THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES:

COOPERATION IN THE YOUTH FIELD

Promoting an evidence-based youth policy in Europe

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 THE EUROPEAN UNION

 27 Member States
1957 Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg,
Netherlands
1973 Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom
1981 Greece
1986 Spain, Portugal
1990 Reunified Germany
1995 Sweden, Finland, Austria
2004 Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic,
Slovakia
2007 Romania, Bulgaria

 Almost 500 million citizens

 Close to 30 % of the world’s GNP

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE EU

 96 million people aged 15-29 (2007)

 2007: 19.4 % of the total EU population
 2050 projection: 15.3 % of the EU population
 20 % of youth 18-24 are at risk of poverty
 Unemployment rate <25 is 19.8 % (July 2009)
(compared with 9.7 % for total population)
 1 in 7 leave school with at best only basic skills
 22 % declare that they are members of an
organisation (incl. sports)

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 YOUTH POLICY IN THE EU

 1988 The first youth mobility programme was

launched (today: €885 mill, 7 years)
 1996 European Voluntary Service (EVS) was
established
 2001 EU White Paper
 2005 European Youth Pact
 2008 Council Recommendation on Mobility for
young volunteers
 2009 New framework of EU cooperation in
the youth field (proposed and adopted)

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 A NEW GENERATION
OF CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

DEMOGRAPHICS

GLOBALISATION DIVERSITY

YOUTH
CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS

DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL
PARTICIPATIONCHALLENGES

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International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25
 A VAST CONSULTATION PROCESS
Structured Dialogue,
Youth Events,
European Youth European Youth
Week Forum
Online questionnaire National Youth
(5500 responses) YOUNG Councils
PEOPLE
Visit
s
EXPERTS MEMBER
STATES
Youth Report
Researchers s
Youth in Action Directors’
Programme meetings
National Agencies

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International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25
 A YOUTH STRATEGY (2010-2018)

INVESTING
&
EMPOWERING

1. Creating 2. Improving 3. Fostering Mutual

more Opportunities Access & Full Solidarity between
for Youth Participation of all Society &
in Education & Young People in Young People
Employment Society

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International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25
 A STRATEGY FOR 9 YEARS

 Long-term objectives (9 years)

 Short-term implementation (3 years)

 After 3 years: political check-point to

continue or revise

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 GOALS & FIELDS OF ACTION

Goals 2010-2018

Creating Improving Fostering

more access mutual
opportunities solidarity

Fields of action 2010-2012

Creativity Health & Social Youth &

Education Employment Participation Volunteering
& Sport Inclusion the World
Entrepreneurship

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International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25
 IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY

 Youth policy is a “soft” policy area

 Open Method of Cooperation (OMC):
– European Commission identifies long-term priorities (new strategy)
– European Commission proposes common objectives for each priority
(through dialogue with MS);
– Council of Youth Ministers then adopts common objectives for the
priorities;
– Member states implement the common objectives and report back to the
Commission on achievements;
– European Commission presents progress analyses to the Council of
Youth Ministers and proposer how to advance further;
– Council of Youth Ministers then decides on the proposed new follow-up
 Structured dialogue with young people

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 PROMOTING EVIDENCE-BASED
YOUTH POLICY AT EU LEVEL

 Contact with the research community, support to existing

effective youth research networks
 Support, highlight and publish youth research, statistics
 EU Youth Report every 3 years
 Working Group on youth policy indicators
– Develop a dashboard of existing indicators in the field
of education, employment, social inclusion and health
– Discuss possible new indicators in the “core” youth
policy fields of participation, volunteering etc.

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 ADDED VALUE OF EU IN THE
YOUTH POLICY FIELD

 Raising visibility of youth and youth strategies

 Defining common objectives
 Implementing interlinked policies
 Supporting mutual learning, exchange of practices
and experience
 Promoting European cooperation among
researchers
 Developing European wide data

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25

 THANK YOU!

finn.denstad@ec.europa.eu

www.ec.europa.eu/youth

International conference on youth policy and research, Vienna, 23-25