young people; 
focusing on de-stigmatising sexual health services and improving young people’s 
sexual health. 

The  delivery  of  the  Youth  Forum  is  supported  by  the  British  Youth  Council  and  a 
reference group of a wide range of youth sector partners. In addition to that, social media 
offer young people the possibility to contribute to the forum with their views, ideas and 
experiences.  

http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/patients/yth-for/  

7.2.2.  Other policy measures in this field of action 

Member States refer to a variety of issues but most of them are already identified in the 
youth-related aims and possible initiatives of the EU Youth Strategy. The listed measures 
concern teenage pregnancy, young people with disabilities and youth with special needs, 
the  reduction  of  tobacco  or  alcohol  consumption,  psychological  support  and  health 
education  at  school,  the  prevention  and  control  of  HIV  infections  and  other  sexually 
transmitted  disease.  An  aspect  not  yet  covered  is  mentioned  by  Germany  which 
highlights measures to improve children’s security and to avoid accidents.  

155 See also box ‘Sweden – The Online Youth Friendly Clinic (OMU)’ in Section 4.2.1.5. 

118 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
7.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The  European  Youth  Forum  (YFJ)  stresses  that  although  the  right  of  access  to  health 
care  is  enshrined  in  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  European  Union,  such 
access has been severely and disproportionately hampered by austerity politics in Ireland, 
Greece and Portugal – as observed in the YFJ’s report on ‘Youth in the Crisis’156 (2014). 
This  situation is  completely unacceptable and the  forum therefore urges the EU and  its 
Member  States  to  immediately  restore  the  unrestricted  access  of  young  people  to  their 
right to health care.  

In its 2013 publication ‘Quality Jobs for Young People’,157 the YFJ researched the link 
between the crisis and provisions to protect young workers’ health at work. Given that 
the financial and fiscal crisis impacted strongly on young people, the forum regrets that 
health and well-being of young people has been a rather low priority on the EU agenda 
since  the  launch  of  the  Commission’s  Youth  Health  initiative  in  2009.  The  YFJ  is 
actively engaged  in  awareness-raising  and  capacity-building  on  health issues  among  its 
member organisations through non-formal education and health training.  

156 http://www.youthforum.org/publication/youth-in-the-crisis-what-went-wrong-2/  

157 http://issuu.com/yomag/docs/yfj_qualityjobs_en_issuu_  

119 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
8. 

VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES 

Young people’s voluntary activities should be supported and better recognised for their 
value as an important form of non-formal learning. Another aim in this field of action is 
to  remove  obstacles  to  voluntary  activities  and to  promote  the  cross-border  mobility  of 
young people. 

8.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

The  2008  Council  recommendation  on  the  mobility  of  young  volunteers  across  the 
European Union 158 aims at promoting more cross-border volunteering opportunities for 
young  people  in  the  EU.  The  Commission’s  objective  is  to  successfully  implement  the 
recommendation whilst encouraging civil society organisations to actively contribute to 
these efforts. The establishment of an expert group on the mobility of young volunteers 
in 2009 and the European Year of Volunteering 2011 were further milestones. 

European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS),  as  part  of  the  Erasmus+  programme,159  provides 
young  people  aged  18  to  30  years  with  an  opportunity  to  express  their  personal 
commitment through full-time voluntary activities in a foreign country, within or outside 
the European Union. The standard duration of an EVS stint is between 2 and 12 months. 
The  EVS  scheme  aims  at  enhancing  young  people’s  employability  by  offering  a  true 
learning  experience  which  contributes  greatly  to  the  development  of  both  personal  and 
professional  skills  and  competencies.  Young  people’s  participation  in  EVS,  and  in 
voluntary activities in general, also promotes their engagement in society – in particular 
it strengthens their sense of solidarity – and offers them an opportunity to contribute to 
their community by providing valuable services. It also stimulates their sense of initiative 
and social entrepreneurship, and contributes to breaking down stereotypes and fostering a 
sense  of  tolerance  by  demonstrating  the  value  of  cultural  diversity.  Finally,  EVS  is  a 
useful  instrument  for  the  support  and  capacity-building  of  organisations  active  in  the 
fields of youth, civic education, solidarity and social services.  

A  database  of  EVS  accredited  organisations 160  is  available  via  the  European  Youth 
Portal. In December 2014, the database was re-launched with new features that make it 
easier  for  young  people  to  find  and  apply  for  international  volunteering  opportunities. 
Advertisements for volunteering placements with application deadlines, dates of activity, 
place  and  description  target  young  people  willing  to  gain  new  experience  through 
voluntary work. The database is designed to help organisations to attract volunteers for 
their  projects  by  allowing  them  to  create  appropriate  advertisements.  The  system  is 
flexible and easy to use.  

Between 2007 and 2013, over 48 000 young people participated in EVS under the Youth 
in  Action  programme.  Erasmus+  now  also  makes  it  possible  to  carry  out  large-scale 
projects  relevant  to  voluntary  activities.  In  October  2014,  a  call  for  proposals  was 

158 OJ C 319, 13.12.2008, p. 8-10. 

159 See also Chapter 12. 

160 http://europa.eu/youth/evs_database  

120 

 
 
 
                                                 
published under Key Action 3 161 with a view to boosting the effectiveness and efficiency 
of education and training systems and youth policies. One of the priority themes was to 
encourage the development and internationalisation of young people’s volunteering. 

YesEuropa – Young volunteers changing Europe 

This  12-month  project,  carried  out  by  Asociación  Building  Bridges  (Spain)  under  the 
Europe for Citizens programme, aims at raising awareness among young people, teachers 
and youth workers from rural areas and disadvantaged backgrounds about the benefits of 
participating  in  volunteering  programmes  in  order  to  become  active  citizens.  Giving 
young  people  a  greater  sense  of  tolerance  and  respect  is  seen  as  key  to  creating  future 
generations of committed European citizens. This project will inform them about how to 
become a volunteer based on the experience of voluntary organisations at European level 
and  foster  debates  about  European  civic  participation  policies  and  opportunities  for 
young people.  

Within the framework of the project, an international seminar bringing together European 
civic organisations and policy-makers will be organised to discuss the results of a survey 
on volunteering and civic engagement, and fostering online and offline debates with the 
participation of young European volunteers. 

http://yeseuropa.org/proyecto-yeseuropa-jovenes-voluntarios-cambiando-europa/  

Interest in volunteering and young people’s participation has continued to increase over 
the years. According to the Flash Eurobarometer survey published in April 2015,162 on 
average  25 %  of  young  people  in  the  EU  aged  between  15  and  30  were  involved  in 
organised  voluntary  activities.  However  the  situation  varies  across  Member  States.  In 
several  countries,  such  as  Denmark,  Germany,  Ireland,  the  Netherlands  and  the  United 
Kingdom, more than 30 % of young people actively participate in volunteering, while in 
others  (such  as  Bulgaria,  Greece,  Hungary,  Sweden,  Finland  or  Romania)  the  numbers 
remain below 20 %. A substantial proportion of the volunteers are involved in activities 
in  their  local  communities  (66 %).  In  general,  the  main  areas  of  voluntary  activitiy  are 
charity,  humanitarian  and  development  aid  (44 %)  and  education,  training  and  sport 
(40 %). It is worth noting that 93 % of the young people participating in the survey never 
had the opportunity to go abroad for the purpose of volunteering. 

New  opportunities  to  get  actively  involved  will  arise  from  the  launch  of  the  EU  Aid 
Volunteers  initiative 163  in  2015  which  will  bring  volunteers  and  organisations  from 
different countries together to work on humanitarian projects worldwide.  

161 A description of the different key actions under Erasmus+ can be found in Section 12.1. 

162 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_408_en.pdf 

163 http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en 

121 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Research  projects  supported  by  the  European  Union’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme 
and  Horizon  2020  contribute  to  better  understanding  of  social  innovation  processes, 
including  the  impact  of  voluntary  activities.  For  instance,  the  project  ‘Third  Sector 
Impact, Measuring impact, Enhancing visibility’ 164 is  a  comparative  European  research 
project addressing understanding of the third sector, its scope and scale, and impacts on 
the common welfare. 

8.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

8.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

Figure 18 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of voluntary activities 

29 

28 

26 

23 

20 

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

A – Promoting the recognition of skills acquired through voluntary activities 
B – Raising awareness amongst youth about the value of voluntary activities 
C – Supporting the protection of young volunteers and the quality of volunteering 
D – Engaging young people in the European Year of Volunteering 2011 
E – Promoting intergenerational solidarity through voluntary activities 

8.2.1.1.  Promoting the recognition of skills acquired through voluntary activities 

A  number  of  Member  States,  such  as  Croatia,  Malta,  Slovakia  and  Austria,  have 
implemented  or  prepare  tools  supporting  young  people  in  describing  and  recognising 
competences and skills acquired through voluntary activities. It is noticeable that several 
countries use web and IT solutions to operationalise these tools. Between 2012 and 2014 
Slovakia implemented a project with the support of the Leonardo da Vinci programme to 
raise awareness about competences obtained through volunteering, implemented with an 

164 http://thirdsectorimpact.eu  

122 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
online tool for recognition. Similarly, Austria created an online ‘WIK:I’ 165 which allows 
young  people  to  recognise  their  competences  with  the  support  of  youth  workers.  In 
October 2014 the Czech Republic introduced a vocational qualification for ‘Coordinator 
of Volunteers’, a certificate that is accepted across the country.  

8.2.1.2.  Raising awareness amongst youth about the value of voluntary activities 

A large majority of countries mention their measures adopted to raise awareness amongst 
young people about the value of voluntary activities as well as of the recognition of skills 
acquired through voluntary  activities.  Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, the  Netherlands 
and  Portugal  put  in  place  dedicated  websites  aimed  at  promoting  volunteering  and 
raising  awareness  of  its  value.  Denmark  set  up  ‘Project  Voluntary’,  a  partnership 
between  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  the  national  centre  for  voluntary  work.  The 
German Europeers 166 initiative is an example of using a network of young people who 
took part in transnational activities in order to promote its virtues amongst their peers.  

When describing their efforts in implementing transnational volunteering, most countries 
underline the importance of the EVS scheme. In addition, some Members States support 
youth volunteering through national schemes. 

Sweden – Volontärbyrån (Volunteer Office) 

Volontärbyrån (Volunteer Office) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 as part of 
another NGO called FORUM.  

Volontärbyrån  uses  its  website  to  share  information  about  volunteering  issues  and 
manages  a  free  matching  service  to  publicise  volunteering opportunities  throughout  the 
country  and  make  it  easy  for  volunteers  and  non-profit  organisations  in  Sweden  to 
connect with each other. 

The  organisation  also  provides  support  and  training  to  NGOs  about  volunteer 
coordination. 

http://www.volontarbyran.org/eng/  

8.2.1.3.  Supporting the protection of young volunteers and the quality of volunteering 

When  it  comes  to  supporting  the  protection  of  young  volunteers  and  the  quality  of 
volunteering, there are signs for an increased Europe-wide effort. Since 2010, 4 out of 5 
of the responding countries have implemented or plan to implement new measures in this 
regard.  Austria,  Croatia,  Denmark,  Finland  and  Slovakia  have  laws  for  volunteers 
addressing  their  well-being  and  safety.  As  for  the  quality  of  volunteering,  good  results 

165 WIK:I – Was ich kann durch informelles Lernen, http://www.bmfj.gv.at/jugend/jugend-aktiv/wiki.html.  

166 https://www.europeers.de/  

123 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
were  displayed  through  EVS  and  its  accreditation  scheme  for  organisations  wishing  to 
run EU-funded volunteering projects. Similar certification or accreditation measures are 
in place on a national level in Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Denmark. 

8.2.1.4.  Engaging young people in the European Year of Volunteering 2011 

Overall,  the  activity  level  with  regard  to  the  European  Year  of  Volunteering  2011 
promoting citizenship was strong across the board. Some initiatives taken in the context 
of the Year led to meetings and activities which are still ongoing. In Greece, one of the 
follow-up  measures  consisted  of  the  use  of  a  national  educational  documentary  called 
‘Act  Positively’.  It  aims  to  stimulate  and  initiate  dialogue  on  volunteering  in  the 
classroom. 

8.2.1.5.  Promoting intergenerational solidarity through voluntary activities 

As to intergenerational solidarity initiatives, the Czech Republic informs about its 2013-
2017  national  action  plan  supporting  positive  ageing,  in  which  both  intergenerational 
relationships and volunteering are covered. In 2012 Slovenia released a report containing 
an analysis of and recommendations on intergenerational solidarity in the community.  

8.2.2. 

Implementation  of  the  Council  recommendation  of  30  November  2008  on  the 
mobility of young volunteers 

For  the  implementation  of  the  Council  recommendation  on  enhancing  the  mobility  of 
young volunteers across the European Union,167 the Youth in Action programme (2007-
2013) and the Erasmus+ programme are highlighted by most countries. Several Member 
States  also  inform  about  national  funding  available  for  promoting  and  enabling 
volunteering for young people.  

Italy,  Germany,  France  and  Luxembourg  have  national  schemes  for  youth 
volunteering,  such  as  the  Voluntary  Service  Cooperation  in  Luxembourg  for  young 
people between 18 and 30 wishing to volunteer between 3 and 12 months. Young people 
from  Germany  as  well  as  from  other  countries  may  take  part  in  voluntary  work  in 
Germany through a Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr (Voluntary Social Year). In Belgium, the 
Bel’J  programme  offers  young  Belgians  the  opportunity  to  take  part  in  volunteering  in 
one  of  the  other  Communities  in  Belgium.  The  Irish  Aid  Volunteering  Initiative  was 
launched in 2013 and aims to strengthen support for volunteering across all age groups 
(see box).  

Croatia, Ireland, Finland, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom provide 
support  to  non-governmental  organisations  in  the  context  of  volunteering  in  the  youth 
field.  As  an  example,  the  United  Kingdom  has  a  grant  fund  that  helps  26  volunteering 
programmes  provide  crucial  support  for  young  people  in  vulnerable  circumstances, 
including young offenders, care leavers and NEETs.  

167 Although the recommendation was agreed before the EU Youth Strategy, it is included in this report 
because its commitments are explicitly recalled in the text of the 2009 Council resolution and because it 
encourages Member States to set up transnational volunteering schemes. 

124 

 
 
 
                                                 
Following  the  Council  recommendation  and  in  order  to  increase  capacities  of 
organisations ready to receive volunteers, Austria established a working group. Spain’s 
National Strategy for Volunteering (2010-2014) aims to strengthen participation of non-
profit actors in international networks. Furthermore, Slovenia explored the relevance of 
volunteering, through notably EVS, for the employability of young people. 

The  Council  recommendation  puts  a  strong  emphasis  on  the  sharing  of  information  on 
volunteering – such as existing opportunities, information and training for youth workers, 
organisations and other actors as well as awareness of rights and responsibilities. Many 
countries are involved in such informational activities. In addition to using the networks 
available under Erasmus+ (such as Eurodesk), a notable example are  Slovakia’s yearly 
meetings in local areas to motivate young people to get involved in volunteering. 

Ireland – Irish Aid Volunteering Initiative 

The  Irish  Aid  Volunteering  Initiative  aims  to  modernise  Irish  Aid’s  support  to 
volunteering, enabling experienced professionals to have an opportunity to contribute to 
development.  Irish  Aid,  who  is  managed  by  the  Ministry  for  Foreign  Affairs,  works 
closely  with  NGOs  such  as  the  Irish  Association  of  Development  Workers  and 
Volunteers (Comhlámh) on the Irish Aid Volunteering Initiative. This initiative targets all 
age groups but is particularly relevant to young people (69 % of international volunteers 
in 2013 were below 30). 

Irish Aid has been a long standing partner of the UN Volunteers programme (UNV). Irish 
Aid  also  hosts  an  annual  Volunteering  Fair  to  showcase  to  potential  volunteers  the 
diversity  and  availability  of  short  and  long  term  volunteering  placements  overseas. 
Important initiatives funded by Irish Aid include the development by  Comhlámh of the 
Code of Good Practice for Volunteer Sending Organisations; the provision of enhanced 
information on volunteering across a range of social media including Twitter, Facebook, 
and  LinkedIn,  which  can  be  utilised  though  the  #Volops  Hashtag;  and  profiling  the 
experience  and  contribution  that  volunteers  make  to  international  development,  leading 
to increased awareness and interest in volunteering. 

https://www.irishaid.ie/get-involved/volunteering/   

125 

 
 
 
 
 
 
8.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The  European  Youth  Forum  (YFJ)  has  developed  a  European  Charter  on  the  Rights 
and  Responsibilities  of  Volunteers,168  which  aims  at  informing  decision-makers, 
volunteer providers, organisations and volunteers themselves about adequate conditions 
for volunteers. This  includes the protection of their rights and support  by the volunteer 
provider. A volunteer’s status can differ widely between the EU Member States. Thus the 
forum’s  contribution  is  valuable  as  a  common  guideline  to  ensure  a  certain  level  of 
protection.  

As far as  international mobility of young people is concerned,  the YFJ has  for many 
years been calling for reduction of obstacles to the entry of young people from non-EU 
countries into the EU. Commenting on the Council Position on a proposal 169 for a new 
Directive  on  the  conditions  of  entry  and  residence  of  third-country  nationals  for  the 
purposes of research, studies, pupil exchange, remunerated and unremunerated training, 
voluntary  service  and  au  pairing,  the  YFJ  and  several  of  its  member  organisations 
published a joint reaction 170 stating that the proposals clearly fall short of what is needed 
to enhance the international mobility of young people. 

168 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/04/volunteering-charter-en.pdf  

169 COM(2013) 151 final of 25.3.2013. 

170 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2015/01/Reaction-to-Council-Position-on-Visa-Directive.pdf  

126 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
9. 

YOUTH AND THE WORLD 

This  field  of  action  aims  at  young  people’s  participation  in  and  contribution  to  global 
processes  of  policy-making.  It  concerns  issues  such  as  climate  change,  the  UN 
Millennium Development Goals and human rights. 

9.1. 

EU initiatives and action 

The EU instruments for pursuing the above objectives entail both policy cooperation and 
financial support through different EU programmes, mainly Erasmus+. So-called Youth 
Windows to Erasmus+ provide additional funds and measures to strengthen cooperation 
with specific neighbouring regions. 

While  this  section  deals  mostly  with  youth  cooperation  with  partner  countries,  such  as 
China  and  Africa,  Chapter  12  goes  into  detail  about  Erasmus+  and  its  predecessor 
programme  Youth  in  Action  and  their  support  to  the  ‘Youth  and  the  world’  field  of 
action, especially as regards cooperation with partner countries neighbouring the EU. 

The Eastern Partnership made significant progress in 2014. New Association Agreements 
were  signed  with  Georgia,  Moldova  and  Ukraine.  Both  the  Lithuanian  and  the  Latvian 
Presidency of the Council of the EU put a focus on strengthening youth cooperation with 
Eastern Partnership countries. In 2013 and 2015,  Eastern Partnership Youth Forums 
were organised through cooperation between the Presidencies, the Commission and other 
stakeholders. The participants’ recommendations from these forums were brought to the 
attention of the Eastern Partnership Summits. 

To  support  capacity-development  of  governments  and  civil  society  stakeholders  in  the 
youth sector in cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries, the Commission has set 
up an Eastern Partnership Youth Regional Unit (EPYRU) in Kiev. EPYRU also aims to 
foster youth research and to  implement visibility and dissemination activities related to 
youth in the Eastern Partnership. EPYRU activities in 2014 included the organisation of a 
forum  on  student  self-government,  a  training  course  for  youth  workers  and  state  civil 
servants, and the development of an e-learning platform. 

The EU-China High Level People-to-People Dialogue 171 (HPPD), launched in 2012, is 
part  of  the  EU-China  2020  Strategic  Agenda  for  Cooperation,  which  covers  various 
policy fields. It provides a platform for cooperation between China and the EU in many 
areas, including youth, education and culture. The youth dimension of the HPPD builds 
on  the  2011  EU-China  Year  of  Youth,  during  which  seven  flagship  events  were 
organised. These involved the Commission, Member States and a large number of youth 
organisations,  including  the  All-China  Youth  Federation  (ACYF)  and  the  European 
Youth Forum (YFJ). The 2011 EU-China Year of Youth supported cooperation between 
more than 200 youth organisations from China and Europe. 

Two HPPD meetings have been organised so far, one in Brussels (April 2012) and one in 
Beijing (September 2014). They resulted in the adoption of joint declarations and follow-
up  action  plans.  The  current  action  plan  provides  for  EU-China  policy  dialogue  and 

171 http://ec.europa.eu/education/international-cooperation/china_en.htm  

127 

 
 
 
                                                 
expert seminars on issues relevant to youth – to be organised by the Commission and the 
ACYF  –  as  well  as  joint  projects  in  the  framework  of  the  Erasmus+  and  the  Chinese 
Youth  Partnership  for  Friendship  programmes.  It  is  also  geared  to  strengthening  web-
based  cooperation  between  the  Chinese  and  EU  youth  portals.  An  extraordinary  HPPD 
meeting is scheduled for September 2015 with a view to celebrating the 40th anniversary 
of EU-China diplomatic relations. 

Cooperation  between  the  EU  and  Africa  in  the  youth  field  is  conducted  via  meetings, 
such as Africa-Europe Youth Leaders’ summits (the third of these took place in April 
2014  immediately  before  the  fourth  EU-Africa  summit)  or  Africa-Europe  Youth 
Platform meetings (the third one was held in January 2015). These activities are part of 
the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership which aims at jointly addressing common challenges 
such as climate change, protection of the environment, ensuring peace and security, good 
governance, effective participation in society and human rights. 

The  European  Union’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  research  and  technological 
development  financed  two  research  projects  related  to  young  people  in  the  South  and 
East  Mediterranean  countries:  SAHWA  –  Researching  Arab  Mediterranean  Youth: 
Towards  a  New  Social  Contract 172  and  POWER2YOUTH  –  Freedom,  dignity  and 
justice:  a  comprehensive  approach  to  the  understanding  of  youth  exclusion  and  the 
prospects for youth-led change in the South and East Mediterranean.173 

The  European  Year  for  Development 174  (EYD2015)  is  a  major  EU-led  initiative 
dedicated  to  raising  awareness,  engaging  Europeans  in  the  EU’s  development 
cooperation  and  encouraging  a  debate  on  ‘our  world,  our  dignity,  our  future’.  The 
EYD2015 aims to highlight the Union’s strong commitment to international development 
cooperation  in  line  with  the  adoption  of  the  post-2015  development  agenda  by  the  UN 
General Assembly,175 as well as the new international climate agreement. The EYD2015 
places  a  strong  focus  on  young  people  and  their  role  in  contributing  to  eradicating 
poverty worldwide, with a specific thematic month dedicated to Children and Youth in 
July. 

The  Commission  also  puts  a  special  focus  on  youth  aspects  within  EU  development 
cooperation,  especially  with  regard  to  education,  social  inclusion  and  combating 
poverty.  The  report  on  ‘Youth  and  the  post-2015  development  framework:  challenges 
and opportunities’ 176 highlights current key challenges and opportunities with regard to 
youth employment and youth inclusion in development processes. 

172 http://sahwa.eu/  

173 http://www.power2youth.eu/  

174 https://europa.eu/eyd2015/en  

175 The UN Millennium Development Goals were established in 2000 and include eight anti-poverty targets 
to be accomplished by 2015. 2015 is also the year in which the international community will agree on the 
future global framework for poverty eradication and sustainable development. 

176 https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/erd-report-youth-post-2015-2013_en.pdf  

128 

 
 
 
                                                 
In  October  2014  the  Commission  launched  a  four-year  project  on  youth  inclusion 177  – 
co-financed  under 
the  EU’s  Development  Cooperation  Instrument  (DCI)  and 
implemented  by  the  OECD  Development  Centre  –  to  support  10  selected  countries 
(Cambodia,  Côte  d’Ivoire,  El  Salvador,  Ethiopia,  Jordan,  Moldova,  Peru,  South  Africa, 
Togo  and  Vietnam)  to  better  respond  to  the  needs  and  aspirations  of  young  people 
through  evidence-based  policies  and  strengthen 
in  national 
development  processes.  This  project  will  address  the  main  challenges  youth  is  facing, 
and  analyse  the  indicators  to  measure  youth  well-being  deficits.  A  global  methodology 
will be developed to assist countries in implementing and strengthening youth inclusion 
strategies. 

involvement 

their 

The  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative 178  was  launched  in  2015.  It  aims  to  connect 
volunteers and organisations from different countries so that they can work together on 
humanitarian  projects.  Trained  volunteers  are  being  deployed  to  address  needs-based 
humanitarian  aid  and  to  support  youth  capacity-building.  The  Sendai  Framework  for 
Disaster  Risk  Reduction  2015-2030,179  adopted  at  the  Third  UN  World  Conference  in 
Sendai,  Japan,  focuses  as  well  on  volunteering  and  involvement  of  young  people, 
recommending to the governments to engage with relevant stakeholders, including youth 
and volunteers. 

177 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sectors/human-development/social-inclusion_en  

178 http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en  

179 http://www.unisdr.org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework  

129 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
9.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

9.2.1. 

Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

Figure 19 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of 'Youth and the world' 

27 

25 

25 

22 

22 

20 

17 

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

A – Raising awareness of young people about global issues 
B – Providing opportunities to exchange views with policy-makers on global issues 
C – Promoting the organisation of trainings, exchanges and meetings for young people from 
different regions of the world 
D – Promoting entrepreneurship, employment and volunteering amongst young people with 
regions outside of Europe 
E – Promoting youth participation in development cooperation 
F – Promoting youth participation in green volunteering and green patterns of consumption 
G – Promoting cooperation with and exchanges between those active in youth work on 
different continents 

9.2.1.1.  Raising awareness of young people about global issues 

Almost all Member States included the aims of the ‘Youth and the world’ field of action 
in  their  national  youth  strategy  or  development  education  strategy,  and/or  implemented 
programmes for that purpose. 

The  Czech  youth  strategy  aims  at  making  children  and  young  people  familiar  with  the 
principles  of  sustainable  development  and  at  developing  environmental  literacy. 
Slovakia’s  youth  strategy  focuses  on  young  people’s  and  youth  workers’  international 
mobility,  on  the  development  of  quality  youth  work  and  on  increasing  awareness  of 
interdependence between local actions and global impacts. 

The  Irish  Aid  Development  Education  Strategy  (2007-2015)  was  put  in  place  to 
strengthen coherence between education, citizenship and development policies in Ireland, 
to  ensure  high  quality  development  education  and  the  implementation  of  initiatives 

130 

 
 
 
 
 
raising public awareness and understanding for development issues. It also supports the 
exchange of good practice at European and international levels. Ireland’s national youth 
council’s  development  education  programme  has  a  number  of  strands  such  as  youth 
workers’ training on development and justice issues or the organisation of the One World 
Week  –  a  week  of  youth-led  awareness-raising,  education  and  action  that  takes  place 
throughout Ireland each year. In the  Netherlands, youth representatives of the national 
youth  council  hold  discussions  with  thousands  of  young  people  about  sustainable 
development  and  provide  input  for  the  UN  and  climate  conferences.  This  is  done  in 
cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries.  

Germany implements programmes which foster networking among volunteers who were 
involved  in  development  projects  and  use  the  volunteers’  competences  for  educational 
purposes of children, young people and adults in formal and non-formal education. The 
programme Bildung trifft Entwicklung (Education Meets Development), for example, is 
expected  to  contribute  to  the  organisation  of  about  3 000  educational  events  mainly  in 
schools, which should reach about 75 000 young people. 

Several countries made global issues or development education part of school curricula. 
With  its  2009  curriculum  reform,  the  Polish  Ministry  of  Education  strenghthened 
education  on  global  issues  within  formal  education  at  primary  and  secondary  school 
levels.  In  addition,  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  supports  local  governments  and 
education  institutions  committed  to  raising  development  cooperation  issues  in  public 
debates. In line with  Finland’s development policy programme (2012), the Ministry of 
Foreign  Affairs  cooperates  with  educational  authorities  to  ensure  that  global  education 
has a solid foothold in general education. According to the new core curriculum, which 
should  be  in  place  in  2016,  interactive  methods  should  be  used,  promoting  sustainable 
development in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals. 

Czech Republic – ARPOK 

The  organisation  ARPOK,  founded  in  2004,  provides  Global  Development  Education, 
raising awareness about development among children, young people, pupils and teachers, 
both in a formal and non-formal context. Its mission is to contribute to the development 
of  civil  society  in  the  Czech  Republic  and  abroad.  The  organisation  offers  educational 
programmes,  discussions  about  developing  countries,  thematic  days,  methodical 
materials, exhibitions, consultations concerning the implementation of global topics into 
the school curriculum, courses for teachers. ARPOK works both with pupils (interactive 
workshops, project/thematic day) and with teachers and youth workers (methodological 
seminars, handbooks, consultation centre, and library). 

http://arpok.cz/home/  

Cooperation  among  stakeholders  tends  to  involve  the  Ministries  responsible  for 
education  and  for  foreign  affairs,  the  bodies  related  to  them  and  civil  society 
organisations, which in several cases create networks to achieve synergy. In Denmark, a 
network  of  high  schools  –  Global  High  Schools  –  was  set  up  to  empower  students  to 

131 

 
 
 
 
become active learners with a global horizon. And in Slovenia, ‘Plan B’ is a network of 
NGOs and experts which form a broad civil society platform. 

9.2.1.2.  Providing opportunities to exchange views with policy-makers on global issues 

Most of the Member States actively promote young people’s participation in international 
cooperation  and  fora.  In  Sweden,  since  more  than  15  years  a  youth  representative 
participates in the Swedish Delegation to the UN General Assembly. The National Youth 
Council  of  Swedish  Youth  Organisations  (LSU)  has  a  representative  in  the  Swedish 
National Commission for UNESCO and the Nordic Committee for Children and Young 
People.  Sweden  also  highlights  that  the  Structured  Dialogue  provides  youth  delegates 
with important knowledge and experience of international cooperation and an expanded 
network.  Similarly,  Denmark  has  one  representative  of  the  Danish  Student  Union  as  a 
permanent  member  in  the  Danish  National  Commission  for  UNESCO.  The  Flemish 
youth  council  (Belgium)  sends  youth  representatives  to  several  international  fora  (EU, 
UN, Council of Europe, UNESCO). Austria also offers young people the possibility to 
be  part  of  the  Austrian  Commission  for  UNESCO.  Romania’s  youth  delegates 
participate  in  two  intergovernmental  conferences:  the  UN  General  Assembly  and  the 
Commission for Social Development. 

In Germany, the permanent school competition Alle für Eine Welt – Eine Welt für Alle 
(All  for  One  World  –  One  World  for  All)  which  is  organised  on  behalf  of  the  Federal 
President, invites teachers to integrate topics related to global learning in their lessons. In 
Finland,  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Culture 
provide  support  to  NGOs  and  other  national-level  stakeholders  in  order  to  facilitate 
exchange  of  views  on  global  issues.  Programmes  like  Lithuania’s  Democracy 
Promotion  and  Development  Cooperation  programme  and  conferences  like  the 
European-North  American  Conference  on  Youth  Participation  (organised  by  the 
Austrian Commission for UNESCO) are used to foster exchange between young people 
and policy-makers on issues of global relevance. 

9.2.1.3.  Promoting  the  organisation  of  trainings,  exchanges  and  meetings  for  young 

people from different regions of the world 

Many Member States mention Erasmus+ and its predecessor programme Youth in Action 
as  well  as  the  Structured  Dialogue  with  young  people  and  youth  organisations  as 
examples  of  measures  which  foster  the  exchange  and  training  of  young  people  at 
international level. 

Youth  councils  such  as  the  Danish  DUF  (Dansk  Ungdoms  Fællesråd)  or  the  Spanish 
youth  system  –  which  consists  of  the  youth  institute  INJUVE,  youth  bodies  of  the 
Autonomous Communities, youth counsellorships of city halls, youth organisations  and 
youth councils – support democratic processes in an international youth context. 

The  Euromed  Youth  Platform,  which  is  based  in  Malta,  brings  young  people  from  the 
European and Mediterranean regions together in an environment of tolerance and mutual 
understanding and promotes capacity-building. Its ‘Search 4 Partners’ engine facilitates 
the  creation  of  networks  with  similar  objectives.  Slovenia  has  developed  a  national 
strategy for the internationalisation of higher education, which defines priority areas and 

132 

 
 
 
ensures the funding of international mobility from the national budget. Lithuania has put 
in place a bachelor study programme ‘International Politics and Development Studies’ in 
English for students from Georgia and Ukraine. 

In the Czech Republic, the main task of the Czech Development Agency – established 
by  the  Czech  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  –  is  to  implement  projects in  priority  partner 
countries, to award  grants  to  NGOs and to  provide training for Czech staff involved in 
development  assistance.  In  Germany,  the  ASA  programme  offers  practical  training  in 
Africa, Asia, Latin America and South East Europe. ASA fosters competence in global 
learning,  quality  youth  work  and  networking  of  young  people  who  are  interested  in 
and/or  were  involved  in  development  work.  The  Netherlands  has  put  in  place  a 
citizenship  and  development  programme.  It  aims  at  young  people’s  promotion  of  and 
involvement  in  international  cooperation,  at  opening  the  field  of  development 
cooperation to  newcomers  and  bringing  together  stakeholders  from  various  fields,  such 
as youth and migrant organisations and business. 

Netherlands – Samen (Together) 

The  Dutch  organisation  Samen  (Together)  brings  together  young  Dutch  people  with 
disadvantaged peers from Africa, Asia and Latin America. They live and work with street 
children  and  encourage  young  people  to  promote  active  citizenship  in  an  international 
context. 

Samen is part of the worldwide Don Bosco organisation. 

http://www.samen.org/  

9.2.1.4.  Promoting  youth  participation  in  green  volunteering  and  green  patterns  of 

consumption 

Three  quarters  of  the Member  States  made  environmental  and  sustainable  development 
education  and  participation  part  of  their  national  youth  strategy  or  developed  specific 
strategies with this aim. 

The  Finnish  National  Commission  on  Sustainable  Development  and  the  Ministry  of 
Education  and  Culture  developed  a  national  strategy  of  education  for  sustainable 
development.  Sustainable  development  is  also  incorporated  as  a  cross-cutting  theme  in 
the  national  core  curricula  of  general  and  vocational  education.  After  2010,  the 
environmental  criteria  and  certification  system  was  updated  to  cover  also  economic, 
social  and  cultural  aspects  of  sustainability.  Environmental/sustainable  development 
certificates are awarded to educational establishments. 

Several  countries  (Belgium,  Cyprus,  Iceland,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  Spain) 
support youth organisations or have set up programmes or projects which promote youth 
participation  in  green  volunteering.  Sweden  established  a  website  to  promote 
sustainable/green consumption amongst young people. 

133 

 
 
 
 
9.2.1.5.  Promoting  entrepreneurship,  employment  and  volunteering  amongst  young 

people with regions outside of Europe 

Two  thirds  of  the  Member  States  mention  activities  promoting  entrepreneurship, 
employment and volunteering amongst young people with regions outside of Europe. In 
Finland,  the  ETVO  volunteer  programme  channels  volunteers  to  civil  society 
organisations  in  Africa,  Asia  and  Latin  America.  The  Finnish  Centre  for  International 
Mobility  CIMO  is  responsible  for  a  North-South-South  programme,  which,  based  on 
networks  between  institutions  of  higher  education  in  Finland  and  southern  partners, 
focuses on student and teacher exchanges. 

In  Lithuania,  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  implements  development  cooperation 
projects  jointly  with  other  governmental  and  non-governmental  institutions  from 
Lithuania and partner countries. Cyprus initiated strategic political cooperation between 
Cyprus,  Egypt  and  Israel  and  other  countries  to  strengthen  civil  society  and  promote 
voluntary  service  in  these  countries.  In  Germany,  the  City  of  Bremen  published 
guidelines for the involvement of young people in development policy and cooperation. 

9.2.1.6.  Promoting cooperation with and exchanges between those active in youth work 

on different continents 

Germany  has  a  funding  programme  for  international  youth  work  in  place  for  bilateral 
and  multilateral  youth  exchange  and  international  mobility  of  youth  workers.  The 
country  runs  a  pilot  project  Jugendarbeit  international  –  Vielfalt  erleben  (JiVE) 
(International Youth Work – Experience Diversity), which, as part of the implementation 
of  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  in  Germany,  aims  e.g.  at  fostering  international  youth  work, 
increased  participation  of  young  people,  intercultural  learning,  equal  opportunities  – 
especially  also  for  young  people  with  a  migrant  background  –  and  at  enhanced 
qualification of youth workers. 

The  youth  chapter  of  bilateral  intergovernmental  agreements  concluded  by  the  Czech 
Republic  enables  youth  workers,  youth  leaders  and  young  people  to  join  international 
activities  including  exchanges.  In  addition,  the  Czech  Republic  concluded  bilateral 
sectoral agreements in the field of youth with the same aim. 

9.2.1.7.  Promoting youth participation in development cooperation 

In  some  Member  States,  measures  promoting  youth  participation  in  development 
cooperation  are  based  on  national  strategies  and  implemented  through  programmes 
which support civil society organisations or cooperation with international organisations. 

The  Swedish  Government  provides  financial  support  to  Swedish  civil  society 
organisations  which  foster  voluntary  activities  in  developing  countries  through  the 
Swedish  International  Development  Agency.  The  agency  also  supports  Minor  Fields 
studies,  a  scholarship  programme  targeting  students  at  college  or  university  level.  In 
Finland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture support NGOs who 
promote development cooperation, for example, by involving young people and students 
in development work. Each year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs funds about 100 experts 
taking  up  international  assignments  via  the  UN  Junior  Professional  Officers  (JPO)  and 

134 

 
 
 
the  UN  Volunteers  programme  (UNV).  The  recruitment  for  the  JPO  programme  is 
coordinated  by  the  Centre  for  International  Mobility  CIMO.  In  Lithuania,  the 
Democracy  Promotion  and  Development  Cooperation  programme  (Ministry  of  Foreign 
in 
Affairs)  finances  development  cooperation  projects  which  are 
cooperation with other governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lithuania and 
partner countries. 

implemented 

9.2.2. 

Implementation of subsequent Council agreements  

9.2.2.1.  Cooperating on the international policy agenda on children, youth and children’s 

rights 

Two  thirds  of  the  Member  States  took  steps  to  cooperate  and  take  an  active  role  in 
international  meetings  dealing  with  children’s  rights.  Member  States  participate  in 
international  fora  regarding  children’s  rights,  e.g.  at  the  level  of  the  UN,  the  European 
Union or the Council of Europe. 

In Finland, the Ombudsman for Children has the main responsibility for European and 
international policy agendas on children, youth and children’s rights. In Denmark, there 
is  a  Children’s  division  at  the  Danish  Parliamentary  Ombudsman’s  office.  In  Iceland, 
actions  are  coordinated  between  the  Ministry  of  Education,  Science  and  Culture,  the 
Ministry of Welfare and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. 

Austria,  Germany  and  Switzerland  initiated  a  campaign  ‘Don’t  look  away’  aiming  to 
protect  children  against  sexual  exploitation  in  tourism.  Turkey  implements  technical 
assistance  measures  to  fight  violence  against  children  and  to  prevent  the  abuse  of 
children. In 2014 Belgian authorities, in cooperation with the Children’s Rights Division 
of the Council of Europe, organised a European conference focused on the child’s best 
interest.  The  event  commemorated  at  the  same  time  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  UN 
Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

9.3. 

Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The European Youth Forum’s work in recent years in relation to ‘Youth and the world’ 
has  focused  on  strengthening  interregional  and  global  youth  dialogue  and  cooperation, 
giving  youth  organisations  and  young  people  a  greater  say  in  global  processes,  and 
seeking  out  synergies  between  European  youth  organisations  and  their  counterparts  in 
other parts of the world.  

The  European  Youth  Forum  (YFJ)  was  involved  in  action  in  the  field  of  sustainable 
development,  including  cooperation  with  youth  organisations  and  young  people  from 
other  regions  of  the  world,  through  participation  at  the  Rio+20  United  Nations 
Conference  on  Sustainable  Development  (June  2012)  and  in  the  sessions  of  the  Open 
Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals throughout 2013 and 2014. The YFJ 
produced  a  Board  position  paper 180  on  the  subject  of  the  post-2015  sustainable 
development agenda and involved European youth organisations in this work through the 

180 http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/09/0061-14-Board-Position-Paper-Post2015-FINAL-0.pdf  

135 

 
 
 
                                                 
into  2015 

through  participation 

creation of a task force of European Youth Forum member organisations. This work has 
continued 
intergovernmental 
negotiations.  Cooperation  with  youth  organisations  and  young  people  in  other  parts  of 
the  world  takes  place  through  the  International  Coordination  Meeting  of  Youth 
Organizations 181  (ICMYO)  and  the  UN  Major  Group  for  Children  and  Youth 182 
(MGCY), of which the YFJ became and organising partner in 2014. 

the  post-2015 

in 

The  YFJ  was  also  involved  in  strengthening  global  youth  dialogue  and  cooperation 
through the World Conference on Youth 183 held in Sri Lanka in May 2014. The forum 
was  a  member  of  the  International  Youth  Task  Force  preparing  this  event,  which 
attracted  1 500  participants,  including  representatives  of  governments,  youth-led 
organisations and other partners. The outcome document of the conference, the Colombo 
Declaration,  explores  ways  and  means  of  mainstreaming  youth  in  the  post-2015 
development agenda and was developed jointly by young people and governments. YFJ 
member organisations participated actively in the conference, together with partner youth 
organisations from other parts of the world. 

Between  2012  and  2015,  the  European  Youth  Forum  and  its  member  organisations 
engaged in several interregional processes with youth organisations and institutions, 
focusing on Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab and Mediterranean region 
and China. Africa-Europe Youth Cooperation came to the fore in 2014 through the third 
Africa-Europe  Youth  Leaders’  summit.  More  than  100  representatives  of  African  and 
European  youth  organisations  called  for  a  youth  mechanism  in  the  EU-Africa 
partnership,  although  Heads  of  State  and  Government,  at  the  subsequent  EU-Africa 
summit, did not advocate this so strongly in their final communiqué.  

The  YFJ  was  also  involved  in  the  Network  of  Universities  on  Youth  and  Global 
Citizenship 184  in  the  period  2012-2015,  including  through  the  African  University  on 
Youth and Development, the Mediterranean University and the University on Youth and 
Development in Mollina, Spain, where the forum was a core partner of the 13th, 14th and 
15th editions. 

181 http://icmyo.org/  

182 http://childrenyouth.org/  

183 http://www.wcy2014.com/  

184 http://uyd.me/about  

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10. 

CREATIVITY AND CULTURE 

In  this  field  of  action,  young  people’s  creativity  and  capacity  for  innovation  should  be 
supported  through  better  quality  access  to  and  participation  in  culture  and  cultural 
expressions  from  an  early  age,  thereby  promoting  personal  development,  enhanced 
learning  capabilities,  intercultural  skills,  understanding  of  and  respect  for  cultural 
diversity, and the development of new and flexible skills for future job opportunities. 

10.1.  EU initiatives and action 
Building on a 2010 study on access of young people to culture,185 the topic was taken up 
by  the  Belgian  Presidency  of  the  Council  of  the  EU  (Council  conclusions  of  19 
November  2010 186)  and  further  addressed  in  Council  conclusions  on  fostering  the 
creative and innovative potential of young people (May 2012). On that basis, a thematic 
expert  group  was  set  up  in  order  to  share  best  practice  on  how  to  promote  the 
creativity and innovative capacity of young people by identifying competences and 
skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning relevant to employability. 
The expert group’s final report 187 was published in 2014. The 2012 Council conclusions 
also called on Member States to make best use of the Youth in Action programme and 
other  existing  and  future  EU  programmes  and  funds,  including  the  European  Social 
Fund. 

Apart from the youth sector as such, the European agenda for culture in a globalising 
world 188 promotes access to culture. This includes the role art plays in young people’s 
lives,  as  nicely  expressed  by  Yehudi  Menuhin  who  is  quoted  in  the  Commission 
communication: ‘It is art that can structure the personalities of young people with a view 
to open their minds, to instil the respect of others and the desire of peace.’ 

From 2013 to 2015 the Commission implemented a pilot project and a preparatory action 
on the theme of  New Narrative for Europe.189 This  initiative will be pursued in  2016 
and is meant to connect people living in Europe to the European integration project via 
the arts and sciences. Its main purpose is to expand and engage more voices in the public 
debate on Europe by fostering a dialogue and mutual understanding among people, youth 
in particular, as well as building on culture as a key component of our shared European 
identity. A number of events and debates with young people have already been held in 
the Member States, producing positive feedback. At the same time this methodology can 
be used to test how this initiative could have a longer-lasting impact as demanded by the 
European Parliament. 

185 http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/access-of-young-people-to-culture-pbNC0113224/  

186 All Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) are listed in Annex 2. 

187 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/library/reports/creative-potential_en.pdf  

188 COM(2007) 242 final of 10.5.2007. 

189 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/new-narrative/index_en.htm 

137 

 
 
 
                                                 
The second Work Plan for Culture 2011-2014 190 set up working groups composed of 
experts nominated by the Member States to work on the identified priority areas. These 
include cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and accessible and inclusive culture, and 
skills  and  mobility.  According  to  the  work  plan,  intercultural  competences  and 
intercultural  dialogue  should  be  promoted  and  strengthened in  particular  by  developing 
‘cultural awareness and expression’, ‘social and civic competences’ and ‘communication 
in  foreign  languages’,  which  are  among  the  key  components  of  lifelong  learning 
identified by the European Parliament and the Council in 2006.191 The working group’s 
final report on ‘cultural awareness and expression’ will be available in December 2015. It 
will  include  good  practice  examples  of  how  to  develop  this  key  competence  from 
childhood  to  all  stages  of  life.  Results  of  other  working  groups’  activities  are  already 
available,  such  as  the  ones  on  better  access  to  culture  (2012) 192  and  on  creative 
partnerships between cultural institutions and other sectors (2014).193 

As far as EU financial support is concerned, the Creative Europe programme 2014-2020 
aims  to  build  on  the  success  of  the  previous  MEDIA,  MEDIA  Mundus  and  Culture 
programmes (see box). 

Many  projects  supported  by  Creative  Europe  focus  on  emerging  artists,  in  most  cases 
young people, as well as start-ups and micro-businesses in the digital domain run almost 
by definition by young people. As education is one of the programme’s priorities, several 
projects bring together cultural operators, schools and universities, as well as non-formal 
youth  structures.  The  phenomenon  of  radicalisation  has  put  new  emphasis  on  projects 
focusing  on  intercultural  dialogue  and  respect  for  other  forms  of  cultural  and  religious 
expression. 

The  Creative  Europe  programme  also  supports  specific  prizes.  The  European  Border 
Breakers  Award  is  a  European  prize  for  rock  and  pop  music  for  groups  and  singers 
having a first success abroad. All winners so far have been young talented people, many 
of whom have enjoyed successful careers after winning the prize. The European Union 
Prize for Literature awards emerging writers, in most cases also young and promising 
talents. And the European Union Prize for Architecture celebrates every two years a 
young emerging architect alongside the main award winners. 

190 OJ C 325, 2.12.2010, p. 1-9. 

191 Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on 
key competences for lifelong learning, OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10-18. 

192 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/omc-report-access-to-culture_en.pdf  

193 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/creative-partnerships_en.pdf  

138 

 
 
 
                                                 
Creative Europe 

Creative  Europe  is  the  EU  framework  programme  for  support  to  the  culture  and 
audiovisual  sectors.  Following  on  from  the  previous  Culture  Programme  and  MEDIA 
programme,  Creative  Europe,  with  a  budget  of  € 1.46  billion  (9 %  higher  than  its 
predecessors), will support: 

  culture sector initiatives, such as those promoting cross-border cooperation, 

platforms, networking, and literary translation;  

  audiovisual sector initiatives, such as those promoting the development, 

distribution, or access to audiovisual works;  

  a cross-sectoral strand, including a Guarantee Facility and transnational policy 

cooperation. 

The programme consists of two sub-programmes; the Culture sub-programme to promote 
the culture sector, and the MEDIA sub-programme to support the audiovisual sector. 

Creative Europe’s stated aims are to: 

  help the cultural and creative sectors seize the opportunities of the digital age 

and globalisation; 

  enable the sectors to reach their economic potential, contributing to sustainable 

growth, jobs, and social cohesion; 

  give Europe’s culture and media sectors access to new international 

opportunities, markets, and audiences. 

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/opportunities/index_en.htm  

139 

 
 
 
 
10.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

10.2.1.  Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

Figure 20 - Number of Member States' reports mentioning the measures 
taken in the field of creativity and culture 

30 

29 

28 

27 

25 

24 

22 

21 

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

A – Supporting the development of creativity amongst young people 
B – Widening quality access to culture and creative tools 
C – Providing access to environments that are conducive to creativity 
D – Promoting young people’s knowledge about culture and cultural heritage 
E – Empowering young people’s creativity and innovation through new technologies 
F – Facilitating long-term synergies between policies and programmes 
G – Supporting the development of entrepreneurial skills through culture 
H – Promoting specialised training for youth workers 

10.2.1.1. Supporting the development of creativity amongst young people 

Many  measures  were  taken  to  support  the  development  of  creativity  amongst  young 
people  through  cultural  expression  and  wider  access  to  culture.  In  Luxembourg,  for 
instance,  a  law  confers  the  task  of  fostering  participation  of  young  people  not  only  in 
economic  and  social  life,  but  also  in  cultural  life,  on  the  national  youth  service.  The 
Czech  Republic  established  state  cultural  institutions  by  law,  which  also  cater  for  the 
needs of children and young people through specific programmes and offer scholarships 
for creativity and productive works. The country’s youth strategy facilitates equal access 
of  children  and  youth  to  culture  and  motivates  them  to  actively  participate  in  artistic 
expressions. It also supports volunteering in culture and art. France’s 2014 plan priorité 
jeunesse, drawn up by an interministerial committee on youth, supports access of young 
people to art, culture and quality audiovisual and computer learning. Over the years 2012 
to  2014,  Sweden  incited  all  cultural  institutions  to  develop  strategies  to  reach  children 
and young people. In the United Kingdom, the ‘Creative Scotland’ strategy works with 
a range of partners to implement a cultural plan in relation to young people. In 2012, the 

140 

 
 
 
 
 
Flemish Community of Belgium launched a ‘Growing in Culture’ policy for those under 
18 to offer more and better cultural education for all. 

Cross-sectoral  cooperation  is  mentioned  notably  by  Italy  and  Slovenia.  Both  countries 
promote partnerships between cultural and educational institutions. Many countries refer 
to their national programmes, such as Slovenia (National Culture programme), Portugal 
(Young  Creators  programme)  and  Poland  (2011-2015  Multi-annual  programme 
Culture+,  2014-2020  National  Readership  Development  programme).  The  two  Polish 
programmes support and promote versatile forms of artistic and cultural activity aimed at 
raising the level of cultural awareness, critical thinking and access to culture, especially 
for  young  people.  Finland’s  Children  and  Youth  Policy  programme  emphasises  the 
status  of  and  operational  requirements  for  children’s  and  young  people’s  culture  and 
creativity.  Three  national  development  and  service  centres  in  the  field  of  youth  culture 
are  financed  by  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Culture,  namely  the  ‘Art  Centre  for 
Children and Young People’, the ‘Young Culture Organisation’ and the ‘Sorin Sirkus’ (a 
youth circus). Ireland has a specific National Youth Arts programme in place to realise 
young people’s creative potential. Another example for the promotion of young people’s 
creativity  is  provided  for  Malta,  whose  ‘Malta  Arts  Fund’  is  meant  to  stimulate 
investment in local artists and their work. 

Cooperation  with  schools  is  another  means  of  bringing  culture  closer  to  young  people 
and supporting their creativity, such as practised (among others) in the Netherlands and 
Lithuania. Austria has set aside a specific budget for school culture, whereas  Sweden 
plans  to  increase  access  to  culture  for  all  children  by  a  ‘Creative  School  Initiative’. 
Outreach  to  young  people  with  fewer  opportunities  is  the  objective  of  the  United 
Kingdom’s  ‘Myplace’  programme  (England).  It  provides  capital  grant  awards  for  the 
development of quality youth centres in some of the most deprived areas of the country. 
Greece encourages cultural expression and creativity amongst young people and brings 
out new talented narrative writers by a narrative and short film production competition, 
which  is  designed  by  the  Forum  European  Cultural  Exchanges  and  the  Macedonian 
Museum  of  Contemporary  Art.  Other  countries,  such  as  Latvia,  underline  the  link 
between  culture  and  tradition;  here  young  people  are  encouraged  to  get  involved  in 
traditional song and dance festivals, thus preserving the country’s cultural heritage. 

10.2.1.2. Widening quality access to culture and creative tools 

The  main  instruments  which  exist  to  widen  the  access  to  culture  and  creative  tools  for 
young people (both inside and outside schools) are action plans, programmes, funds, the 
use  of  specialised  centres,  and  cooperation  with  schools.  Slovakia  and  Lithuania  each 
developed an action plan, the first one to improve young people’s reading skills and their 
interest in literature, and the latter to develop conscious, civic-minded, patriotic, mature, 
cultured and creative young personalities. Iceland used its Biophilia Educational Project 
– a large-scale pilot project based around creativity as a teaching and research tool, where 
music, technology and the natural sciences are linked together in an innovative way – to 
provide  art  experiences  for  those  children  who  would  normally  not  have  access. 
Finland’s  ‘Proposal  for  the  Children’s  Culture  Policy  Programme  for  the  Years  2014-
2018’  supports  activities  which  increase  children’s  and  young  people’s  equal  access  to 
art and culture. In the Czech Republic, the National Information and Consulting Centre 
for  Culture  (NIPOS),  and  in  particular  its  department  for  non-professional  artistic 

141 

 
 
 
activities ARTAMA, promotes access to non-professional artistic activities for all groups 
of  citizens,  including  youth.  The  Irish  Film  Board  (IFB)  runs  a  number  of  film 
workshops and courses available to primary and secondary school students. The related 
festival  is  an  occasion  for  them  to  deepen  their  interest  in  film.  Cross-cutting  themes 
linked  to  cultural  heritage  as  well  as  experimental  didactic  models  are  part  of  school 
curricula in Italy, while Austria features nationwide cultural education programmes and 
initiatives for schools. 

Malta – Youth Empowerment programme 

Malta’s  Aġenzija  Żgħażagħ,  an  agency  established  in  February  2011  to  promote  the 
interests  of  young  people  and  to  provide  assistance  to  youth  organisations  and  young 
people  in  achieving  their  potential,  runs  a  programme  to  empower  young  people.  This 
programme incorporates a series of project initiatives for young people both at national 
and local level.  

These initiatives aim to enable young people take further control of their lives, become 
motivated and enhance their own learning and resourcefulness to take up further studies, 
improve their employability skills and take action in the community to bring about social 
change.  Amongst  the  initiatives  were  ‘Divergent  Thinkers’,  music  tuition  for  young 
people in  band  clubs, and  a  social  theatre  contest.  What  is  important is  the  outreach  to 
young people with fewer opportunities. 

http://www.agenzijazghazagh.gov.mt/Categories/805/Youth_Empowerment_Programme/  

10.2.1.3. Empowering  young  people’s  creativity  and 

innovation 

through  new 

technologies 

Promoting  availability  of  new  technologies  to  empower  young  people’s  creativity  and 
capacity for innovation – only a few measures are cited by Member States in this field. 
Spain refers to its Young Creation programme, Luxembourg mentions its youth centre 
in  Eisenborn  (which  provides  media  education),  and  Germany  and  Lithuania  declare 
that they support actions  in  media literacy through youth  organisations. In  Ireland, the 
‘TechSpace’  programme  works  with  a  number  of  national  and  regional  youth 
organisations and schools so that children and young people can learn and develop digital 
skills.  In  Greece,  young  people’s  innovation  is  supported  through  a  video  art  festival 
touring the country. 

10.2.1.4. Providing access to environments that are conducive to creativity 

Environments where young people can develop their creativity are often made available 
through  national  (youth)  programmes,  schools,  youth  work  or  communication  tools. 
Some countries dispose of specific programmes, such as the Youth Initiatives project in 
Cyprus or the Irish Young Ensembles scheme, a fund which supports groups of young 
people between the ages of 12 and 23 to create ambitious and original work together in 
any art form. Malta’s ‘#Malteen’ programme offers a weekend to give space to teenagers 

142 

 
 
 
 
to  find  their  own  creative  niche  and  express  themselves  through  different  art  forms. 
Luxembourg  invites  this  target  group  to  a  creativity  contest.  In  the  Netherlands,  the 
publicy financed ‘Mondriaan Fund’ supports visual art and cultural heritage, also with a 
view to young people. Art festivals, such as the Biennial of Young Artists from Europe 
and  the  Mediterranean 194  (BJCEM),  are  also  environments  where  young  artists, 
volunteers and large numbers of creative young people can meet. 

Poland – Cooperation between schools  

Through cooperation between schools, also from other countries, young people develop 
projects together, organise concerts and contests on international, national, regional and 
local levels. This allows them to showcase trends in their own country’s music culture. It 
is  also  an  opportunity  for  talented  young  people  to  present  their  skills  and  abilities  in 
creating contemporary young culture. 

http://cea.art.pl/events/kal_imprez_2014.pdf  

10.2.1.5. Facilitating long-term synergies between policies and programmes 

Member  States  provide  information  on  some  measures  facilitating  long-term  synergies 
between  policies  and  programmes  (e.g.  culture,  education,  health,  social  inclusion, 
media, employment, youth) to promote creativity.  Lithuania, for instance, refers to the 
Vilnius declaration on innovative actions for youth (6 December 2013) adopted under its 
Presidency of the Council of the EU; this was the outcome of an expert roundtable which 
brought  together  employers,  business  representatives,  researchers,  policy-makers  and 
youth  to  discuss  innovative  ideas  and  identify  solutions  regarding  social  inclusion  and 
unemployment of young people. In this context it was considered important  to enhance 
young  people’s  active  participation  in  the  labour  market  and  to  promote  creativity  and 
innovation with a view to pursuing self-employment, entrepreneurship and first working 
experience. France’s plan priorité jeunesse set up a specific working group in 2014 to 
elaborate  a  quality  charter  for  youth  summer  camps  (colos  nouvelle  génération).  The 
charter contains a number of commitments taken by the most relevant players involved in 
the provision of youth camps in France, such as to offer leisure-time activities for young 
people coming from different ethnic and social backgrounds and at affordable prices. 

10.2.1.6. Promoting specialised training for youth workers 

Specialised  training  in  culture,  new  media  and  intercultural  competences  for  youth 
workers  is  essentially  promoted  via  programmes  and  courses.  In  Luxembourg,  for 
example,  training  in  audiovisual  arts,  photo  editing  or  theatre  is  covered  by  lifelong 
learning programmes for youth workers. Various workshops, especially regarding the use 
of internet, are offered in Austria. In other countries (like Finland and Slovakia) such 
specialised training is an integral part of the education programme to become a qualified 

194 http://www.bjcem.org/  

143 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
youth  worker  (professional  level  youth  work  qualification).  Universities  can  play  a 
supportive  role,  such  as  in  Ireland  where  a  part-time,  year  long  course  leads  to  a 
Certificate  in  Youth  Arts.195  It  aims  to  introduce  those  working  in  the  non-formal 
education sector to the concepts, principles and practice of youth arts using a context and 
practice approach. 

10.2.1.7. Supporting the development of entrepreneurial skills through culture 

The few examples which are highlighted here are either programmes or specific projects, 
for  instance  ‘Programme  Kreativ’  in  Malta  or  the  Vrijhavens  project  in  the  Flemish 
Community  of  Belgium.  In  the  latter,  youth  workers  and  policy-makers  are  brought 
together in a full day discussion about young people’s needs for cultural infrastructure, 
the link between creativity and entrepreneurship and ways how to attract diverse groups 
of  young  people.  The  Culture  Entrepreneurship  programme  (2012-2016)  in  the 
Netherlands focuses on leadership, patronage, and support for creative professionals and 
individual culture providers. Romania supports young people who ventured to enter the 
cultural  labour  market  as  young  entrepreneurs  by  providing  them  with  equal 
opportunities. This country also opens dialogue with private companies to ease access of 
young  people  to  the  labour  market  and  promotes  entrepreneurship  in  the  cultural  and 
creative industries. 

Spain – Sala Amadís (Exhibition Hall) 

The Spanish Youth  Institute (INJUVE) puts an exhibition hall at the disposal  of young 
artists’  works.  This  so-called  Amadís  exhibition  hall  is  a  place  destined  to  artistic 
training, cultural production and young entrepreneurship through participative activities 
and  programmes  addressed  to  young  people  interested  in  contemporary  creation.  This 
allows highlighting the work of young people in order to foster creativity, facilitate the 
promotion  and  dissemination  of  their  artistic  output  and  put  them  in  contact  with  the 
professional artistic world. Activities are, among others, exhibitions, workshops, concerts 
and performances.  

http://www.injuve.es/creacionjoven  

10.2.1.8. Promoting young people’s knowledge about culture and cultural heritage 

Activities  to  promote  knowledge  about  culture  and  cultural  heritage  amongst  young 
people range from the above-mentioned ‘Creative School Initiative’ in Sweden to culture 
cards  in  Malta  and  creativity  contests  in  Luxembourg.  Many  Member  States,  such  as 
Finland, financially support NGOs for their promotion of knowledge about culture and 
cultural  heritage.  In  this  context  the  Netherlands  refers  to  cooperation with  UNESCO, 
and  Croatia  highlights  involvement  of  youth  organisations  in  the  work  of  cultural 
committees. In Greece, the so-called Classes in the Dark offered a series of projections, 

195 http://www.youtharts.ie/cert  

144 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
workshops  and  seminars  –  primarily  for  bordering  regions  and  municipalities  –  which 
reached around 15 000 pupils and parents. 

Finland – Kulttuurivoltti (Culture Leap) 

The  so-called  ‘Culture  Leap’  2014-2015,  a  nationwide  guidance  in  culture  education 
plans  for  schools,  was  taken  up  by  1  out  of  10  municipalities  in  Finland  to  launch  a 
systematic  approach  to  culture  education  in  schools  in  the  following  way:  a  culture 
education plan for schools ensures that all children and young people of the region get in 
contact with the local cultural heritage, culture institutions such as theatres, music halls 
and museums. All forms of art are given the possibility to create. The political effects of 
the culture education plans are judged significant because of the guaranteed equal right to 
culture in society. 

10.2.2.  Implementation of subsequent Council agreements 

10.2.2.1. Access of young people to culture 

In the Council conclusions of 19 November 2010, Ministers agreed on facilitating young 
people’s access to culture and listed in particular the following lines of action. 

Reducing obstacles (e.g. financial, linguistic, time and geographical constraints) 

A variety of measures are in place at national level to facilitate young people’s access to 
culture  by  reducing  related  obstacles.  Denmark,  the  United  Kingdom  (Scotland), 
Estonia,  Slovakia  and  Italy  refer  to  their  general  culture  policies  or  strategies.  The 
Czech Republic’s national youth strategy also aims at improving provision of culture to 
children  and  young  people  in  rural  areas.  The  objectives  are  to  motivate  cultural  and 
heritage institutions in the countryside and in small towns to create attractive events and 
programmes aimed at children and youth, and to exploit the potential of the network of 
libraries  and  possibly  other  local  cultural  institutions.  Programmes,  such  as  the 
‘Accessible Culture’ and the ‘Visit the Museum’ programmes in  Poland, the children’s 
culture policy programme in Finland and the national programme for culture in Austria, 
also try to  widen  access  for  young people to  arts  and  culture.  By  providing  continuous 
financial  support,  Croatia  aims  at  increasing  the  number  of  cultural  events  in  the 
educational  system  through  formal  and  informal  programmes  of  contemporary  cultural 
and  artistic  practice.  A  cultural  passport  –  created  during  the  European  Year  for 
Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010 – in Luxembourg aims at granting equal 
access  to  culture  and  leisure-time  activities  for  socially  disadvantaged  persons  and 
groups. The Netherlands follow a similar approach (cultural youth passport). Free entry 
to  museums  for  young  people  is  another  means  to  bring  culture  closer  to  this  target 
group, for instance in the French Community of Belgium. 

145 

 
 
 
 
Greece – ‘Mind Games’ 

The international training course ‘Mind Games’ (Komotini, 12-20 April 2013)  addressed 
cultural  diversity,  achieved  to  offer  quality  training  on  a  number  of  key  issues  facing 
society  today.  Historical  and  current  examples  of  good  practice  on  interreligious 
dialogue, understanding the role of the media, religious conflicts and peaceful conflicts 
management formed the core of the programme content. Methods used were non-formal 
education, debates, simulations, group work and games. Participants thus reviewed issues 
facing  civil  society  and  trained  to  play  an  active  role  in  promoting  interfaith  dialogue 
back  to  their  communities.  At  the  end  of  the  project  participants  carried  out  their  own 
actions in order to bring back positive change to their communities. 

Stimulating strategic partnerships  

Member States and candidate countries were asked about their measures promoting the 
development of long-term coordinated policies for access of young people to culture on 
all levels, with a clear youth perspective. Here again, programmes play a significant role, 
such  as  Malta’s  above-mentioned  empowerment  programme,  Finland’s  children’s 
culture  policy  programme  and  Turkey’s  programmes  to  increase  young  people’s 
participation in cultural activitie, to name but a few. 

Deepening the knowledge on the access of young people to culture 

Bulgaria  organises  annual  conferences  to  review  the  access  of  youth  to  culture  in  the 
country. The Flemish knowledge and research centre ‘Demos’ focuses mainly on groups 
and  practices  that  are  underrepresented  and  underexposed  in  the  Belgian  society;  the 
French  Community  of  Belgium  published  a  survey  on  cultural  practices.  The 
Netherlands also has a knowledge institute which collects relevant information. 

Promoting experiences, practices and information  

Exchanges of experiences related to the access of young people to culture take place for 
instance  in  the  Czech  Republic,  which  promotes  cooperation  between  various 
organisations and institutions in the field of artistic activities for children and youth. The 
Flemish  Community  of  Belgium  supports  regional  networks  of 
teachers  and 
professionals in the cultural field. 

Supporting youth and cultural workers’ quality education, training and capacity-building 

Another line of action of the 2010 Council conclusions is support of quality education, 
training  and  capacity-building  of  youth  workers  and  youth  leaders,  artists  and  other 
cultural  workers,  teachers  and  all  other  relevant  stakeholders  involved  in  the  access  of 
young people to culture. For this, the countries refer amongst others to their youth work 
strategies  and  youth  workers’  certification.  Estonia  mentions  the  ESF  project 
‘Developing youth work quality’ 196 which included training for youth workers to develop 

196 See also box ‘Estonia – The contribution of youth work to the Youth Guarantee’ in Section 3.2.2. 

146 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
the  skills  and  knowledge  necessary  to  work  effectively  with  young  people,  also  in  the 
cultural  field.  Finland’s  children’s  culture  policy  programme  includes  measures  to 
increase  teaching  of  culture  in  and  outside  school.  Teacher  training  also  plays  an 
important role, for example in Belgium (Flemish Community), Austria and Croatia. 

10.2.2.2. Fostering the creative and innovative potential of young through partnerships 

In  the  Council  conclusions  of  11  May  2012,  Ministers  agreed  to  stimulate  strategic 
partnerships between youth organisations, authorities at local, regional and national level 
as  well  as  the  private  sector  to  organise  projects  and  events  led  by  young  people.  The 
expert  group  report  ‘Developing  the  creative  and  innovative  potential  of  young  people 
through non-formal learning in ways that are relevant to employability’ also recommends 
achieving  cooperation  and  joint  action  between  stakeholders  and  the  social  partners. 
Globally,  youth  or  volunteering  organisations  and  cultural  organisations  are  the 
stakeholders  most  frequently  quoted  by  the  reporting  countries.  Youth  workers  and 
teachers, trainers and other education professionals come second, and the private sector 
ranks third. 

Some countries refer to strategic partnerships developed in the context of governmental 
youth creativity promotion programmes (e.g. Luxembourg). Poland mentions its ‘Social 
Capital  Development  Strategy  2020’  with  a  partnership  between  art  universities  and 
entrepreneurs,  especially  in  the  area  of  design.  The  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium 
highlights ‘OPEK – Openbaar Entrepot voor de Kunsten’ (Public Warehouse for Arts), 
an infrastructure which seeks new, innovative partnerships between art, education and the 
public.  Serbia  developed  a  ‘Protocol  on  Cooperation  with  the  Independent  Cultural 
Scene’, and Lithuania organised a Culture Education Week enabling cultural institutions 
to present their education programmes and projects to teachers.  

Serbia – Rapresent project (IDE Group) 

The  project  was  initiated  by  a  graffiti  artist  and  homeless  man,  Bojan  Radanov 
Rapresent. Through the transformation of public places, cooperation between artists and 
young people, and participation and activation of young people’s creative potential, their 
and  the  general  public’s  awareness  regarding  street  art  has  changed.  Activities  are, 
among  others,  workshops  and  mural  painting  in  underground  stations. This  is  achieved 
through  cooperation  between  NGOs,  associations,  trade  unions,  private  actors,  civic 
society and many more actors. 

147 

 
 
 
 
 
 
10.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

Creativity  and  culture  are  not  yet  among  the  policy  priorities  of  the  European  Youth 
Forum  (YFJ).  However,  the  forum  annually  organises  the  YO!Fest 197  that  brings 
together  an  international  array  of  young  artists  to  take  part  in  one  of  the  biggest  youth 
events in Europe. Additionally, the YFJ contributed to organising the European Youth 
Event  (EYE)  in  May  2014,  during  which  the  YO!Fest  took  place.  The  2014  edition 
welcomed  over  8 000  young  people  and  blended  policy  debates  and  cultural  events, 
enhancing the creativity of young people. 

Moreover, the YFJ uses creative tools for engaging with young people and encouraging 
them  to  share  their  experiences.  The  forum’s  digital  storytelling  workshops  for  youth 
activists  promote  greater  awareness  of  participating  members’  youth  work  experience: 
their role and actions; what they learned; and the impact this had on their lives, as well as 
the opportunities and challenges they faced and the changes needed. The creative work 
done  through  this  method  also  helps  participants  to  increase  their  self-esteem  and 
strengthen respect for both their own story and other people’s stories. The process itself 
releases creativity and innovation. 

197 http://www.yofest.eu/  

148 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
11. 

STRUCTURED DIALOGUE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUTH ORGANISATIONS 

Structured Dialogue with young people serves as a forum for continuous joint reflection 
on  the  priorities,  implementation,  and  follow-up  of  European  cooperation  in  the  youth 
field.  It  involves  regular  consultations  of  young  people  and  youth  organisations  at  all 
levels  in  EU  countries,  as  well  as  dialogue  between  youth  representatives  and  policy-
makers at EU youth conferences organised by the Member States holding the presidency 
of the Council of the EU, and during the European Youth Week. 

11.1.  EU initiatives and action 

During  the  period  covered  by  this  report,  the  Commission  organised  a  review  of  the 
Structured  Dialogue  process,  which  was  launched  during  the  2013  European  Youth 
Week  with  a  conference  in  Brussels  for  all  National  Working  Groups.  In  the  spirit  of 
Structured Dialogue,  the  National Working  Groups  endorsed  a  set  of  recommendations 
for  the  future  development  and  conduct  of  the  process,  which  served  as  background 
document  for  a  conference  organised  in  Brussels  for  the  main  actors  in  the  process  in 
November  2013.  The  conference  participants  endorsed  joint  recommendations  for  the 
conduct  of  the  Structured  Dialogue  for  the  consideration  of  the  Council  of  Youth 
Ministers. 

Meeting  in  May  2014,  Youth  Ministers  subsequently  agreed  a  number  of  new 
developments  in  Structured  Dialogue,  including  a  new  architecture  for  the  process. 
This means that Structured Dialogue is now conducted on a single overall priority set by 
the Council, following a prior consultation undertaken by the incoming Trio Presidency 
of youth representatives and the Commission. The current cycle of Structured Dialogue, 
on  ‘youth  empowerment  for  political  participation’  is  conducted  under  this  new  format 
(see diagram), with a single broad consultation of young people across Europe launched 
in  October  2014  on  the  basis  of  a  guiding  framework,  which  was  set  jointly  by  youth 
representatives and policy-makers at the EU youth conference in Italy. 

The  Commission  followed  up  on  the  2014  Council  resolution  by  paving  the  way  for 
annual  grants  from  the  Erasmus+  programme  to  the  National  Working  Groups,  who 
manage  the  Structured  Dialogue  at  national  level.  These  annual  grants  were  made 
available in 2014 and 2015 to all 30 National Working Groups and range from € 15 000-
60 000, depending on the population of the Member State concerned. 

In May 2015, the Commission again organised, as an integral part of the seventh edition 
of the European Youth Week, a three-day conference in Brussels for the main actors in 
the  Structured  Dialogue.  At  this  conference,  youth  representatives  and  policy-makers 
endorsed 10 joint recommendations for the future conduct of Structured Dialogue, which 
are  expected  to  be reflected in  a  Council  resolution  to  conclude  the  fourth  cycle  of  the 
process, which is scheduled for adoption by Ministers at the Youth Council in November 
2015. 

149 

 
 
 
 
 
Diagram - New architecture of the Structured Dialogue as implemented during 
the fourth cycle on 'youth empowerment for political participation' 

In accordance with the 2012 Council resolution on Structured Dialogue, a consultation of 
youth representatives was launched by the incoming Trio Presidency in June 2015 on the 
theme  of  the  overall  thematic  priority  for  the  fifth  cycle  of  Structured  Dialogue  (from 
January  2016  to  June  2017),  which  is  also  scheduled  for  adoption  by  Ministers  at  the 
Youth Council in November 2015.  

The Commission made the outcomes of the third cycle of Structured Dialogue on ‘social 
inclusion of young people’ available to relevant Commission services. They were already 
taken into consideration in the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity strategy in the field of 
youth launched during the 2015 European Youth Week. 

11.2. 

Summary of initiatives and action at national level 

11.2.1.  Implementation of the 2009 Council resolution 

11.2.1.1. National Working Groups 

National  youth  councils  are  represented  in  all  30  National  Working  Groups  and  lead, 
according to a 2014 mapping exercise, the National Working Groups in all but 3 Member 
States. Finland remains the only Member State, where the national youth authority is not 
represented on the National Working Group. Youth researchers are represented in 11 and 
youth  workers  in  15  National  Working  Groups.  4  Member  States  report  that  other 

150 

 
 
 
 
 
ministries,  than  solely  the  national  youth  ministry,  are  represented  in  the  National 
Working Groups. 

According to reports from 23 Member States, the number of young people represented in 
the  National  Working  Groups  range  from  1  in  Croatia  to  17  in  the  United  Kingdom, 
with an average participation of 6 to 7 young people on the National Working Group. 

11.2.1.2. Dialogue processes in other fields 

The 2009 Council resolution underlines the importance of developing dialogue processes 
in  other  policy  fields,  similar  to  the  EU  Structured  Dialogue.  14  of  27  Member  States 
developed such processes. In Malta, a 2015 project on ‘Policy in Action’ creates space 
for  discussions  between  youth  and  policy-makers  on  national  issues.  Lithuania 
organised  a  Structured  Dialogue  on  the  implementation  of  the  Youth  Guarantee, 
including a public consultation, a conference and a round table with ministers. Germany 
ensured  youth  participation  in  the  development  of  an  independent  youth  policy  (2012-
2014) and in the Federal Government’s dialogue for the development of a demography 
strategy  (2014-2017),  organising  9  participation  rounds  with  youth  on  various  thematic 
priorities.  In  the  Netherlands,  120  young  people  are  selected  each  year  since  2009  to 
participate  in  the  National  Youth  Debate  in  the  Dutch  parliament  to  engage  in  debates 
with ministers and members of parliament. Lithuania’s 2013 ‘X-Y-Z’ project focused on 
the  involvement  of  NEETs  in  youth  policy  processes,  and  in  Poland,  a  consultative 
youth  body  was  established,  where  youth  is  consulted  on  youth  policies  and  on  the 
annual national budget with a focus on the youth field. 

11.2.1.3. Reform of the Structured Dialogue 

During the 2013 review process, many joint recommendations were made regarding the 
reform of the Structured Dialogue. 17 Member States had particular comments on these 
recommendations.  The new  architecture  of  Structured  Dialogue  is  generally  welcomed, 
in particular the focus on a single overall priority, which is considered to allow more time 
for  a  systematic  approach  and  an  in-depth  understanding  of the  overall priority  and  for 
reaching  out  to  more  young  people.  The  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium  emphasises 
that  for  any  participation  process  to  be  successful,  all  participants  have  to  invest it and 
take it seriously. The main indicator of success should be the quality of discussion with 
young  people  and  the  outcomes  reached.  Ireland  wishes  to  ensure  that  the  process  is 
open to all young people, including those seldom heard whose participation in EU youth 
conferences  would  be  desirable,  as  the  current  process  is  at  high  risk  of  becoming 
unrepresentative of the views of non-organised youth. Germany emphasises that ‘more 
dialogue  is  important’,  and  that  the  Structured  Dialogue  should  remain  a  space  for  a 
mutual exchange of ideas. The process should be strengthened at regional and local level, 
and its importance as a participatory process should be underlined. Greece suggests that 
the Committee of the Regions could be involved as an additional stakeholder to make the 
process more visible at local level, and that the Commission Representations in Member 
States  should  be  members  of  the  national  working  groups  to  increase  the  visibility  and 
monitoring of the Structured Dialogue. 

151 

 
 
 
11.2.1.4. Visibility of the Structured Dialogue 

26 Member States confirm that there were initiatives to promote the Structured Dialogue 
at  national/regional/local  level  and  to  increase  its  visibility,  with  21  reporting  the 
development of a website devoted to the Structured Dialogue. 18 Member States confirm 
the  use  of  awareness-raising  campaigns,  whilst  13  use  the  European  Youth  Portal  or 
other platforms for their promotion/visibility of the process. 

Germany  reports  on  a  2014  dialogue  event  at  federal  level  on  ‘Youth  and  policy  in 
dialogue’,  and  Ireland  on  a  significant  number  of  steps  taken  to  increase  visibility. 
France has organised four regional events and a national event devoted to the Structured 
Dialogue.  In  Italy,  the  national  youth  council  linked  the  promotion  of  Structured 
Dialogue to the Salone della Studenti event with a big national campus and orientation on 
the process, and to 12 events organised across the country to increase outreach, even in 
remote areas. Training courses on Structured Dialogue were organised for youth leaders 
to  build  skills  to  allow  them  to  act  as  multipliers  and  run  consultations  at  local  level. 
Cyprus  produced  an  animation  for  dissemination  through  social  media  and  organised 
trainings  of  multipliers.  Lithuania  reports  on  the  creation  of  a  Structured  Dialogue 
communication strategy in 2014 and uses social media networks to attract non-organised 
youth and young Lithuanians living in remote areas or abroad. In Finland, consultation 
questionnaires  are  sent  to  all  European  Youth  Card  holders,  and  the  national  youth 
councils  in  the  United  Kingdom  will  set  up  a  national  working  group  in  Northern 
Ireland  in  2015.  Poland  promoted  the  Structured  Dialogue  widely  during  the  2013 
European Youth Week.  

National  reports  illustrate  that  a  considerable  number  of  Structured  Dialogue  projects 
were  supported  by  the  Erasmus+  programme,  or  its  predecessor  Youth  in  Action, 
providing ample evidence of how EU youth programmes support the policies and tools of 
the EU Youth Strategy. 

11.2.1.5. Involvement of young people in National Working Groups 

In  the  2014  Council  resolution  on  Structured  Dialogue,  Ministers  agreed  that  the 
National  Working  Groups  should  seek  to  ensure  the  involvement  of  young  people, 
including  those  who  did  not  previously  participate  in  the  Structured  Dialogue.  27 
Member States report that initiatives were taken in this regard, although only few can yet 
give an indication of the number of young people participating in the consultation during 
the fourth cycle of the process. It is now confirmed that more than 40 000 young people 
across  Europe  participated,  a  doubling  of  the  highest  number  achieved  in  any  of  the 
previous nine consultation phases. It is evident from the national reports that the number 
of  young  people  represented,  through  youth  or  other  organisations,  in  the  Structured 
Dialogue  consultations  runs  into  several  millions,  although the  reliability  and  reality  of 
such a figure remains questionable. 

In Sweden, new communication methods facilitated seeking out and reaching newcomers 
to  the  process.  In  the  United  Kingdom,  effective  and  inclusive  youth  participation 
research is carried out to identify target groups of young people.  Malta’s 2014 ‘Spread 
Outreach’ information campaign aimed at getting the Structured Dialogue across to non-
organised  youth  and  included  a  ‘Europinion  Booth’  placed  in  strategic  locations  to 

152 

 
 
 
collect  feedback  from  young  people.  The  Czech  Republic  focused  on  inclusion  in  the 
consultations  conducted  during  the  third  cycle  of  Structured  Dialogue,  with  Belgium 
(Flemish  Community)  reporting  that  an  evaluation  is  conducted  after  each  cycle  to 
improve  the  process  and  involve  youth  from  a  diverse  background.  In  Latvia,  an 
established  ‘Coffee  with  Politicians’  method  is  used  within  Structured  Dialogue 
consultations  to  attract  young  people  with  low  levels  of  participation  skills  and 
experience.  Slovakia  includes  a  strategic  planning  in  the  work  plan  of  its  National 
Working Group to increase the outreach of the process, and close collaboration was set 
up with municipalities to bring the process closer to the local level. In Germany, a non-
formal  method  of  using  a  photo-workshop  for  youth  on  ‘Participating  actively  –  with 
POWER’ was employed in 2014 for discussions on the theme of youth empowerment for 
political participation, with a view to encouraging the involvement of young people with 
oral  or  written expression difficulties.  Austria’s 2014 ‘Participate, Be Heard,  Be Part!’ 
project made the consultation process available to young people with fewer opportunities 
by allowing youth centres and workers to carry out projects with their target groups. In 
Slovenia,  the  ‘Youth  Dialogue  2:0  –  Including!’  project  opened  space  and  support  for 
young people across the country to participate actively in the third cycle through youth 
work,  whereas  the  ‘Structured  Dialogue  in  Croatia’  project  aimed  at  increasing  the 
outreach of the process, in particular for those with fewer prospects. 

11.2.1.6. Assessment of the EU youth conferences 

Asked  about  possible  improvements  to  the  working  methods  and  the  decision-making 
process  at  the  EU  youth  conferences,  Spain  and  Poland  call  for  the  inclusion  of  non-
organised  young  people  and  youth  with  fewer  opportunities.  Malta  pleads  for  a  more 
bottom-up approach to the setting of the overall priority to give youth a greater sense of 
ownership  of  the  process.  The  overall  priority  should  be  the  focus  throughout  the  18 
months  and  conclude  with  6  to  10  joint  recommendations  to  be  acted  upon  by  the 
incoming  Trio  Presidency.  Sweden  notes  that  the  overall  priority  is  set  in  a  rather 
undemocratic  way,  and  the  Czech  Republic  calls  for  a  more  democratic  procedure, 
which  could  be  conducted  during  the  European  Youth  Week.  It  also  suggests  that  a 
democratic voting system could be introduced for all conference participants to vote on 
all  joint  recommendations.  Luxembourg,  the  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium, 
Germany  and  the  Netherlands  feel  that  too  much  effort  is  spent  on  drafting  the 
conference  recommendations,  at  the  expense  of  the  time  available  for  discussions  and 
exchanges  of  ideas  and  experiences.  Several  Member  States  call  for  a  more  active 
participation  of  policy-makers  in  the  conferences,  and  some  for  the  participation  of 
policy-makers drawn from ministries who are competent as regards the overall priority. 
Sweden, Germany and Ireland report that the Structured Dialogue should be conducted 
solely on the overall priority, and Croatia welcomes the new architecture with a guiding 
framework for the consultation set up with young people. France reports a very positive 
evaluation by its conference participants, although there is little opportunity for creativity 
in drafting the recommendations and a lack of time in the workshops. Finland suggests 
that greater transparency is required on how the input of National Working Groups feeds 
into  the  background  documents  of  the  conferences.  Researchers  should  be  involved  in 
analysing  national  consultation  outcomes,  using  possibly  the  European  Pool  of  Youth 
Researchers,  and  exchanges  of  views,  rather  than  formal  recommendations,  could  be 
documented and used for policy-making. Ministry officials cannot commit themselves to 

153 

 
 
 
ad  hoc  recommendations,  and  the  low  level  of  participation  of  policy-makers  in  the 
conferences sends an important signal. 

11.2.1.7. Considering the developments and outcomes of the Structured Dialogue 

The  countries  were  asked  how  they  would  consider  the  developments  and  outcomes  of 
the Structured Dialogue at national and EU level over the first three cycles, in terms of 
relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. 

Relevance 

Spain considers that the dialogue themes are relevant as they define the political agenda 
of Member States, although the implementation process is very long. Sweden reports that 
the process has become even more relevant with the new architecture of the process, and 
Luxembourg  that  the  process  is  an  important  learning  experience  for  national  policy-
makers. The Czech Republic notes that recommendations from the EU level are weak in 
terms of national implementation, whereas Denmark reports that the National Working 
Group  is  a  good  forum  for  sharing  knowledge  and  information  between  the  various 
actors.  The  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium  reports  that  Structured  Dialogue  is 
important,  mainly  as  a  participation  process.  Outcomes  are  very  relevant  for  national 
policy  debates,  and  that  whereas  the  process  is  an  important  instrument  at  EU  level,  it 
should  not  be  the  only  one.  The  French  Community  of  Belgium  reports  that 
improvements were made to the process, giving more time for in-depth discussions and 
involving national youth councils in the setting of the overall priority. Latvia notes that 
the increase in national participation in each cycle is evidence of young people getting to 
know the opportunities offered by Structured Dialogue, whereas Ireland considered the 
first two dialogue cycles ‘very relevant’, and the fourth cycle ‘relevant’. Estonia reports 
that  the  relevance  of  the  process  has  increased  at  both  national  and  EU  level  and  that 
national  consultation  outcomes  are  important  inputs  for  policy  planning,  whereas 
Slovakia notes that the thematic priorities are not equally relevant in all Member States. 
Portugal feels that the process is important for a youth contribution to policy-making but 
should  become  more  inclusive,  and  France  considers  the  process  relevant,  as  it  has 
supported an orientation among youth organisations in terms of democracy.  

Effectiveness 

Greece reports that the new architecture, with a single priority and consultation, seems to 
suit better the needs of youth and other stakeholders and leads to a better understanding 
of  the  content.  Romania  notes  that  the  process  needs  time  to  establish  deep  roots,  but 
there is a goal to pursue. Spain reports that the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency at 
national  level  is  low,  and  its  relevance  depends  on  the  national  context  and  theme. 
Sweden notes that effectiveness is not always the most important, and that the advantage 
of a common process on common challenges is high.  Malta reports that the Structured 
Dialogue outcomes only become effective if they coincide with or complement national 
political  developments.  In  Denmark,  the  impact  is  considered  limited,  as  many 
Structured  Dialogue  initiatives  are  already  covered  at  national  level,  with  the  Czech 
Republic  reporting  that  the  recommendations  are  often  too  general  for  national 
implementation.  The  Flemish  Community  of  Belgium  reports  that  outcomes  did  not 
directly lead to policy measures, but diverse youth has had an opportunity to participate 
in the process, and Ireland welcomes the new architecture, as the first three cycles did 

154 

 
 
 
not allow for a focus on implementation. Germany reports that Structured Dialogue has 
no impacts in terms of concrete policy measures, but the impact of many hundreds young 
people being offered the opportunity to engage with policy-makers through decentralised 
Structured Dialogue projects must not be underestimated. Poland and Portugal observe 
that the process has impact and implications at national level, whereas Italy notes that the 
difficulty  in  implementing  outcomes  raises  questions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the 
process.  For  France, 
implementation  outcomes,  as 
to 
recommendations  take  time  to  become  a  political  reality.  A  greater  appreciation  of 
effectiveness  at  Member  State  level  may  be  achieved  by  integrating  outcome-linked 
indicators  in  relevant  chapters  of  future  EU  Youth  Reports.  Lithuania  reports  that  the 
biggest  issue  of  effectiveness  is  the  absence  of  ministry  officials  in  EU  youth 
conferences. 

is  difficult 

identify 

it 

Efficiency 

The Czech Republic suggests a greater involvement of National Working Groups in the 
implementation process in non-youth policy sectors, whereas Latvia identifies the need 
for  a  simple  common  mechanism  for  the  implementation  of  recommendations  at  both 
national  and  EU  level.  Greece  emphasises  the  need  for  a  strategy  to  be  developed  by 
National Working Groups to involve non-organised youth, whereas Cyprus reports that 
consultation  fatigue  has  been  noted  amongst  young  people  and  youth  organisations  in 
earlier  cycles,  because  of  the  time  and  resources  required.  Slovakia  considers  that  the 
efficiency has improved significantly since the first cycle of Structured Dialogue, whilst 
Portugal reports that more follow-up must be guaranteed for the process to become more 
effective. Structured Dialogue is an effective participation tool in the  Netherlands, and 
Lithuania  believes  that  the  review  of  the  process  has  increased  its  efficiency.  Spain 
considers the level of efficiency at EU level to be ‘medium’, and ‘low’ at national level, 
while  France  reports  that  as  the  consultation  process  has  now  reached  a  level  of 
maturity,  it  is  important  to  use  Structured  Dialogue  on  other  levels  and  with  other 
projects.  The  Commission  should  encourage  Member  States  to  use  the  process  in  their 
revision of national policies in general, and in particular on youth issues. For the Flemish 
Community of  Belgium, the quality and outreach to  diverse groups of young people is 
more important than the number of young people involved in the process. 

Implementation of the Structured Dialogue outcomes 

17  Member  States  set  up  measures  to  implement  the  outcomes  of  the  Structured 
Dialogue.  Luxembourg  reported  taking  measures  to  disseminate  the  outcomes  of  the 
national  consultation  under  the  fourth  cycle  and  briefing  its  youth  minister  before  his 
participation  in  the  policy  debate  in  the  May  2015  Youth  Council  meeting.  The  final 
recommendations of the fourth cycle will be transmitted to all relevant members of the 
Government. Poland reports that the outcomes of each cycle of Structured Dialogue are 
transmitted to  relevant  government  ministers, with  the  ministry  of  the  Czech  Republic 
also circulating the cycle outcomes. In Denmark, the National Working Group reviews 
Council  conclusions/resolutions  and  distribute  their  findings  to  relevant  actors  for  their 
consideration of implementation. In the Flemish Community of  Belgium, the outcomes 
of  the  process  were  included  in  the  analysis  that  forms  the  basis  for  a  new  Youth  and 
Children’s  Rights  policy  initiative.  Ireland  reports  on  the  national  implementation 
project,  which  brings  together  young  people  involved  in  consultations  to  focus  on  a 

155 

 
 
 
specific  outcome  and  work  for  its  implementation,  and  in  Slovakia,  outcomes  of  the 
Structured Dialogue will be used for the preparation of the Government’s ‘Conception of 
youth  work  development’,  scheduled  for  adoption  in  2015.  Germany  reports  that  the 
National  Working  Group  developed  a  feedback  mechanism,  and  a  permanent 
arrangement exists with the Federal/Federal State working group for the implementation 
of the EU Youth Strategy in Germany, which will discuss outcomes of the process and 
provide  a  written  feedback  on  selected  issues,  which  is  published  on  an  e-participation 
tool.  Austria’s  National  Working  Group  developed  a  new  tool  to  track  follow-up 
activities, and in Bulgaria the national youth forum and youth organisations form part of 
the monitoring committees of operational programmes on human resource development, 
science  and  education  for  smart  growth,  apprenticeships,  the  Youth  Guarantee  and  the 
‘First Job’. In the Netherlands, letters were sent to all municipalities to inform them of 
outcomes  of  the  process,  which  were  followed  up  by  dialogues  on  implementation 
measures  at  local  level.  France  proposes  to  use  the  open  method  of  cooperation  more 
often  to  help  Member  States  to  implement  the  recommendations  emanating  from  the 
Structured Dialogue. 

11.3.  Youth-led initiatives and action at EU level 

The European Youth Forum (YFJ) perceives the Structured Dialogue as a valuable tool 
to  enable  young  people  to  participate  at  all  levels  in  policy-making  processes  and  to 
engage  in  a  meaningful  dialogue  with  decision-makers.  From  the  very  beginning,  the 
YFJ  has  been  a  key  actor  in  the  Structured  Dialogue.  It  chairs  the  European  Steering 
Committee and is in charge of the communication with the National Working Groups. 
Together with its members, the forum has been steadily working on widening the scope 
of the Structured Dialogue and on better integrating disadvantaged young people. It has 
been actively contributing to both the 2013 and 2014 review processes by ensuring that 
young people across Europe were able to express their ideas. 

In the YFJ’s view, the Structured Dialogue needs to be approached more from a cross-
sectoral perspective, involving all decision-makers from the relevant sectors in all phases 
of  the  process.  The  European  Commission  and  the  Member  States  should  ensure  that 
young  people’s  contributions  are  reflected  in  the  Council  conclusions  and  are 
implemented at national and European level. 

To inform as  many young people as possible about  the Structured Dialogue, the forum 
cooperates  with  the  European  Youth  Portal.  It  also  ensures  media  coverage  of  the  EU 
youth  conferences  via  online  tools  and  its  own  website.  Finally,  the  YFJ  conducted  a 
wide  consultation  on  youth  policy  and  the  Structured  Dialogue  among  its 
membership,  which  led  to  the  adoption  of  a  shadow  report  supplementing  the 
information contained in the 2015 Youth Report with the views of young people across 
Europe. 

156 

 
 
 
 
 
12. 

EU PROGRAMME: FROM YOUTH IN ACTION TO ERASMUS+ 

The period covered by this report was marked by the transition from the Youth in Action 
programme  to  its  successor  Erasmus+,198  the  integrated  EU  programme  in  the  fields  of 
education, training, youth and sport for 2014-2020. Erasmus+ encompasses all activities 
funded  by  the  European  Union  which  are  related  to  formal,  non-formal  and  informal 
learning.  It  fosters  cross-sectoral  cooperation  to  increase  synergies  and  link  policy 
development with implementation on the ground. 

The new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2014-2020 

The Erasmus+ programme aims to boost skills and employability, as well as modernising 
education,  training  and  youth  work.  The  seven-year  programme  has  a  budget  of  € 14.7 
billion;  a  40 %  increase  compared  to  previous  spending  levels,  reflecting  the  EU’s 
commitment to investing in these areas. 

Erasmus+ provides opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work 
experience and volunteer abroad. 

Erasmus+  supports  transnational  partnerships  among  education,  training,  and  youth 
institutions  and  organisations  to  foster  cooperation  and  bridge  the  worlds  of  education 
and work in order to tackle the skills gaps we are facing in Europe. 

It also supports national efforts to modernise education, training, and youth systems. In 
the  field  of  sport,  it  supports  grassroots  projects  and  cross-border  challenges  such  as 
combating match-fixing, doping, violence and racism. 

Erasmus+ brings together seven EU programmes in the fields of education, training and 
youth.  For  the  first  time,  it  provides  support  for  sport.  As  an  integrated  programme, 
Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for cooperation across the education, training, youth 
and sport sectors. 

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm  

12.1.  Erasmus+ opportunities in the field of youth 
The  year  2013  was  the  25th  anniversary  of  EU  programmes  in  favour  of  youth  –  over 
these 25 years, more than 2.5 million young people and youth workers have taken part in 
non-formal learning activities funded by the programmes, for a total budget of € 1 993.2 
million. In Erasmus+, 10 % of the funding is reserved for specific youth activities, which 
is an 80 % increase in total funding compared to its predecessor Youth in Action. These 
youth  activities  have  a  dual  purpose:  firstly  to  develop  key  competences  and  thereby 

198 Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 
establishing ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing 
Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC Text with EEA relevance, OJ L 
347, 20.12.2013, p. 50-73. 

157 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
strengthen the employability of young people, and secondly to promote young people’s 
social inclusion, well-being and participation and foster improvements in youth work and 
youth policy at local, national and international level. Erasmus+ aims to involve 500 000 
participants in transnational volunteering or youth exchanges from 2014 until 2020. 

Concretely, the Erasmus+ programme offers three main opportunities: 

Key Action 1: mobility for young people and youth workers. Young people have the 
opportunity  to  participate  in  youth  exchanges  or  to  volunteer  for  a  period  of  up  to  one 
year  in  another  country  under  the  European  Voluntary  Service  scheme.  Youth  workers 
can take part in training and networking activities abroad or spend some time in a youth 
organisation for job shadowing or a period of observation. 

Key  Action  2:  cooperation  for  innovation  and  exchange  of  good  practices. 
Organisations can apply for funding to work in partnership with organisations from other 
participating  countries.  The  projects  funded  under  this  action  will  focus  on  sharing, 
developing  and  transferring  innovative  practices  in  education,  training  and  youth 
provision between participating countries. 

Key Action 3: support for policy reform. The Erasmus+ programme will fund strategic 
activities supporting policy reform across the EU. Funding opportunities under this key 
action may extend to meetings between young people and decision-makers or support the 
implementation of Structured Dialogue. 

Like  its  predecessors,  the  programme  is  managed  through  a  network  of  National 
Agencies  which  have  become  important  actors  in  youth  work  and  youth  policy 
development at national level bringing in a European dimension. The programme is also 
supported by SALTO-YOUTH,199 a network of eight resource centres which celebrated 
their 15th anniversary in 2015, and by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive 
Agency (EACEA). 

12.2.  Mobility for young people and youth workers 

Through the learning mobility of individuals Erasmus+ aims to improve the skill sets of 
young people and enhance the quality of youth work and non-formal learning for young 
people  in  Europe.  It  provides  opportunities  for  young  people  to  experience  learning 
mobility  in  successful  formats  like  youth  exchanges  or  European  Voluntary  Service 
(including large-scale projects) and for youth workers to develop their interpersonal skills 
and improve their employment prospects through training and networking opportunities 
in ‘Programme Countries’ 200 and in partner countries neighbouring the EU. 

199 SALTO-YOUTH stands for Support, Advanced Learning and Training Opportunities within the 
European YOUTH programme (https://www.salto-youth.net/).  

200 Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the former Yugoslav Republic 
of Macedonia, Turkey. 

158 

 
 
 
                                                 
European Voluntary Service 201 (EVS) provides young people aged 18 to 30 years with an 
opportunity to  express their  personal commitment  through  full-time voluntary activities 
in  a  foreign  country,  within  or  outside  the  European  Union.  Under  Erasmus+,  close  to 
100 000 young people can participate in EVS until 2020.  

The  Erasmus+  Programme  Guide 202  contains  detailed  information  about  the  conditions 
for participating in all the activities. In most cases, applications for funding are submitted 
via the Erasmus+ National Agencies in each country participating in the programme.  

Deserving  of  special  attention  is  the  development  of  Youthpass,203  a  voluntary  tool  to 
enhance the individual learning process and outcomes. It was introduced for the Youth in 
Action programme and further developed under Erasmus+. By 2013, 340 000 Youthpass 
certificates had been issued. Youthpass is not just a certificate – it is integrated into EU 
youth  activities  as  part  of  the  learning  process  which  encompasses  setting  personal 
learning  goals,  adjusting  the  goals,  influencing  the  process,  documenting  the  outcomes 
and  revising  them  for  the  certificate  while  rephrasing  the  learning  outcomes  as  key 
competences.  Youthpass  also  has  an  impact  on  youth  workers  and  organisations  and 
helps  them  gain  greater  awareness  of  the  value  of  their  work.  The  Youthpass  Impact 
Study 204  (2013)  revealed  that  among  80 %  of  the  participants,  Youthpass  enhances 
recognition  of  the  value  of  non-formal  education  and  youth  work  alongside  the 
usefulness and quality of the projects.  

12.3.  Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices 

Under  Key  Action  2,  Erasmus+  aims  to  improve  the  quality  of  youth  work  and  non-
formal learning for young people in Europe. It funds opportunities for youth workers and 
organisations  to  develop  innovative  approaches  and  exchange  best  practice,  while 
supporting partnerships that allow young people to boost their interpersonal skills and job 
prospects. 

Strategic  partnerships  foster  cooperation  between  organisations  in  different  countries 
engaged in youth work and non-formal learning for young people. By working together, 
the  organisations  involved  will  develop  new  approaches  to  youth  work  and  encourage 
cooperation  over  longer  periods.  Cross-sectoral  cooperation  in  the  youth  field  is  being 
taken  up  mainly  through  strategic  partnerships;  a  first  call  attracted  some  1 000 
applications and 241 projects are funded. Overall, 7 000 strategic partnership projects are 
expected to benefit in the period 2014-2020. Moreover, this action supports cooperation 
social  commitment  and 
activities 
entrepreneurial  spirit  jointly  carried  out  by  two  or  more  groups  of  young  people  from 
different countries.  

(transnational  youth 

initiatives) 

fostering 

201 See Section 9.1. 

202 http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/discover/guide/index_en.htm  

203 https://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass/  

204 https://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass/downloads/youthpass-impact-study/  

159 

 
 
 
                                                 
Capacity-building  projects  aim  at  fostering  cooperation  and  exchanges  in  the  field  of 
youth  between  countries  worldwide  to  promote  quality,  innovation  and  cooperation  in 
youth  work  and  informal  learning  for  young  people.  Youth  organisations  based  in  and 
outside the EU as well as other stakeholders involved in youth issues can participate. 700 
projects are expected to benefit in the period 2014-2020. 

12.4. 

Support for policy reform 

Last  but  not  least,  Erasmus+  supports  the  introduction,  exchange  and  promotion  of 
innovative  practices  in  the  youth  field.  The  aim  of  Key  Action  3  is  to  develop  youth 
policy  cooperation  at  European  level,  promote  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  and  encourage 
Structured Dialogue.205 

Activities  supporting  policy  dialogue  and  cooperation  on  youth  issues  can  involve 
countries  across  the  EU  as  well  as  non-EU  countries  and  international  organisations 
(notably  the  Council  of  Europe);  Structured  Dialogue  with  young  people;  and 
partnerships with European non-governmental youth organisations. 

Structured Dialogue (meetings between young people and decision-makers in the field of 
youth) projects can last from 3 to 24 months. Young people should be actively involved 
in all stages of a project from preparation to follow-up. Activities could include national 
and transnational meetings that give young people the chance to obtain information and 
debate  issues  with  decision-makers;  national  meetings  and  transnational  seminars  that 
prepare  the  ground  for  official  youth  conferences;  and  any  other  relevant  meetings, 
events, seminars, consultations or debates between young people and decision-makers.  

12.5. 

Partnership with countries neighbouring the EU 

Erasmus+,  like  its  predecessor  Youth  in  Action,  fosters  cooperation  with  partner 
countries  worldwide  and,  more  specifically,  partner  countries  neighbouring  the  EU.  It 
thus supports the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy in the relevant field of action.206 
During  the  period  covered  by  this  report,  the  Youth  in  Action  programme  supported 
youth  cooperation  with  partner  countries  in  the  world  through  a  specific  call  for 
proposals.  Erasmus+  contributes  to  international  youth  cooperation  through  capacity-
building  projects,  which  may  entail  activities  such  as  policy  dialogue,  further 
development of youth work methods or information campaigns. 

Both  Youth  in  Action  and  Erasmus+  place  specific  emphasis  on  cooperation  with 
neighbouring  partner  countries:  the  Western  Balkans,  Eastern  Partnership  countries, 
Southern  Mediterranean  countries  and  the  Russian  Federation.  Erasmus+  National 
Agencies can allocate a maximum of 25 % of the budget available for mobility projects 
for  young  people  and  youth  workers  –  by  far  the  bulk  of  the  budget  –  to  activities 
involving partner countries neighbouring the EU. The programme also supports meetings 
between young people and decision-makers in  the field  of  youth.  To  further  strengthen 

205 See Chapter 11 on Structured Dialogue. 

206 See Chapter 9 on Youth and the world. 

160 

 
 
 
                                                 
cooperation  with  neighbouring  partner  countries,  so-called  Youth  Windows  have  been 
established  (see  following  sections).  These  support  additional  joint  projects  with 
neighbouring partner countries. 

Structures such as the EU-Council of Europe youth partnership (see box), the SALTO-
YOUTH  resource  centres  for  Eastern  Europe  &  Caucasus,  South  East  Europe  and 
EuroMed,  or  the  Eastern  Partnership  Youth  Regional  Unit  (EPYRU)  contribute  to 
fostering regional cooperation. 

EU-Council of Europe partnership in the field of youth 

The EU-Council of Europe youth partnership, which stems from the close relations the 
Council of Europe and the European Commission have developed in the youth field since 
1998,  also  carries  out  activities  relating  to  ‘Youth  and  the  world’.  A  recent  external 
evaluation  of  this  partnership  showed  that  the  partnership’s  fostering  of  youth 
cooperation  with  partner  countries  –  mostly  through  symposiums  and  seminars  –  is 
highly valued by the various stakeholders in the youth field. 

The partnership’s geographic coverage spans 47 European countries (EU Member States 
and  other  Council  of  Europe  member  countries).  Regional  cooperation  is  one  of  the 
partnership’s horizontal objectives to promote young people’s participation through peer 
learning and capacity-building in specific European and neighbourhood regions: Eastern 
Europe and Caucasus, South East Europe (Western Balkans), South Mediterranean. 

The  overall  goal  of  the  EU-Council  of  Europe  youth  partnership  is  to  foster  synergies 
between  the  youth-oriented  activities  of  the  two  institutions.  The  specific  themes  are 
participation/citizenship, social inclusion, recognition and quality of youth work. 

http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/home  

12.5.1.  South East Europe and the Western Balkans Youth Window 

A 2013 study on the impact of cooperation with South East Europe within the Youth in 
Action  programme 207  showed  the  positive  effects  of  the  programme  on  a  number  of 
developments  in  the  region.  The  programme  helped  to  increase  capacities  and  build 
competencies in the field of youth through international training courses, networking and 
conferences  on  topics  relevant  to  youth  work  and  youth  policy.  It  supported  the 
principles  and  implementation  of  non-formal  learning  in  youth  work  and  enhanced  the 
intercultural and European dimension of youth cooperation also by involving local actors 
(contact points) in an advisory role as advocates of the European programmes’ objectives 
and priorities. 

A  specific  Western  Balkans  Youth  Window  was  created  in  2008  to  support  mobility 
projects  taking  place  either  in  the  EU  or  in  the  Western  Balkans.  The  annual  budget 

207 https://www.salto-youth.net/rc/see/resources/seepublications/yiaimpactsee/  

161 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
allocated to this Youth Window increased from € 1 million in 2008 to € 3 million in 2013. 
Between  2008  and  2013,  18 000  young  people  and  youth  workers  participated  in  the 
Youth Window activities, for which a total budget of € 12.9 million was provided through 
the  EU  Instrument  for  Pre-Accession  Assistance  (IPA).  Within  the  framework  of 
Erasmus+, the Western Balkans Youth Window was renewed for the period 2015-2020, 
with a budget of € 3 million for 2015. 

12.5.2.  Eastern Europe and Caucasus and the Eastern Partnership Youth Window 

EU  youth  programmes  are  always  open  to  the  Eastern  Partnership  countries  (Armenia, 
Azerbaijan,  Belarus,  Georgia,  Moldova,  Ukraine)  as  well  as  to  the  Russian  Federation, 
encouraging young people from the region to get involved in international projects in the 
field of non-formal learning. 

Successful youth cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries led to the launch of the 
Eastern  Partnership  Youth  Window  in  2012  for  the  years  2012  and  2013.  It  supported 
joint  youth  projects  between  Eastern  Partnership  countries  and  Youth  in  Action 
programme  countries.  The  Youth  Window  put  a  specific  focus  on  involving  young 
people with fewer opportunities, especially those living in rural or deprived urban areas. 
More than 37 000 young people and youth workers – some 15 000 of them from Eastern 
Partnership countries – participated in these additional activities. The Youth Window had 
a  total  budget  of  € 31.5  million,  provided  through  the  European  Neighbourhood  and 
Partnership Instrument (EPNI). The Eastern Partnership Youth Window was evaluated in 
2014. Based on this evaluation and depending on funds available, the Commission will 
decide in 2015 about the possible continuation of the Window. 

12.5.3.  Southern Mediterranean countries – EuroMed Youth 

To  strengthen  youth  cooperation  with  Southern  Mediterranean  countries,  a  EuroMed 
Youth  Programme  was  launched  back  in  1999.  During  the  programming  period  2007-
2013,  around  8 000  young  people  and  youth  leaders  were  beneficiaries.  The  current 
EuroMed Youth  IV programme runs from 2010 to  2016 with an overall budget of € 11 
million.  Like  the  two  regional  Youth  Windows,  EuroMed  Youth  IV  supports  youth 
exchanges,  voluntary  service  projects  and  training  and  networking  activities  for  youth 
workers. 

The  accreditation  process  for  European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS)  organisations  in  the 
region started in 2013 with the aim of further increasing the quantity and quality of EVS 
projects in EuroMed countries. Training courses offered to youth workers and NGOs aim 
to create new competencies and to strengthen contacts between young people and foster 
mutual understanding against a background of political change and instability. 

the  Commission  established 

In  cooperation  with  UNESCO, 
the  Networks  of 
Mediterranean  Youth  programme  (Net-Med  Youth)  (2014-2017)  to  improve  the 
opportunities  for  young  people  to  have  a  real  say  in  shaping  legislation  and  national 
planning in the Southern Mediterranean partner countries. The specific objectives of the 
programme are to build the capacities of youth organisations and to enhance networking 
among  them  in  order  to  reduce  fragmentation  of  efforts  and  harness  the  collective 

162 

 
 
 
potential of young people for achieving democratic transition towards active citizenship, 
political participation and social inclusion. 

The  Commission  also  launched  a  European  Parliament  preparatory  action  ‘New  Euro-
Mediterranean  initiative  for  youth  employment  promotion’  (2014-2016)  to  facilitate 
learning,  networking  and  exchange  of  experience  for  new  young  professionals  through 
periods spent working in SMEs run by experienced entrepreneurs in another country. 

163 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNEXES 

Annex 1: Abbreviations 

EU Member States 208 

BE 
BG 
CZ 
DK 
DE 
EE 
IE 
EL 
ES 
FR 
HR 
IT 
CY 
LV 
LT 
LU 
HU 
MT 
NL 
AT 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SI 
SK 
FI 
SE 
UK 

Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Czech Republic 
Denmark  
Germany  
Estonia  
Ireland  
Greece  
Spain  
France  
Croatia 
Italy  
Cyprus  
Latvia  
Lithuania  
Luxembourg  
Hungary  
Malta  
Netherlands  
Austria  
Poland  
Portugal  
Romania  
Slovenia  
Slovakia  
Finland  
Sweden  
United Kingdom 

Non-EU Member States 

IS 
RS 
TR 

Iceland 
Republic of Serbia 
Turkey 

208 Roman alphabetical order of the countries’ geographical names in the original language(s). 

164 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Other Abbreviations 

CoE 
EACEA 
EEA 
EFTA 
EKCYP 
EQF 
ESF 
EU 
EURES 
EVS 
EYD2015 
FP7 

Council of Europe 
Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency  
European Economic Area 
European Free Trade Association 
European Knowledge Centre on Youth Policy 
European Qualifications Framework 
European Social Fund 
European Union 
European Employment Services 
European Voluntary Service 
European Year for Development 2015 
Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological 
development (2007-2013) 
The EU’s research and innovation programme (2014-2020) 
EU-China High Level People-to-People Dialogue 
Information and communication technology 
International Labour Organisation 
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex 
Not in employment, education or training 
Non-governmental organisation 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development  
Official Journal of the European Union 
Pool of European Youth Researchers 

Horizon 2020 
HPPD 
ICT 
ILO 
LGBTI 
NEET 
NGO 
OECD 
OJ 
PEYR 
SALTO-YOUTH  Support,  Advanced  Learning  and  Training  Opportunities  within  the 

SME 
TFEU 
UN 
UNCRC 
UNICEF 
VET 
WHO 
YfEJ 
YFJ 

European YOUTH programme 
Small and medium-sized enterprise 
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 
United Nations 
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 
United Nations Children’s Fund 
Vocational education and training 
World Health Organization 
Your first EURES Job 
European Youth Forum 

165 

 
 
 
 
Annex 2: Council resolutions and conclusions on youth (2010-2015) 

11 May 2010 

Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States, meeting within the Council, on the active inclusion of young people: combating 
unemployment and poverty 

OJ C 137, 27.5.2010, p. 1-6 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:42010X0527%2801%29 

19 November 2010 

Council  conclusions  of  19  November  2010  on  the  European  and  International  Policy 
Agendas on Children, Youth and Children’s Rights  

OJ C 326, 3.12.2010, p. 1-1 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52010XG1203%2801%29 

Council conclusions of 19 November 2010 on access of young people to culture 

OJ C 326, 3.12.2010, p. 2-3 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52010XG1203%2802%29 

Council conclusions of 19 November 2010 on the ‘Youth on the Move’ initiative — an 
integrated approach in response to the challenges young people face 

OJ C 326, 3.12.2010, p. 9-11 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2010.326.01.0009.01.ENG 

Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States, meeting within the Council, on youth work 

OJ C 327, 4.12.2010, p. 1-5 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:42010Y1204(01)  

166 

 
 
 
 
 
 
19 May 2011 

Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States,  meeting  within  the  Council,  on  the  Structured  Dialogue  with  young  people  on 
youth employment 

OJ C 164, 2.6.2011, p. 1-4 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2011.164.01.0001.01.ENG 

Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States,  meeting  within  the  Council,  on  encouraging  new  and  effective  forms  of 
participation of all young people in democratic life in Europe 

OJ C 169, 9.6.2011, p. 1-5 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:42011Y0609%2801%29 

28 November 2011 

Council conclusions on the eastern dimension of youth participation and mobility  

OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, p. 10-14 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52011XG1220%2801%29 

11 May 2012 

Council conclusions of 11 May 2012 on fostering the creative and innovative potential of 
young people  

OJ C 169, 15.6.2012, p. 1-4 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2012.169.01.0001.01.ENG 

27 November 2012 

Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States,  meeting  within  the  Council,  on  the  overview  of  the  Structured  Dialogue  with 
young people on youth participation in democratic life in Europe  

OJ C 380, 11.12.2012, p. 1-4 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:42012Y1211%2801%29 

167 

 
 
 
 
 
Conclusions  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the 
Member States, meeting within the Council, of 27 November 2012 on the participation 
and social inclusion of young people with emphasis on those with a migrant background  

OJ C 393, 19.12.2012, p. 15-19 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2012.393.01.0015.01.ENG 

16 May 2013  

Council conclusions on the contribution of quality youth work to the development, well-
being and social inclusion of young people  

OJ C 168, 14.6.2013, p. 5-9  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2013.168.01.0005.01.ENG  

Council conclusions on maximising the potential of youth policy in addressing the goals 
of the Europe 2020 strategy  

OJ C 224, 3.8.2013, p. 2-6  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2013.224.01.0002.01.ENG 

25 November 2013 

Council  conclusions  on  enhancing  the  social  inclusion  of  young  people  not  in 
employment, education or training  

OJ C 30, 1.2.2014, p. 5-8 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2014.030.01.0005.01.ENG 

20 May 2014 

Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States,  meeting  within  the  Council,  of  20  May  2014  on  the  overview  of  the  Structured 
Dialogue process including social inclusion of young people 

OJ C 183, 14.6.2014, p. 1-4  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2014.183.01.0001.01.ENG 

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Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States, meeting within the Council, of 20 May 2014 on a European Union Work Plan for 
Youth for 2014-2015  

OJ C 183, 14.6.2014, p. 5-11  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2014.183.01.0005.01.ENG 

Council  conclusions  of  20  May  2014  on  promoting  youth  entrepreneurship  to  foster 
social inclusion of young people 

OJ C 183, 14.6.2014, p. 18-21  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2014.183.01.0018.01.ENG 

12 December 2014 

Council conclusions on promoting young people’s access to rights in order to foster their 
autonomy and participation in civil society 

OJ C 18, 21.1.2015, p. 1-4 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52015XG0121%2801%29 

18 May 2015 

Council conclusions on reinforcing youth work to ensure cohesive societies 

OJ C 170, 23.5.2015, p. 2-3 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=OJ:JOC_2015_170_R_0002  

Council  conclusions  on  enhancing  cross-sectorial  policy  cooperation  to  effectively 
address socio-economic challenges facing young people 

OJ C 172, 27.5.2015, p. 3-7 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=OJ:JOC_2015_172_R_0002  

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