The European Union's priorities for youth are to provide equal opportunities in education and the job market, and to promote active citizenship and social inclusion. These goals are set out in the EU Youth Strategy, adopted in 2009. The strategy covers areas like education, employment, health, participation, and volunteering. Its aim is to create a favorable environment for young people to develop their skills, realize their potential, and be active members of society. The strategy is based on 11 youth goals that were defined by young people themselves in 2018 through the European Youth Dialogue.
The European Youth Dialogue is an EU tool that enables young people and policymakers to discuss youth issues and set priorities for European cooperation. It's a successor to the Structured Dialogue, involving young people and organizations in discussions at all levels.
How It Works:
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Consultations: In Latvian municipalities, consultations (e.g., online surveys, focus groups) are held to gather young people's opinions.
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National Report: The results from these consultations across Latvia are compiled into a national report.
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EU Conferences: This report serves as a basis for discussions at EU Youth Conferences, where youth representatives and policymakers create joint recommendations.
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Impact: The recommendations from these conferences are submitted to the EU Council and are used for future policy development.
In Latvia, a national working group, led by a representative from the Latvian Youth Council, coordinates this process. Its main tasks are to oversee dialogue activities, involve young people, gather their opinions, and prepare national reports.
Youth Wiki is an online platform that compiles information on youth policy across European countries. Its purpose is to support European cooperation by providing evidence-based information on national policies in 34 countries, covering nine key areas of activity. It serves as a useful tool for policymakers and experts to exchange experience and develop new initiatives.
The platform gathers information on: youth policy organization, volunteering, education, employment, social inclusion, youth participation, health, culture, and youth involvement in global processes are the nine key areas of activity covered by the Youth Wiki platform.
The information is regularly updated by national correspondents using official documents, research, and statistics. This allows youth sector professionals to analyze trends in different countries, which helps them in their daily work and in creating international cooperation projects.