The EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership fosters synergies between the priorities and programmes pursued by the two partner institutions in the youth field.

 

It contributes to implementing:

How ?

  • By acting as a “think tank”: gathering and producing knowledge and translating it for an effective use in youth policy and practice; developing and testing new approaches and exploring innovative trends
     
  • By offering a collaborative platform where the two institutions can join efforts on their shared fields of interest
     

 

Geographical coverage

The work of the Youth Partnership encompasses the 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention (hence including all EU and other Council of Europe members), as well as neighbouring countries. Some activities have an explicit focus on specific regions: Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe or Southern Mediterranean.
 

EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership team

The Youth Partnership activities are carried out by a team of nine staff members, who are responsible for the coordination, quality and visibility of activities.
 

Intervention logic

Our interventions are shaped by the triangle of governance of the youth field, namely:

1. Youth research: developing thematic cross-country and region-focused knowledge, understanding challenges and trends in the lives of young people, and their implications for youth policy and youth work.

2. Youth policy: informing youth policy by offering relevant evidence, knowledge, and building the capacity of youth policy actors.

3. Youth work: promoting and strengthening youth work and recognition of its contribution to, inter alia, youth participation and social inclusion of young people.

The role of the Youth Partnership is to strengthen the cooperation efforts among these three angles, with the involvement of young people and youth organisations. Wherever relevant, stakeholders from other sectors are invited to engage in a cross-sectoral exchange.
 

Governance

The European Commission and the Council of Europe are the main stakeholders of the Youth Partnership.

Several entities are also involved, such as the European Youth Forum, National Agencies of the European Commission's Erasmus+ programme, the SALTO Resource Centres, ERYICA, Eurodesk, the Council of Europe's governmental (CDEJ) and non-governmental (Advisory Council) partners, ministries responsible for youth issues in the members states, and research bodies.

Our activities also benefit from the accumulated experience of the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest and the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in Lisbon.

All decisions are taken jointly by the two partner institutions in the Partnership Management Board, bringing together European Commission and Council of Europe representatives and observers.