The Swedish Presidency of the EU Council is preparing for the end of the 9th cycle of EU Youth Dialogues (EUYD), scheduled for mid-2023. In a draft resolution presented in a working group on Monday 3 April, it calls for strengthening both the EUYD itself and youth participation in general.
Youth Conference
In particular, the Presidency proposes to build on the conclusions of the Youth Conference. Meeting in Växjö at the end of March, European youth organisations translated the five key areas of the 9th EUYD cycle (information, empowerment, governance, mobility and access to infrastructure) into concrete recommendations.
They call on Member States to ensure: - accessible information and intergenerational dialogue on climate change; - independent, consultative youth councils at local level; - transparent environmental policy-making processes; - recognition of learning acquired abroad; - the development of a “Youth Climate Ticket” to encourage soft mobility.
Strengthening the EUYD
On the initiative itself, the Swedish Presidency stresses the need to strengthen the EUYD (see EUROPE 12015/18). On the one hand, it must be ensured that it is a “youth-led process, in which young people and decision-makers have a constructive solution-seeking dialogue”. In this respect, the Presidency stresses the role of National Youth Councils, which should be given financial and stable administrative support, in particular “through the Youth chapter of the Erasmus+ programme”.
On the other hand, Sweden believes that the visibility of these dialogues should be increased and the participation of all categories of young people should be encouraged.
Finally, the Presidency calls on the Member States to integrate a youth perspective into all relevant policy areas and to follow up on the results of the European Year of Youth.
The resolution is expected to be adopted at the Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Council in May.
The draft resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/667 (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)