REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Interim evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027
Date: 2024-04-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU strategy, European cooperation, education policy, equal treatment, job access, social integration, social participation, young person, youth employment, youth policy

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 11.4.2024  COM(2024) 162 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Interim evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 {SWD(2024) 90 final}  
 
 
1. 

2. 

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 2 

IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................................................................................... 3 

3.  MAIN EVALUATION FINDINGS ....................................................................................................... 4 

Effectiveness, efficiency and coherence – to what extent is the EU Youth Strategy 

3.1. 
successful? .......................................................................................................................................... 4 

3.2 

EU added value – how has the EU Youth Strategy made a difference so far and for whom?
10 

3.3 

Relevance – is the EU Youth Strategy still relevant? ............................................................ 10 

4.  CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED ...................................................................................... 10 

4.1 Overall conclusions and lessons learned .................................................................................... 10 

4.2 Youth participation and Youth mainstreaming ........................................................................... 11 

4.3 Enabling instruments .................................................................................................................. 14 

4.4 Scope for simplification............................................................................................................... 15 

4.5 Way ahead .................................................................................................................................. 15 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION  

The EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (the EUYS) is the framework for EU cooperation 
in the youth field based on a Council Resolution of 18 December 2018 1. The EUYS fosters 
young people’s participation in democratic life, in line with Article 165  TFEU, supports 
their  social  and  civic  engagement  and  aims  to  ensure  that  all  young  people  have  the 
necessary means to participate in society.  

EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 overall objectives 

−  enable young people to be architects of their own lives, support their personal 

development and growth to autonomy, build their resilience and equip them with 
life skills to cope with a changing world; 

−  encourage and equip young people with the necessary resources to become active 
citizens, agents of solidarity and positive change inspired by EU values and a 
European identity;  
improve policy decisions with regard to their impact on young people across all 
sectors (notably employment, education, health and social inclusion); 

− 

−  contribute to the eradication of youth poverty and all forms of discrimination and 

promote the social inclusion of young people. 

The  EUYS  engages,  connects  and  empowers  young  people,  and  advances  youth 
participation  and  youth  mainstreaming  across  policy  areas.  It  encourages  the 
development of youth policies, in synergy with other policies that target young people (e.g. 
education and training, employment, health, culture and the environment) to help achieve 
the 11 European Youth Goals 2.  

The European Commission has carried out an interim evaluation of the EUYS as foreseen 
in  the  Council  Resolution,  supported  by  an  external  study  (carried  out  in  February-
December  2023)  and  consultations.  It  assessed  the  effectiveness,  efficiency,  relevance, 
coherence  and  added  value  of  the  EUYS  at  mid-term.  An  inter-service  group  of 
Commission departments oversaw the evaluation. 

The  evaluation  has  confirmed  the  continued  relevance  of  the  EUYS  as  a  strategic 
framework for cooperation on youth. It has also identified some areas for improvement, 
including to further accelerate youth mainstreaming across policy fields towards the longer-
term  overall  objectives,  together  with  continuing  to  strengthen  inclusive  youth 
participation,  to  enhance  communication  and  to  reduce  Member  States’  reporting.  This 
report  presents  the  main  evaluation  findings  and  proposes  ways  forward.  The 
accompanying staff working document provides details on the findings, consultations and 
method.  

1 Resolution of the Council of the European Union and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the 

Council on a framework for European cooperation in the youth field: The European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 

2 European Youth Goals | European Youth Portal (europa.eu) 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  evaluation  complements  the  Communication  on  the  European  Year  of  Youth 
2022 3. Both aim to support any follow-up by the Council, including a potential mid-term 
review and the EUYS  Work Plan for 2025-2027, and to initiate discussions on the  next 
EUYS after 2027. 

2.  IMPLEMENTATION  

The EUYS, as a strategic framework for policy cooperation between the EU’s Member 
States  and  the  Commission,  relies  on  the  open  method  of  coordination  and  the 
commitment  of  all  stakeholders  to  act  towards  common  objectives  and  create  effects  at 
different levels.  

The EUYS operates in 3-year work cycles, at the end of which the Commission reports on 
progress in the triennial EU Youth Report. The priorities are set by the Council together 
with the Commission in EUYS Work Plans, spanning two Council presidency trios. The 
overarching thematic priority for 2019-2021 was ‘Creating opportunities for youth’. For 
2022-2024, it is ‘Engaging together for a sustainable and inclusive Europe’ 4. 

Figure 1. Timeline of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 

3 Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth 2022 
4 Resolution of the Council of  the  European  Union  and the  representatives  of  the  Governments of the Member States  meeting  within the 

Council on the revision of the EU Youth Strategy Work Plan 2022-2024 2023/C 185/05 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
The implementation of the EUYS is supported by instruments, which are funded by the 
Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes (e.g. the EU Youth Dialogue, the 
European Youth Portal and the European Youth Work Agenda5).  

The European Year of Youth 2022 boosted work on the objectives and instruments of 
the  EU  Youth  Strategy  through  its  mobilisation  and  outreach 6.  New  opportunities  for 
young people to engage included the policy dialogues with European Commissioners and 
the citizens’ panels launched during the Conference on the Future of Europe.  

3.  MAIN EVALUATION FINDINGS 

Based on the Commission’s Better Regulation Guidelines 7, the evaluation draws on the 
evidence provided by an external study 8. The period covered was 2019-2022 and part of 
2023. The evaluation shows an overall positive assessment across all evaluation criteria 
and supports the EUYS’s continuing implementation. 

3.1.Effectiveness, efficiency and coherence – to what extent is the EU Youth Strategy 

successful?  

Effectiveness 

The evaluation found that the EUYS is an effective strategic cooperation framework that 
draws attention to youth in EU-level policymaking and alignment with EU programmes, 
positively  influences  youth  policies  in  EU  Member  States,  enhances  the  work  of  youth 
organisations  and  directly  benefits  young  people  through  the  EUYS  instruments.  It  has 
contributed  to  encouraging  youth  participation  and  solidarity  and  supporting  youth 
empowerment and active citizenship. The main findings related to key instruments are 
highlighted below: 

➢  The  EU  Youth  Dialogue  (EUYD) 9 is  the  largest  EU-level  participatory  instrument  for 
involving  young  people  in  policymaking.  Other  participatory  actions  (such  as  policy 
dialogues with European Commissioners, the EU Children’s Participation Platform and the 
Youth Sounding Board in EU external action) have also emphasised the role of dialogue 
between EU policymakers and youth.  

The  EUYD  has  facilitated  greater  outreach  and  engagement  with  youth.  However,  the 
evaluation found limited evidence on the EUYD’s direct and systematic influence on EU 
and national policymaking and follow-up. Stakeholders are not always aware of the final 
recommendations and follow-up. The role of national youth councils in the EUYD could 
also be clarified.  

5 EU Youth Strategy | European Youth Portal (europa.eu) 
6 Page 3 of the Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth 2022 (europa.eu). 
7https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/planning-and-proposing-law/better-regulation-why-and-how/better-regulation-guidelines-
and-toolbox_en. 
8 Support study for the Interim evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 
9 EU Youth Dialogue | European Youth Portal (europa.eu) 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There is scope to:  

✓  enhance mechanisms for feeding EUYD recommendations to policymakers and 

sharing information about follow-up at EU and national level; 

✓  boost  the  EUYD  process  and  outreach,  to  involve  hard-to-reach  groups  (e.g. 
young  people  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds,  and  those  not  in  employment, 
education or training and rural youth) and maintain the progress made for minorities 
and young people with disabilities; 

✓  support  the  preparation  of  young  people  for  the  EUYD  and  systematically 

involve national youth councils;  

✓  map  synergies  between  participation  initiatives  in  democratic  processes  at  all 
levels,  and  support  civil  society  organisations  in  navigating  and  promoting  the 
opportunities.  

➢  The EU Youth Coordinator’s role is to enhance cross-sectoral cooperation and knowledge 
on youth in the Commission and to work with stakeholders  for  communication to young 
people. The role was established in June 2021 and the EU Youth Coordinator has become a 
front  runner  in  supporting  youth  mainstreaming.  The  Youth  Network  of  youth 
correspondents  in  the  Commission,  which  was  announced  in  the  Communication  on  the 
European Year of Youth, will support the EU Youth Coordinator in these efforts. 

There is scope to: 

✓  build on the EU Youth Coordinator achievements for more stakeholder engagement, 
interinstitutional involvement and cooperation on youth. The evaluation found that 
the EU Youth Coordinator’s mandate is extensive and requires attention and support 
for cooperation and communication with external stakeholders. 

➢  The Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes remain the main and best-

known EUYS instruments.  

The evaluation found that there is good alignment between the EUYS objectives and the 
programmes, for example in the Erasmus+ youth participation activities, DiscoverEU and 
in  support  for  youth  work.  The  formal  education  and  training  strands  of  Erasmus+  also 
contribute to youth engagement and empowering young people. The European Solidarity 
Corps aligns with the EUYS through volunteering. The programmes’ horizontal priorities 
(inclusion  and  diversity,  the  environment  and  climate  change,  digital  transformation, 
participation and civic engagement, training and cooperation activities and SALTOs 10) 
facilitate links.  

Other EU programmes and schemes that benefit young people include Horizon Europe; 
EU cohesion policy funds (including the ESF+, the ERDF, the Just Transition Fund and the 
Cohesion  Fund);  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility;  Digital  Europe;  the  Citizens, 
Equality, Rights and Values programme; EU4Health; Creative Europe and the Technical 
Support Instrument. 

10 SALTO  (Support  for  Advanced  Learning  and  Training  Opportunities)  resource  centres  provide  expertise  and  services  to  the  national 

agencies of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps 

5 

 
 
 
  There is scope to: 

✓  safeguard links between the EUYS and Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps; 
promote opportunities for young people; and further explore synergies with other EU 
and national programmes/funds. 

➢  The European Youth Portal is one of the top 10 most visited websites on europa.eu 
and a well-known  channel  among  young people  and stakeholders  for opportunities and 
initiatives.  Youth  information  and  support  is  also  provided  by  national  agencies,  the 
Eurodesk network and civil society organisations. 

The European Year of Youth has revitalised the European Youth Portal with its activity 
map  and  new  tools  for  young  people  to  make  their  voices  heard.  Thanks  to  these 
innovations, the Portal now provides young people with a platform for engaging.  

There is scope to: 

✓  keep  developing  the  European  Youth  Portal  with  user-friendly  content  for 

target groups in line with policy developments.  

➢  The European Youth Work Agenda (EYWA)11 complements the EUYS, strengthening 
the  policy  base  for  quality  youth  work.  The  EU-Council  of  Europe  Youth 
Partnership  12 supports  the  EYWA  with  knowledge  and  evidence,  notably  through  a 
Steering Group 13. EU youth programmes also support youth work and the Youthpass 14 
and contribute to the recognition of youth work.  

There is scope for:  
✓  mutual learning activities on the EYWA in the joint effort between the Commission, 
EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership, Member States and stakeholders, because 
Member States are at different stages of youth work development. 

➢  Learning mobility is key to youth engagement, connectivity and empowerment and to the 
implementation of the European Education Area. The Council Recommendation of 2022 
on the mobility of young volunteers 15 was a deliverable of the European Year of Youth 
and  will  facilitate  youth  volunteering  in  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  and  national 
schemes. It was  followed in November 2023 by a Commission proposal for a Council 
Recommendation  ‘Europe  on  the  Move’  –  learning  mobility  opportunities  for 
everyone 16.  

11   Resolution  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States  meeting  within  the  Council  on  the 

Framework for establishing a European Youth Work Agenda 2020/C 415/01 
12 About the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership - Youth Partnership (coe.int) 
13 Steering Group on the European Youth Work Agenda - Youth Partnership (coe.int) 
14 Welcome to Youthpass – Youthpass 
15 Council Recommendation of 5  April  2022  on the  mobility  of  young  volunteers across the  European  Union  (Text  with  EEA  relevance) 

2022/C 157/01 

16 Proposal for a Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the Move’ – learning mobility opportunities for everyone as part of the Talent Mobility 

package. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There is scope for:  

✓  mutual  learning  activities  to  support  Member  States  and  stakeholders  in  the 

implementation of the mobility recommendations. 

➢  Youth  mainstreaming  and  youth  participation  are  encouraged  by  the  EUYS  across 
policy areas at all levels to ensure that impacts on youth are considered when designing 
policies.  

The evaluation found an increased emphasis on youth in EU strategies and policies. The 
Commission  Communication  on  the  comprehensive  approach  to  mental  health is  a 
prominent  example17.  The  European  Year  of  Youth  and  the  EU  Youth  Coordinator 
have contributed to this increased cooperation on youth. 

At national level, the impact of the EUYS has been more to influence policy agendas and 
practices,  rather  than  to  trigger  the  development  of  new  national  strategies.  The  EUYS 
continues  to  be  a  catalyst  for  national  youth  policy  alignment  and  development,  by 
empowering youth stakeholders and enhancing their legitimacy (including in the eyes of 
policymakers from other sectors).  

The evaluation  did  not  cover the  use of youth mainstreaming instruments (e.g. youth 
checks  and  youth  tests).  However,  national  policymakers  in  Belgium  (the  Flemish 
Community), Germany, France and Austria have mentioned their positive experience with 
such tools. A forthcoming analytical report by the Commission to be published in 2024 will 
present an overview of youth mainstreaming approaches in the Member States. This will 
make  it  easier  to  exchange  good  practices  and  organise  peer  learning  activities  among 
interested Member States.  

In  January  2024,  the  Commission  Communication  on  the  European  Year  of  Youth 
2022 18 announced actions to give young people a greater say in the decisions that affect 
them and deepen the youth dimension across a range of EU policies. When designing EU 
policies, the Commission will use the full potential of youth mainstreaming as part of the 
Commission’s Better Regulation framework and toolbox, resulting in a youth check. This 
will be complemented by the youth-specific instruments under the EUYS. 

There is scope to: 

✓  ensure effective follow-up of the actions to strengthen the youth dimension in EU 
policymaking, and related synergies, and to support Member States wishing to adopt 
similar approaches in national policymaking.  

➢  The Youth Action Plan in EU external action19, which was adopted in October 2022 as 
a  deliverable  of  the  European  Year  of  Youth,  has  strengthened  the  international 
dimension of the EUYS. It helps deliver on EU international commitments and promote 

17 Commission Communication of 7 June 2023 on a comprehensive approach to mental health (europa.eu) 
18 Commission Communication of 10 January 2024 on the European Year of Youth 2022 (europa.eu) 
19 Youth Action Plan (Joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative) 

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EU  values  by  enhancing  youth  participation  and  empowerment  in  EU  external  action 
policies.  

The  international  impact  of  the  EUYS  is  also  demonstrated  in  knowledge-building  and 
cooperation, the EU-Council of Europe Youth partnership, and positive perceptions among 
international organisations such as UNICEF. The participation of non-EU countries in the 
Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps supports the international reach of the Strategy. 

There is scope to: 

✓  further promote the implementation of the Youth Action Plan in EU external action. 

➢  Communicating on the EUYS has succeeded in providing information about the funding 
opportunities.  Stakeholders have a positive opinion of the EUYS, linked to high awareness 
and  a  positive  view  of  the  Erasmus+  and  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  programmes. 
Communication has been less successful about other activities.  

The evaluation found a lack of communication products targeting policymakers and civil 
society  organisations.  The  EU  Youth  Report  contains  a  lot  of  information  on  EUYS 
progress, but the frequency and format may hamper its use by stakeholders.  

Young people 20 have suggested that even more could be done to use suitable styles and 
channels for communication to young people.  

There is scope to:  

✓  communicate better about the EU Youth Dialogue, mutual learning activities, youth 

mainstreaming and the knowledge base; 

✓  develop communication products for policymakers and civil society organisations; 
✓  test communication products with young people.  

➢  The EUYS monitoring and evidence base has been reinforced by the publication of an 
updated EU Youth Dashboard 21 during the European Year of Youth 22. The Erasmus+ and 
European Solidarity Corps dashboards and annual reports, and national agencies, provide 
data on the programmes. The Youth Wiki23 provides data on national policies, comparative 
maps and reports. The EU Youth Report mainly uses these data sources. However, it is not 
easy to have an overview and user-friendly access to data for stakeholders.  

There is scope to: 

✓  improve the way of addressing limitations in data availability for stakeholders, to 

facilitate the use of data for monitoring, communication and policymaking. 

20 This observation is based on qualitative information obtained in focus groups with young people as part of the evaluation. 
21 EU dashboard - Youth - Eurostat (europa.eu) 
22 The 2021 final report for the Proposal for an updated dashboard of EU Youth indicators. 
23 Youthwiki: Europe’s Encyclopedia of National Youth Policies (europa.eu) 

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Efficiency 

The EUYS has been cost-effective in delivering value for money at EU level. The modest 
costs of the EUYS appear proportionate. Stakeholders have agreed that its benefits have 
outweighed  its  costs.  The  EUYS  has  not  imposed  significant  administrative  burdens  on 
public authorities or other stakeholders. 

There is scope for: 

✓  further improvements to simplify the Future National Activity Planners (a tool for the 
Commission  to  gather  information  on  national  youth  policies)  and  reduce  Member 
States’ reporting.  

Coherence 

The  EUYS  operates  in  synergy  with  many  EU  policies,  through  shared  priorities, 
objectives and values24. One example is the synergy between youth participation and 
child participation25. The EU Children’s Participation Platform 26 involves children in EU 
decision-making and supports their active participation in democratic life, contributing to 
youth participation and active citizenship in the EUYS. The Citizenship Package27 supports 
democratic  participation  of  young  citizens.  The  Defence  of  Democracy  package  28 
underlines the importance of participation by young people and children in democratic life, 
supports young voters, and refers to best practices, including the EU Youth Dialogue 29. 
Youth participation is a pillar of the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) 
30. Another example is the synergy with demography policies prioritising gender equality, 
non-discrimination and intergenerational fairness.31 

The  EUYS  is  consistent  with  international  obligations  by  reflecting  some  of  the  UN 
Sustainable Development Goals, but there is scope to communicate on links. 

There is scope to:  

✓  showcase synergies between the EUYS and related policy fields, in particular those 
highlighted  in  the  Communication  on  the  European  Year  of  Youth  (health  and 
wellbeing, the environment and climate change, education and training, international 
cooperation and European values, employment and inclusion). 

24 For example, with the EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 and the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025. 
25 Communication from the Commission on the EU strategy on the rights of the child, COM (2021) 142 final. 
26 EU Children’s Participation Platform | European Union (europa.eu) 
27 Citizenship Package - European Commission (europa.eu) 
28 Protecting democracy - European Commission (europa.eu) 
29 Commission Recommendation on promoting the engagement and effective participation of citizens and civil society organisations in public 

policy-making processes  

30 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the 

Committee of the Regions A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) 

31 Communication: 'Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action' 

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EU added value – how has the EU Youth Strategy made a difference so far and 

3.2 
for whom?  

The EUYS has provided added value beyond what Member States could achieve on their 
own by: 

facilitating knowledge-sharing and exchange of experience; 

• 
•  acting as an example and catalyst for national and international policy development;  
•  creating collective responsibility to tackle youth challenges at the EU level;  
• 

increasing  the  understanding  of  youth  as  a  complex  group  that  requires  holistic 
approaches. 

Discontinuing  the EUYS  would  have  negative consequences,  such as a decreasing  the 
importance of youth issues for decision-makers, limiting cross-sectoral cooperation at EU 
level and slowing progress in national youth policy development. 

3.3 

Relevance – is the EU Youth Strategy still relevant?  

According  to  stakeholder  consultations,  the  most  pressing  challenges  faced  by  young 
people  in  2019-2023  include  the  cost  of  living,  financial  stability  and  poverty;  mental 
health  and  well-being;  youth  unemployment;  the  environment  and  climate  change;  and 
youth participation in decision-making.  

The EUYS has generally remained relevant to youth needs due to its broad objectives and 
the  European  Youth  Goals.  The  European  Year  of  Youth  has  boosted  its  relevance 
through the intensified cooperation on youth between all relevant stakeholders. Based on 
the consultations, the EUYS could however more visibly address the impact of some of the 
new/re-surging challenges (e.g. cost of living).  

There is scope to: 

✓  give  greater  visibility  to  efforts  to  strengthen  youth  mainstreaming  at  EU  and 

national levels in areas of youth needs. 

4.  CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED 

4.1 Overall conclusions and lessons learned 

The evaluation has underlined the effectiveness and continued importance of the EUYS 
as a strategic framework for EU cooperation, knowledge-sharing and peer learning, by 
channelling  resources  and  concerted  action  towards  common  objectives  in  addressing 
youth challenges and complementing Member States’ action and initiatives. In particular, 
the  EUYS  remains  vital  as  a  ‘catalyst’  for  policy  alignment  and  development.  It  is  an 
example/model for national youth strategies and youth policy developments (particularly 
in Member States that do not have a national youth strategy or where it is being constructed 
or renewed) to support the convergence of policy approaches. This role also extends beyond 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
the EU, as demonstrated in the Youth Action Plan in EU external action through which the 
EUYS can also inspire non-EU countries to adopt similar approaches. 

The evaluation has highlighted the continuing relevance of the EUYS objectives, with 
their  strong  focus  on  inclusion  and  diversity,  and  on  youth  participation  and  civic 
engagement. In general, the broadness of the objectives and the European Youth Goals 
were found to respond to a range of challenges and needs of young people.  

Nevertheless, consultation has indicated that there is scope to tackle more visibly the impact 
on young people of new/resurging challenges (particularly the cost of living; housing; the 
environment  and climate; digitalisation; physical and mental  health  and well-being; and 
challenges  for  rural  youth).  This  underlines  the  importance  of  the  dual  approach  of  the 
EUYS, i.e. to pursue youth mainstreaming across policy areas, relying on strong youth 
participation  and  youth  representation;  and  to  mobilise  and  enhance  the  specific 
instruments and initiatives in the youth sector. 

The  2022  European  Year  of  Youth  brought  the  EU  closer  to  young  people,  raising 
awareness  of  the  many  opportunities  available  to  them.  It  boosted  youth  participation 
and  accelerated  youth  mainstreaming  and  increased  the  relevance  of  the  EUYS. 
Sustaining  and  building  on 
the  Commission 
Communication on the European Year of Youth 2022 32, will reinforce the implementation 
and performance of the EUYS in the coming years. 

these  positive  effects,  based  on 

The  main  conclusions  and  lessons  learned  from  the  evaluation  are  geared  towards 
enhancing the influence of the EUYS by further boosting some of its instruments. These 
are highlighted below.  

4.2 Youth participation and Youth mainstreaming 

➢  EU Youth Dialogue: becoming more inclusive, attention to follow-up 

The EU Youth Dialogue needs to continue evolving and growing. It is vital to safeguard 
the progress on inclusion achieved over the last three cycles; to keep up the progress in 
involving young people from minority groups and young people with disabilities; and to 
increase  the  participation  in  the  EU  Youth  Dialogue  process  of  any  under-represented 
groups (including young people not in education, employment or training, and rural youth). 
Fine-tuning  outreach  and  communication  can  be  part  of  the  measures,  as  can  better 
preparation  and  support  of  participants  (particularly  young  people  with  fewer 
opportunities).  

A  key  area  for  attention  is  to  further  develop  and  support  a  process  to  channel 
recommendations  from  the  EU  Youth  Dialogue  to  relevant  stakeholders  at  all  levels 
(particularly policymakers). There is also a need for mechanisms for informing participants 
and stakeholders about the follow-up planned at EU and national level. At EU level, the 
Commission will align the EU Youth Dialogue’s focus more closely with the Commission 
work  programme.  Strengthening  the  EU  Youth  Dialogue  is  a  key  action  in  the 

32 Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth 2022 (europa.eu) 

11 

 
 
 
 
Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth (including reflection on 
how to link it with the youth check). This reflection is important both for the third cycle of 
the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and for the successor post-2027 strategy.  

It  would  also  be  opportune  to  create  more  synergies  with  other  youth  participation 
instruments (e.g. the EU Children’s Participation Platform) at EU and national level for 
visibility, and to undertake joint efforts to engage young people and youth representatives 
with the help of civil society organisations and networks.  

Priority actions to further develop youth participation and the EU Youth Dialogue are set 
out in the Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth.  

➢  Youth Mainstreaming: accelerate, build on and press ahead 

The evaluation has highlighted examples of EU policy initiatives that have incorporated 
the  youth  perspective.  Some  also  refer  explicitly  to  the  EUYS  (e.g.  the  Commission 
Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health, which was developed with 
input  from  young  people 33).  However,  although  there  are  many  synergies  between  EU 
policies,  there  is  limited  evidence  of  concrete  actions  to  exploit  complementarities  and 
synergies, and this highlights the scope for further enhanced cooperation at EU level. 

Based  on  the  Commission  Communication  on  the  European  Year  of  Youth,  there  is  an 
opportunity to step up efforts at all levels to make further progress in youth mainstreaming 
across all policy fields, including through concrete mainstreaming instruments.  

When  designing  EU  policies,  the  Commission  will  use  the  full  potential  of  youth 
mainstreaming  as  part  of  the  Commission’s  Better  Regulation  framework  and  toolbox, 
resulting in a youth check. Finetuning and piloting the approach is on-going in 2024, with 
a view to applying the youth check on relevant new initiatives of the Commission’s annual 
work programme as  from  2025. Efforts  will  also include better  outreach to  civil society 
organisations,  networks  and  young  people  in  order  to  encourage  them  to  take  part  in 
consultations  for  new  EU  initiatives,  including  in  citizens’  panels.  A  new  Youth 
Stakeholders’ platform will be set up, with a first meeting in autumn 2024, to facilitate 
exchanges with youth organisations, youth researchers, Member State representatives and 
other  EU  institutions.  Also  in  2024,  continuing  youth  policy  dialogues  with  European 
Commissioners, organising youth mainstreaming roundtables and regularly mobilising 
the internal Commission Youth Network (particularly through the EU Youth Coordinator) 
will also be important ways to enhance mainstreaming. 

The  Commission  will  also  support  national  efforts  by  organising  mutual  learning 
activities on youth mainstreaming in cooperation with Member States, to exchange views 
on how to involve young people and civil society organisations and to take account of the 
youth  perspective  in  national  policymaking  processes  with  an  impact  on  youth.  The 
Commission  also  encourages  Member  States  to  appoint  national  or  regional  youth 
coordinators, following the example of the EU Youth Coordinator.  

33 For example, through the Youth Cancer Survivors conference and the Youth Policy Dialogue on mental health in February 2023. 

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Member States and the  Commission  could also  identify  specific  areas for  intensifying 
synergies and complementarities (e.g. between youth participation under the EUYS and 
children’s participation under the EU Strategy on the  Rights of the Child and the Better 
internet for kids strategy (BIK+), and with national policies and initiatives in these areas) 
in conjunction with the measures for inclusive civic engagement and participation for EU 
democratic resilience outlined in the Commission’s Defence of Democracy package 34.  

Member  States  and  the  Commission  could  also  collaborate  on  specific  policies  and 
initiatives.  Examples  include  targeting  the  mental  health  challenges  of  young  people; 
considering  interconnections  with  digital  life,  including  artificial  intelligence,  sport  and 
culture; and pursuing holistic approaches on the basis of the Commission Communication 
on a comprehensive approach to mental health 35 and Council Conclusions 36. As a further 
example, the Commission works closely with the Member States through the subgroup on 
mental health of the Public Health Expert Group 37. Similar collaboration can be facilitated 
in  other  key  areas,  based  on  the  challenges  identified  by  young  people  and  youth 
stakeholders. Public authorities at national and regional level can also request support under 
the EU Technical Support Instrument to design and implement policies targeted to young 
people.  

There is also a need and scope to increase engagement with stakeholders, communicating 
better on the youth mainstreaming objective and  cross-sectoral nature of the EUYS, and 
spreading and raising awareness about successful youth mainstreaming at all levels.  

Priority actions to further strengthen youth mainstreaming are set out in the Commission 
Communication on the European Year of Youth.  

➢  EU Youth Coordinator: instrumental for youth mainstreaming, attention to role 

The  evaluation  has  shown  that  the  EU  Youth  Coordinator  is  a  frontrunner  for  youth 
mainstreaming at EU level, notably through the internal Commission Youth Network; and 
that  it  has  high  potential  and  is  important  for  the  continued  efforts  to  promote  the 
involvement of young people. Stakeholder  feedback  has  indicated  that there is  scope  to 
increase  the  visibility  of  the  role  and  work  of  the  EU  Youth  Coordinator  to  external 
stakeholders;  and  to  better  communicate  and  potentially  further  clarify  the  mandate, 
which is very broad.  

Building on the positive experiences during the European Year of Youth, the EU Youth 
Coordinator  will  be  able  to  rely  on  a  Youth  Stakeholders’  platform  for  consultations, 
discussions,  exchanges  and  co-creation,  by  a  community  of  practice  that  involves 
stakeholders at all levels and will boost the EUYS’s participatory governance.  

34 Documents on Defence of Democracy - European Commission (europa.eu) 
35 Commission Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health (europa.eu) 
36 Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on a comprehensive approach to the mental 

health of young people in the European Union 

37 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en 

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4.3 Enabling instruments 

➢  EU programmes: explore further synergies 

Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps are key instruments for supporting the EUYS 
at EU level. It is therefore important to safeguard links between these programmes and the 
EUYS objectives and activities. There is also scope to further explore synergies between 
these  programmes  and  other  programmes/funds/instruments  at  EU  level  (e.g.  Horizon 
Europe, cohesion policy funds and the Technical Support Instrument) as well as national 
programmes/funds. The Commission’s Youth Network as well as mutual learning activities 
can facilitate this. 

➢  Youth information and communication: development of a communication plan 

There is scope to communicate the EUYS and its interlinked components and outcomes 
more  clearly,  to  target  communication  more  towards  policymakers  and  civil  society 
organisations/practitioners,  and  to  finetune  products  on  the  European  Youth  Portal  for 
young  people.  This  could  be  addressed  by  developing  a  communication  plan  for  the 
EUYS.  

➢  Evidence-based tools: continuous improvement, attention to communication 

Continuous  efforts  are  needed  to  provide  and  communicate  relevant  data  on  the 
implementation  and  performance  of  the  EUYS  and  on  the  evolving  situation  of  young 
people to all stakeholders in a timely and user-friendly way. The evaluation has identified 
a need to better capitalise on achievements that have already been made. There is potential 
to streamline resources for policymakers and civil society organisations/practitioners 
(currently  spread  over  several  portals  and  websites).  This  could  involve  reviewing  the 
frequency and the form of the EU Youth Report to see if they can be changed to better 
cater for the needs of different audiences. 

To  facilitate  monitoring  and  evaluation,  the  evaluation  suggests  developing  a  few  key 
indicators to help track progress and provide a bridge between the higher-level objectives 
and the more direct sphere of influence of the EUYS (on the evolution of youth policies, 
practices  of  youth  organisations  and  youth  participation)  and  to  continue  work  on  the 
availability of data based on the proposals of the ad hoc expert group on youth indicators. 

Member States and the  Commission could,  with the involvement of  youth  stakeholders, 
cooperate  on  further  developing  key  indicators,  methodologies  and  data  for  the 
monitoring of the EUYS.  

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4.4 Scope for simplification 

➢  Future National Activities Planners: consider alternatives 

The evaluation has indicated that there is scope to simplify and reduce Member States’ 
reporting burden as regards the Future National Activities Planners 38. The consultations 
highlighted that policymakers have found them burdensome to complete and of limited use. 
This  indicates  a  need  to  consider  alternative  ways  of  gathering  information  on  national 
youth policy priorities, in cooperation with Member States (for example through the Youth 
Wiki and simplified surveys).  

4.5 Way ahead 

The European Year of Youth 2022 placed young people at the top of the political agenda. 
It created strong mobilisation and momentum for more opportunities, space and tools for 
the  participation  of  young  people,  and  of  those  working  with  and  for  them.  The 
Commission Communication on the European Year of Youth includes priority actions 
to sustain and build on the success of the Year. This, together with the conclusions of this 
EU  Youth  Strategy  evaluation,  offers  opportunities 
the 
implementation and enhance the influence of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027.  

to  further  accelerate 

At mid-term, these efforts could be pursued and framed within the existing objectives of 
the Strategy and the European Youth Goals (under the core areas of engage, connect and 
empower)  and  in  youth  mainstreaming  at  all  levels,  by  using  existing  mechanisms  and 
processes, such as the Work Plan for 2025-2027. 

To further feed the preparations for EU youth policy cooperation after 2027, including 
in the context of the new multiannual financial framework, the Commission proposes to 
launch  a  listening  and  co-creation  process  in  2025-2026  with  all  stakeholders.  The 
Commission  will  mobilise  the  Youth  Stakeholder’s  platform  to  gather  views  and  ideas, 
cooperate and co-create inputs. This could take the form of meetings and events or an online 
campaign, and could be part of the EU Youth Dialogue consultations. 

38 Future National Activities Planners | European Youth Portal (europa.eu) 

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