EU Youth Test
What is the EU Youth Test? It is an impact assessment tool which ensures that young people are considered when the EU is deciding on new policies and law. Thanks to the Youth Test, the EU will be able to create better policies that are long-lasting and impactful, while reducing inequalities and considering the needs of young people both today and in the future.
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With and for young people
Young people have a unique perspective on issues that impact them, such as economic growth, digitalisation or the climate crisis. It is time to provide the sufficient means to include them in policy-making since they are the ones who need to carry the burden of these decisions.
The EU Youth Test is designed to evaluate the impact that any new proposals may have on young people in the EU and identify any mitigation measures necessary to avoid any negative impacts.
How does it work? It is based on 3 pillars:
Meaningful engagement with youth stakeholders including young people from youth-led organisations and experts
Impact assessments of draft proposals
Mitigation measures to address adversities on different groups of young people, especially groups living in vulnerable situations
The EU Youth Test supports the mainstreaming of youth by addressing the lack of involvement in policy fields that are not usually considered youth-related, e.g. sustainability, economic or infrastructure policies.
3 reasons for an EU Youth Test:
It includes young people's perspective in all policies, which is an objective at the EU level - currently not being reached. The EU Youth Test is a tool to make this happen!
It's working! The EU Youth Test exists in several countries in different forms, but always for and with young people. Austria, France, and Germany on a national level and Flanders in Belgium on a regional level proved such a tool is beneficial for young people and society.
It is bringing the missing 25% to the forefront. Young people make up 25% of the whole population of Europe and yet they are underrepresented in political processes. They are the ones who will live the longest with the consequences and impacts of the regulations designed today, it is time to act, not just listen.
Our must read
Young people’s lives are impacted by decisions made across every single policy field, there is no policy that is not a ‘youth’ and future generations topic. That’s why the European Youth Forum urges the European Commission to adopt the EU Youth Test.
We’re not alone
- The report on the final outcomes of the Conference on the Future of Europe also suggested implementing youth impact assessment tools.
- The European Economic and Social Committee is implementing their version of the EU Youth Test.
- The Committee of Regions calls for the implementation of youth tests in its Charter on Youth and Democracy.
- The European Parliament approved a Resolution on the European Year of Youth 2022 legacy which also calls on the Commission for implementing the EU Youth Test.
- Several Commissioners supported the implementation during the Family of Policy Dialogues, such as Mariya Gabriel, Nicolas Schmit, and Helena Dalli.
- Several Member States publicly endorsed the implementation of the EU Youth Test, such as Austria, France, Slovenia and Belgium, while the Council also approved the Resolution on the outcomes of the 9th Cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue which also calls for the implementation of evaluation mechanisms, such as the youth test at local, regional, and European level.
Related news and publications
European Youth Forum priorities: Defence of Democracy package
The Defence of Democracy package serves as an opportunity to safeguard democracy and overall civic space in the EU. However, the package’s potential ‘foreign interference’ directive has raised concerns among civil society across the European continent. The European Youth Forum has put forward the following priorities in response to the process.
Safeguarding Civic Space for Young People in Europe
Launch of the European Charter for Youth and Democracy
The European Committee of the Regions and the European Youth Forum join forces to bring young people closer to the EU!