The Council of Europe is stepping up its climate action by integrating youth participation and human rights into its environmental policies. Discussions during the recent Ad Hoc Multidisciplinary Group on the Environment (GME) highlighted the importance of adopting a holistic and inclusive approach to address environmental challenges. Key contributions came from  Agnes Gkoutziamani, Sean Currie and Jannis Gustke, members of the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ).

Central to the discussions was the preparation of the Council's first Environmental Strategy. The CCJ members emphasised the importance of implementing insights from the recently adopted Recommendation on young people and climate action.

A legal recognition of the right to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental element to human dignity was raised as a significant point.

A delegation of the Youth Department, led by its head Tobias Flessenkemper, visited the Republic of Moldova. It included meetings with both governmental and non-governmental actors, the Ministry of Education and Research and National Youth Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Commission responsible for youth, as well as youth civil society organisations, including the National Youth Council of Moldova and the National Network of Local Youth Councils.

The visit was part of the Council of Europe ongoing co-operation efforts with the youth stakeholders in the Republic of Moldova, notably in the context of the upcoming Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028, and the Republic of Moldova’s Presidency over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Thirty-four young educators, activists, youth workers, and multipliers participated in a six-days training course “Peace education and conflict transformation with young people” organised by the Council of Europe Youth Department from 2 to 7 December in Strasbourg.

Participants became more competent to design and facilitate peace education and conflict transformation activities, as well as to address the situations of conflict they meet when working with young people, whether these be the consequence of social or geo-political conflict.

The training course is a part of the Council of Europe’s long-standing efforts and ongoing commitment to peace education, peacebuilding, and the conflict transformation agenda, notably through its strategic priority on ‘Living together in peaceful and inclusive societies’ within its Strategy 2030.

Mr. Rousopoulos then held a wide-ranging discussion with the EYCB management team, followed by a meeting with the preparatory team of the upcoming study session “Digital Health Citizenship: Enfranchising Young People to Co-create Tools and Innovative Solutions”, co-organised by the Youth Department and DTH-Lab. The visit provided an ideal opportunity to explore the Youth Department’s extensive programme of activities, in addition to discussing the vital role that the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg and Budapest play in its implementation.

The European Youth Foundation is a key instrument of the youth sector of the Council of Europe that supports peace-building and international youth co-operation and solidarity through grants for youth organisations. In 2025, the European Youth Foundation will have different calls for grants with separate deadlines. For international youth co-operation activities and annual workplans, international youth organisations and networks can apply at the 1 April and 1 October 2025 deadlines, for initiatives taking place in 2026. For 2026-2027 structural grants, the deadline is 1 October 2025. Pilot activity grants run in 2025 (local and national youth organisations), have the following deadlines: 1 February, 15 May and 1 September 2025.

In parallel to these, the EYF is open to applications within the special call in support of young people from Ukraine. Youth organisations can submit applications for pilot activities and international activities on a rolling basis throughout 2025. Learn more about this special call.

In order to apply for the EYF grants, youth organisations must register with the EYF (registration process). All initiatives supported by the EYF must be youth-led initiatives based on the approaches and priorities of the youth sector of the Council of Europe.

Youth experts and trainers on trauma informed youth work in Ukraine explored resources of the Council of Europe in the field of youth and protection of IDPs and returnees’ rights taking part in a series of three consolidation meetings from 16 to 20 December 2024.

They underlined the positive effects of the two-year Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" and stressed the critical need to continue it in the coming years, as well as committed to undertake in 2025 to strengthen participatory youth policy and youth work in Ukraine.