From discussions to European policy-making. The EU Council EYCS (Youth Meeting) approves four Council acts and outlines the future work in the field of youth.
#EUNeedsYouth!
Good news is coming from the EU Youth Council. On the 13th of May 2024, Youth Ministers from all 27 EU Member States gathered in Brussels, Belgium. On Monday, May the 13th, Belgium welcomed the Youth Ministers from the 27 European Union member states for the EU Youth Council. It marks the end of a long process, during which there has been hard work to ensure that European policymakers have heard the voices of young people.
In this successful meeting, all 27 member states adopted 4 Council acts (3 Council conclusions and 1 resolution). They contain political positions on the topics and outline future work in the field of youth.
The approved Council acts:
- The Council has approved conclusions on inclusive societies for young people, which outline targeted measures to promote equity, inclusion, and support for young people in Europe.
- The Council has approved conclusions on European and international policy agendas for children, youth, and children’s rights. The text addresses how member states and the Commission can facilitate a seamless transition from childhood to adulthood, especially for young people with fewer opportunities, and improve cooperation, coordination, information and exchange between relevant policies, policy areas and levels.
- The Council has approved conclusions on the legacy of the European Year of Youth, acknowledging the achievements of the European Year of Youth and calling on the Commission to build on this momentum by strengthening key youth participation mechanisms such as the EU Youth Dialogue, national youth councils, and the proposed youth stakeholders’ platform.
- The Council has approved a resolution addressing the role of youth work in an empowering Europe, calling on member states, the Commission, and relevant stakeholders to support the development and practice of youth work at EU, national, and local levels, including through comprehensive youth work policies, bottom-up approaches, and training of youth workers.
In addition to approving the council's actions, the outcomes of the breakfast meeting where EU-youth representatives engaged in dialogue with policymakers such as EU Commissioner Illiana Ivanova were discussed.
Also on the agenda was a policy debate on the follow-up to the EU Youth Conference in Ghent, providing a direct and rapid link between the conference and European policy. The ministers reflected on ways to enhance monitoring and feedback on the outcomes of the EU Youth Dialogue at a political level to better cater to young people’s needs and expectations. They also discussed the implementing measures as developed during the EU Youth Conference in Ghent that could be used to foster inclusive societies for young people in their countries.
Last but not least, support for Ukrainian youth was dealt by the Ukrainian minister for Youth and Sports because of the worrying impact of the ongoing war situation on children and young people in Ukraine.
This successful Council meeting couldn’t have been possible without all the young people and young minds working together. The collaboration with young people, youth organizations, civil society experts and civil servants was a big participatory project to be proud of.
Soon we will be passing on the torch of the EU Youth Presidency to Hungary, but let’s keep ensuring that the young voices continue to shape the policy discussions and decisions in the European Union.
More information can be found on the following links:
- https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20240513-education-youth-culture-and-sport-council-may-2024
- Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council - Consilium (europa.eu)
