At their 54th session, members of the youth sector’s co-managed decision-making body, composed of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ), discussed and reached key decision on several initiatives.

In line with the follow-up to the Youth Ministerial Conference and the upcoming work of the Committee, the CMJ underscored the youth statutory bodies’ dedication to empowering young people, fostering democratic participation, and advancing the integration of youth perspectives with the Council of Europe and its member States.

Young people across Europe face significant barriers to accessing their social rights, including unpaid internships, low wages, and inadequate protection in certain jobs. These challenges are intensified by broader socio-economic inequalities and discrimination, which disproportionately affect young people. Policies must be supported by adequate resources, infrastructure, and institutional capacity to achieve real impact. Youth organisations and civil society play a crucial role in grounding policy debates in lived experiences.

These were among the key messages of the Round Table “From Commitment to Implementation: Making Social Rights Real for Young People,” a youth-focused side event at the High-Level Conference on Social Rights, that took place in Chisinau on 18 and 19 March 2026.

The Committee of Ministers adopted the new text of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life calling upon Council of Europe member States to create and support youth participation structures and policies enabling youth to take part in decision-making. The Committee of Ministers joins the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in responding to the concerns and hopes of young people, contributing to sustainable democratic societies, creating a framework for youth participation considering multiple levels of governance.

The Charter affirms that young people are rights-holders and authorities are duty bearers, defining youth participation means as having the right, means, space, structures, opportunities, tools and support to influence decision making at local and regional levels. It also highlights that participation must be grounded in human rights principles to ensure all young people can take part in democratic life.

Participants discussed the growing challenges facing youth civil society in a context of democratic backsliding, where the first to be attacked are youth organisations. Over the last decade records indicate that the right to peaceful assembly dramatically declined in 21 member states of the Council of Europe. Student demonstrations for democracy in several countries have been met with disproportionate state crackdowns

Participants made proposals for action for the next five years. They focus on European policy and its implementation, advocacy and campaigning, funding, capacity building, and the implementation of the Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective in member states.

The study sessions are organised in co-operation with youth organisations and networks and the Council of Europe’s Youth Department and are hosted by one of the European Youth Centres.

They are international youth events lasting between 4 and 8 days which bring together members of youth organisations or networks and experts for discussions on a specific subject relevant to the priorities 2024-2027 of the Council of Europe Youth sector. 

"Solutions Exist!" was developed in Ukraine in 2023–2024 in response to requests from national and local partners of the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III", within the context of the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine. The views of young people, as well as the provisions of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, were fundamental to the development of this educational tool.

In response to current challenges faced by young people, their needs, and the revised content of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, we invite you to help update the board game “Solutions Exist!” with your new experiences. You have until 13 April 2026 to participate in updating the game and share your experiences.

In 2025, the EYF supported the Cultural Association Fetén’s pilot project “What are your prejudices?” tackling discrimination towards young Roma people in Spain.

Fetén, in collaboration with the Federación Autonómica de Asociaciones Gitanas de la Comunidad Valenciana (FAGA), trained 15 Roma youth in Valencia in audiovisual and journalism skills to challenge antigypsyism. Through reflection and storytelling, the young people created a short documentary film highlighting Roma history, combined with everyday life of two Roma families in Valencia.

The documentary promotes positive narratives, a strengthened sense of identity, and aims to confront public prejudice about the Roma community in Spain. The project concluded with a public screening of the film for the celebrations of the 600th anniversary of the Roma people in Spain.

To ensure support and further develop the quality of their educational programmes, as well as to follow up on the work of quality-labelled youth centres, several tailor-made coaching visits  are planned for 2026. Two of these visits are scheduled for May: one to the International Youth Centre for Children and Youth at Risk in Stara Zagora, and one to the Stiftung wannseeFORUM Youth Centre.

Call off until 15 April 2026 16:00 CET, consultants in Lot 3 (Team and individual coaching services) of the consultant roster (Framework Agreement 2024/AO/60) are welcome to apply to the call-off for Coaching visits to Quality Labelled Youth Centres in May on the E-Procurement website, available for concerned consultants after logging in to the platform.