EU Youth Dialogue: Shaping policies, one resolution at a time
The 10th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue is reaching its end. Over 18 months, 30,000 young Europeans have engaged in discussing issues and solutions regarding social inclusion. At the EU Youth Conference in Budapest in September, young representatives gathered to finalise recommendations aimed at creating more inclusive societies, ranging from health and mental wellbeing to removing structural barriers for rural youth. However, you might wonder – where will all those innovative solutions end up? Will they be taken into account by the EU institutions?
By Larissa Ahanhanzo and Lauren Mason
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What is a Council Resolution?
At the end of each EU Youth Dialogue cycle, an important policy document is produced – a Council Resolution. This document consolidates the recommendations from young people that were developed during the cycle in consultation with National Youth Councils (NYCs) and International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations (INGYOs).
The 10th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue, coordinated by the Spanish-Belgian-Hungarian trio presidency, placed a special focus on “Inclusive Societies,” aligning with European Youth Goal #3. For this 10th cycle, envision the Council Resolution not only as a reflection of the concerns and bright ideas raised by the young people who participated in the Youth Conferences in Alicante, Ghent and Budapest, but also as a blueprint for policy changes that aim to make more inclusive societies in Europe. That is to say, the aim of the Resolution is to ensure that the outcomes of the 10th cycle are acknowledged and followed up by relevant stakeholders, whether at local, regional, national or EU levels.
Particularly, at the EU Youth Conference in Budapest, youth delegates have had the opportunity to share their thoughts about the EU Youth Dialogue process itself. They highlighted that, over the past 10 cycles, the EU Youth Dialogue has effectively fostered youth inclusion and diversity through initiatives connecting the youth sector with areas like labour, education, and social policy while successfully engaging young people across the EU, including those with fewer opportunities. For instance, young participants have suggested making rural and remote areas more vibrant for young people by enhancing infrastructure – such as reliable internet, accessible information, improved transportation, clean energy, and physical and mental health services. On the other hand, participants have identified that the impact of the EU Youth Dialogue on Council documents could be further strengthened and mainstreamed beyond the youth policy sector.
This brings us to our next point. Is there any follow up to young people’s recommendations, and how are we monitoring the possible implementation of these outcomes?
More than just words on paper!
While there have been many achievements of the EU Youth Dialogue cycles, a significant challenge persists: how do we ensure that Council Resolutions lead to tangible implementation and impactful change?
The motto of the 10th cycle is “EU needs YOUth”. Young people work hard to develop the outcomes that are crafted into the Council Conclusions and Resolutions, yet there is often limited visibility on how and if they are being implemented at national or European levels. The EU Youth Dialogue needs a strong monitoring and follow-up system to make sure that the Resolutions are more than just words on paper. This kind of framework would increase transparency and strengthen the much-needed trust between young people and policymakers, proving to them that their voices are heard in shaping the EU policies.
What’s coming next?
As we look forward to the next EU Youth Dialogue cycle starting in January 2025, Poland, Denmark and Cyprus have chosen the European Youth Goal #1: “Connecting the EU with youth”, as their overall topic priority. The 11th cycle will have the chance to set a new standard for monitoring and follow-up – a standard that safeguards and values European youth’s voices.
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