Focus On Young People’s Living Conditions

The EU Youth Conference in Växjö has concluded after two intensive days. The youth delegates – with the help of minister delegates and political decision-makers – formulated five recommendations that will be incorporated into the Council document of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The document will be adopted at the Ministerial Council meeting in May.

During the second and final day, the youth delegates summarised and presented their five recommendations from the conference days. The reflections on how the EU Youth Dialogue as a process can be developed going forward were also presented. Managers with responsibility for youth issues in EU Member States’ national ministries also took part in the final day of the conference, as they were in Växjö to attend the Meeting of EU directors for youth on 22–23 March. Petra Noreback, State Secretary with responsibility for youth policy, delivered the closing address of the conference.

Delegates from all 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Ukraine were in Växjö. Representatives of the European Commission, the Council Secretariat, the Council of Europe and some 20 international non-governmental youth organisations also joined. During two work sessions, local political decision-makers from both Sweden and other EU Member States took part in dialogue with the youth delegates.

The Youth Conference focused on young people’s living conditions, specifically European Youth Goals #3 Inclusive Societies and #10 Sustainable Green Europe. The Youth Conference in Växjö was the third youth conference of the presidency trio of France, the Czech Republic and Sweden, and concluded the ninth cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue. The Youth Dialogue is organised into 18-month work cycles and is the EU dialogue mechanism between young people, youth organisations, decision-makers, experts, researchers and other relevant civil society actors. It serves as a forum focused on young people with continuous joint reflection and consultation on the priorities, implementation and follow-up of European cooperation.

The Youth Conference in Växjö concluded with the youth delegates from the current trio countries handing over to the next trio and the tenth cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue.