Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on the outcomes of the 10th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue
Date: 2024-11-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: EU strategy, European cooperation, education policy, governance, political participation, social participation, young person, youth movement, youth policy








C_202407402EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/7402


10.12.2024






Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on the outcomes of the 10th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue
(C/2024/7402)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL
RECALLING THAT








1.


This resolution builds on the Resolution on the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (1) including Annexes 1 (EU Youth Dialogue) and 3 (European Youth Goals), on the Resolution establishing guidelines on the governance of the EU Youth Dialogue (EUYD) (2), and on the outcomes of the EUYD’s previous work-cycles. The European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 promotes greater involvement of young people in decision-making processes and highlights the importance of engaging young people from diverse backgrounds.












2.


The EUYD is a participatory mechanism for young people in the European Union and, where appropriate, other European countries. It serves as a forum for continuous joint reflection, direct dialogue, and consultations on the priorities, implementation and follow-up of cooperation at EU level in the field of youth between young people and their representative organisations, policymakers as well as researchers. The EUYD makes possible a continuous partnership in the governance of these processes at local, regional, national and European level.












3.


The 10th cycle of the EUYD was led by the Trio Presidency Spain, Belgium and Hungary, which focused on European Youth goal #3 on ‘Inclusive Societies’ under the motto ‘WE NEED YOUTH’.












4.


The aim of this Resolution is to ensure that the outcomes of the 10th cycle of the EUYD are recognised and followed up by relevant stakeholders at local, regional, national and EU levels in order to ensure quality and continuity in the implementation of the EUYD process and its outcomes, including monitoring, feedback, communication and evaluation. It is also intended to enhance transparency in the EUYD as well as to provide feedback on the work done within the 10th cycle and previous cycles.












5.


The 10th cycle of the EUYD was coordinated at European level by the European Steering Group (ESG). Its outcomes are based on the Trio’s EU Youth Conferences, as well as on young people’s feedback from consultations and events at all levels.












6.


The consultations and the implementation phase have incorporated a varied and innovative range of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including surveys, online and offline youth dialogue events (such as policy dialogues with Commissioners), workshops, participatory action research, roundtables and targeted activities to engage diverse groups of young people, including those with fewer opportunities.




ACKNOWLEDGING THAT








7.


The EUYD is based on the leadership and shared ownership of the National Working Groups (NWGs), where possible, coordinated by the National Youth Councils (NYCs). This enables a diverse range of young people to participate in the EUYD and connects different national, regional and local stakeholders with the process.












8.


International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations (INGYOs) bring an important range of perspectives from across Europe to the policy dialogue and ensure quality input such as relevant information in order to contribute to the transnational dimension of the EUYD process.












9.


The 10th EUYD cycle was guided by the principles of meaningful cooperation among the three EU presidencies involved, their respective National Youth Councils, the European Commission and the European Youth Forum. During the 10th cycle, a key aspect of steering the EUYD has been for example that the Presidency’s National Youth Councils have co-chaired the ESG meetings.












10.


During the 10th cycle of the EUYD, the actions put forward by the Commission’s Communication on the legacy of the European Year of Youth 2022 (3) as well as the insights from the Commission’s report on the interim evaluation of the European Union's Youth Strategy 2019-2027 contributed to EU level efforts to promote youth engagement and participation.




CONSIDERING THAT








11.


Young people and youth organisations have meaningfully participated in all phases (preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) of the cycle and all its activities.












12.


The Trio Presidency of the 10th Cycle of the EUYD has developed a green and ethical framework of the cycle (4) in order to recognise the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability and make the process more meaningful for young people and for decision-makers.




NOTING THAT








13.


The Trio Presidency decided to focus on subgoal 3 on access to learning environments, subgoal 4 on the capacities of educators and subgoal 6 on social support in the implementation of European Youth Goal #3. To support the implementation of the priorities, subgoal 2 on outreach and information and subgoal 7 on participation in decision-making processes served as methodological baseline.












14.


The Spanish Presidency focused on mainstreaming youth in policy decision-making processes, boosting the implementation of an EU Youth Test designed to incorporate the youth perspective into the impact assessment of public policies, which will also ensure young people’s trust in European institutions. There was also a focus on the mental well-being of young people (5).












15.


Based on the priorities of the Trio Presidency and the results of national consultations during the consultation phase of the 10th cycle, the Belgian Presidency put emphasis on six themes concerning inclusive societies, namely (1) structural barriers, (2) the role of information, (3) health and mental wellbeing, (4) formal, (5) non-formal and informal inclusive learning environments and (6) challenging discriminatory attitudes and cultures. Six recommendations and 34 possible implementing measures emerged from discussions within the working groups of the Belgian EU Youth Conference in March 2024 and covered these six themes concerning inclusive societies. These outcomes are included in paragraphs 26 and 46, as well as in Annex III to the Council conclusions on inclusive societies for young people (6).












16.


The Hungarian Presidency has aimed to foster solutions that help young people with fewer opportunities and in rural and remote areas to thrive locally. Attention has also been given to the experiences of the 10th cycle in order to better reflect on the problems encountered and identify further development opportunities within the EUYD process.




RECOGNISE THAT:








17.


The participants of the EU Youth Conference in Budapest highlighted that over the last 10 cycles, the EUYD has effectively gathered young people's input to inform policy and foster inclusion and diversity by enabling networking, intersectoral and international collaboration, and exchange of good practices between stakeholders across the EU, as well as within candidate and neighbouring countries. Its well-established structure with stable funding has enhanced the involvement of young people and youth organisations in policymaking. The evaluation of the EUYD (7) indicates it has been highly effective at reaching young people with fewer opportunities but should aim to reach more young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) and from rural and remote areas to ensure better representation.












18.


The participants of the EU Youth Conference in Budapest further stressed that the EUYD's impact on Council conclusions is identifiable, but there is a potential to further strengthen it also possibly beyond youth policy (8). This requires better visibility monitoring, follow-up mechanisms and youth mainstreaming. There is a need to align dialogue themes with European policy agendas and allowing young people to set topics. Increased dissemination of the EUYD outcomes, clearer feedback, and increased visibility can foster accountability and transparency as well as enhance trust in political decision-making. Better preparation of youth delegates, continuity across cycles, and stronger engagement between youth delegates and national representatives could also further improve the EU Youth Conferences.




INVITE THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY, TO:








19.


Strengthen the EUYD by increasing its visibility and outreach, in order to involve more and diverse youth organisations, stakeholders and young people with fewer opportunities, improving information and communication about the process, for example through informative materials about the EUYD, contributing to guidelines, comprehensive databases of relevant policies, best practices, developing a possible future framework that can support continuity between cycles in the EUYD, as well as coherent and comprehensive communication plans and reports.












20.


Boost the use of the EUYD, as a youth mainstreaming instrument by fostering closer links with the Commission’s work programme and exploring ways to link it to the youth check at the European level.




INVITE THE MEMBER STATES AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, IN LINE WITH THE SUBSIDIARITY PRINCIPLE AND WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPHERES OF COMPETENCE, TO:








21.


Consider the outcomes of the 10th cycle of EUYD, including the recommendations of young people set out in the Annex I. Further develop and support processes to share the recommendations from the EUYD with relevant stakeholders at all levels.












22.


Strengthen and improve the EUYD process by considering and, where possible, applying best practices from the 10th cycle of EUYD and the principles that guided its successful implementation.












23.


Continue to support and consolidate the role of the National Working Groups and National Youth Councils, their commitment to carry out the EUYD process in the Member States and recognise their importance regarding outreach and diversity of perspectives.












24.


Promote the visibility of the EUYD in local, regional, national and EU-level events and promote youth participation in decision-making processes at all levels; support and strengthen cooperation among the ESG, National Working Groups, the European Youth Forum, National Youth Councils and INGYOs, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.












25.


Foster youth-friendly information, communication tools and facilitate resources to engage more and diverse range of young people from various backgrounds and social groups as well as from youth organisations at all levels to help continue achieving the goals set for the EUYD process in the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027.












26.


Ensure a more sustainable, overarching and strategic approach to EUYD communication, availability of relevant and youth-friendly information, and, where appropriate, provide National Working Groups with additional support. Examples of this could be through the co-creation of a communication strategy and handbook under the leadership of the ESG to enhance the visibility and transparency of the EUYD involving youth organisations at European, national, regional and local levels, where relevant.












27.


Enhance long-term institutional memory and continuity between EUYD cycles (for example by developing a permanent structure that could serve as a possible EUYD secretariat and an ESG checklist supporting the preparation and work of future trio presidencies). This involves fostering regular youth-led exchanges and coordination, adequately supported by the Presidency trio, the last Presidency from the preceding trio, the first Presidency from the next trio, the Commission, and where appropriate, the European Youth Forum.












28.


Provide regular feedback to young people and youth organisations about the EUYD process, its outcomes and follow-up in order to ensure meaningful dialogue and youth participation at all levels.












29.


Take into account the outcomes of the previous EUYD cycles when planning and implementing future cycles, and enhance efforts related to evaluating and monitoring in order to foster a systematic review of recommendations articulated by young people and their follow-up to promote a more comprehensive, inclusive and responsive youth policy-making environment.












30.


To support the enlargement process, explore how to engage further with young people from candidate countries and potential candidate countries where appropriate.




AND FURTHER NOTE THAT:








31.


The overall topic priority of the next Trio Presidency (Poland, Denmark and Cyprus) is the European Youth goal #1: Connecting EU with youth.






(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 (OJ C 456, 18.12.2018, p. 1).

(2)  Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Member States meeting within the Council establishing guidelines on the governance of the EU Youth Dialogue, European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 1).

(3)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the European Year of Youth 2022 (COM/2024/1 final).

(4)  Verstappen, L., Green and ethical framework for events during the Belgian EU Presidency in the field of youth. 2023. Depot number D/2023/3241/441.

(5)  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 (OJ C, C/2023/1337, 30.11.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1337/oj).

(6)  Conclusions of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on inclusive societies for young people (OJ C, C/2024/3808, 27.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3808/oj).

(7)  Moxon, D., supported by Bárta. O., Evaluation of participant inclusion levels within the EU Youth Dialogue, EU-CoE Youth Partnership, Strasbourg, March 2023.

(8)  Bárta O., Moxon D. (2024). EUYD10 EU Youth Conference in Budapest, Hungary. Final Conference Report. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13836827.




ANNEX I
JOINT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 10TH CYCLE OF THE EU YOUTH DIALOGUE ‘WE NEED YOUTH’
         
The ideas and opinions of young people shared at the EU Youth Conferences in October 2023 in Alicante, in March 2024 in Ghent and in September 2024 in Budapest were focused on European Youth goal #3 on ‘Inclusive Societies’under the motto ‘WE NEED YOUTH’. The recommendations reflect on the process that started with the Spanish, continued with the Belgian and ended with the Hungarian Presidency.
The EU Youth Conference that took place in Alicante EUYC from the 2nd to 4th of October 2023 addressed barriers, support structures, necessary changes in the realm of inclusion as well as contributions by the youth field.
The main conclusions of the Conference, which have been relevant topics during the whole 10 cycle as:






—


Lack of diversity, connections and resources whether in education, healthcare, infrastructure, housing and information, emphasizing the digital divide. At the same time there is insufficient recognition on competences acquired, especially through non-formal learning and capacity building activities.










—


Need of mainstreaming youth policy, ensuring the active involvement of young people at all stages of policymaking, with a focus on evidence-based, cross-sectoral youth policy which is co-managed by youth themselves.










—


Need of acknowledging professionals in the youth field, especially those working with diverse youth groups, emphasizing inclusion and intersectionality, seconded by active listening, establishing trust and creating safe spaces for youth participation.










—


Additionally, participants suggested measures to enhance the accessibility of EU mobility schemes as well as implementing measures such as Advisory Councils on Equality and Inclusion, the EU Youth Test, rural youth outreach, continuous support for national youth councils and increased interaction between young people and EU decision-makers.




The EU Youth Conference that took place in Ghent from 2-5 March 2024 aimed at establishing a solid foundation for political action and resulted in six recommendations and 34 implementing measures on the future of inclusion in Europe, directed towards the Member States and the European Commission:






—


Better support young people experiencing poverty and financial exclusion to transition to financial independence and security by taking steps to promote affordable housing, increasing access to quality work and employment, addressing mobility barriers, and ensuring young people’s financial literacy.










—


Ensure young people’s access to affordable, youth-friendly and personalised quality health care and mental health support systems. Additionally, create safe and open environments for young people to speak freely and learn about health and mental well-being.










—


Promote and invest in education and youth work in order to: make learning environments more accessible and inclusive for young people with fewer opportunities; tailor to young people needs; increase collaborations between formal education, non-formal education and informal learning and across other sectors.










—


Increase funding, capacity building and other support for educators to be engaged in lifelong learning on: inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities; capitalising on diversity of young people; creating safe spaces for sharing and learning with and by young people from different backgrounds; and youth-centred personalised teaching and learning approaches.










—


Improve the capacity of people working with and for youth to effectively disseminate youth friendly information in order to make information accessible about rights and opportunities. Additionally, strengthen media and information literacy of youth to recognise trustworthy information and safe information navigation.










—


Put in place policies to dismantle systematic discrimination, unconscious bias, hostile attitudes and to encourage continuous learning about all kinds of diversities as well as unlearning prejudices. Such policies should be codeveloped with young people with relevant lived experiences in all fields.




At the EU Youth Conference, which took place in Budapest from 7-10 September 2024, young people proposed making rural and remote areas more vibrant and attractive for youth by focusing on:






—


Fostering meaningful youth participation and involvement, while fostering supportive rural communities, challenging prejudice, encouraging intergenerational cooperation, and building accessible dialogue and common spaces.










—


Improving access to tailored infrastructure, including internet connectivity, transportation, clean energy, and health services.










—


Raising awareness of alternative employment pathways such as remote working and innovative ways of farming, while supporting rural entrepreneurship through mentorship, digital transformation, and financial incentives.










—


Promoting initiatives like urban-rural youth exchanges and learning opportunities and support mobile youth workers to broaden rural youths' experiences and skills.










—


Enhancing access to mental health services and resources by fostering local action, raising awareness of available funding, and encouraging dialogue around mental well-being in rural areas.




The recommendations do not impose any formal requirements as regards national youth policies. However, they can serve as a source of inspiration for Member States.





ANNEX II

References:

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the European Year of Youth 2022 (COM (2024) 1 final).
Decision (EU) 2021/2316 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 December 2021 on a European Year of Youth (2022) (OJ L 462, 28.12.2021, p. 1).
Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Member States meeting within the Council establishing guidelines on the governance of the EU Youth Dialogue, European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 1).
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions on the Interim evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (COM (2024) 162 final).
European Commission, Flash Eurobarometer Report 502: Youth and Democracy in the European Year of Youth Report. 2022, ISBN 978-92-76-51265-3.
EESC own initiative opinion: Strengthening the EU Youth Dialogue follow-up via monitoring and transparency guidelines, SOC/795-EESC-2024.
Moxon, D., supported by Bárta. O., Evaluation of participant inclusion levels within the EU Youth Dialogue, EU-CoE Youth Partnership, Strasbourg, March 2023.
Moxon, D., and Bárta, O., Desktop Analysis of the Outcomes of EU Youth Dialogue Cycles 1-10. Zenodo, August 2024.
Verstappen, L., Green and ethical framework for events during the Belgian EU Presidency in the field of youth. 2023. Depot number D/2023/3241/441.



ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/7402/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)