The Steering Group is the main is the main platform for the preparation of the 4th EYWC and offers a room for regular exchange of information between the European Commission and the Council of Europe, and those who play a role in youth work development at European level. It defines the focus, objectives, and outcomes of the convention – steer and support the implementation of the event. Its work will take the into account the EU Youth Strategy (Engage, Connect, Empower), the Council of Europe Youth sector strategy 2030, the European Youth Work Agenda and the Council of Europe’s Recommendation CM/Rec (2017)4 on youth work. It will be framed around the outcomes of the previous three conventions:

• the 1^st European Youth Work Convention (Ghent, 7-10 July 2010)
• the 2^nd European Youth Work Convention (Brussels, 27-30 April 2015)
• the  3^rd European Youth Work Convention (online, hosted by Germany, 7-10 December 2020) 

and the projects and activities carried out by the Youth Partnership connected to youth work.  Its work is also inherently linked to the discussions and decisions of the former Steering Group on the European Youth Work Agenda in 2022-23.

The first meeting of the Steering Group took place on 23-24 April 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. The second and third toko place online on 4^th July and 7^th October 2024.

The preparatory process will also follow up on the work and outcomes of the relevant Strategic National Agencies’ Cooperations (SNACs) and the European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy (20-23 February 2024 Brussels, Belgium) and its background documents: Mapping Existing European Youth Policy Strategies on Youth Work and Taking stock. Where are we now?

Members of the Steering Group

The Steering Group involves representatives of the partner institutions of the Youth Partnership, namely the European Union and the Council of Europe, and the European Youth Forum, the statutory bodies of the Council of Europe (Steering Committee on Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ)), national agencies of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes, SALTO Resource Centres as well as of the community of youth work practitioners.

• Symposium: Visible Value: Growing youth work in Europe (2023)
• Regional seminars
  • Visible Value - strenghtening the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda in Eastern and Southeast Europe (2022)
  • Growing youth work in Eastern and Southeast Europe: knowledge, realities and ideas for the future (2023)
• Strategic National Agencies’ Cooperation (SNAC)
• European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy (Brussels, 20-23 February 2024) and its background documents