Third Strategic Plan on Youth (Dritter Jugendstrategieplan)

Since 2013, the Strategic Plan on Youth (Jugendstrategieplan) is being implemented in the German-speaking Community. On 1 January 2023, the implementation phase of the Third Strategic Plan on Youth will commence. Its duration will last until the end of 2027. 

The Third Strategic Plan on Youth is being drafted based on an analysis of the situation of the young people in the German-speaking Community. This analysis is conducted by using a number of documents, such as the Social Space Analyses (which are conducted in the communities where there is an Open Youth Work offer, those being Amel, Büllingen, Bütgenbach, Kelmis, Lontzen and St. Vith) , surveys among young people, opinion reports and annual reports of several actors of the youth sector of the German-speaking Community, European strategies as well as the first German-speaking Community youth report (Jugendbericht). 

Depending on the identified needs, focal points are being determined. Afterwards, the involved actors elaborate an action plan to define objectives, measures and projects. The finalised action plan will be subject to an evaluation of the Council of the German-speaking Youth (Rat der Deutschsprachigen Jugend, RDJ) before being passed by the Government of the German-speaking Community (Regierung der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft) and Parliament of the German-speaking Community (Parlament der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft, PDG). 

As of July 2022, the focal points have been decided on and the action plan is being elaborated. It has been decided to make the new Strategic Plan on Youth deal with four focal points: Participation in Society, Digitalisation, Emotions and Self-Image and Sustainable Development of the German-speaking Community as Living Area. Emotions and Self-Image have already been a focal point in the Second Strategic Plan on Youth 2016-2022 (Zweiter Jugendstrategieplan 2016-2022), showing the importance of the topic. 

Introduction of a Sports umbrella organisation

The project "Strengthening sports structures" (Sportstrukturen stärken) of the Regional Development Concept III (Regionales Entwicklungskonzept III, REK III) serves as a basis for introducing a Sports umbrella organisation in German-speaking Belgium. Previously, the responsibility for sports structures and management were divided between several organisations such as the sports department of the Ministry of the German-speaking Community, the sports commission and the sports council. Following the latest change of the sports decree (Sportdekret) of 19 April 2004 on 22 June 2020, the Leading association of the East-Belgian sports (Leitverband des ostbelgischen Sports, LOS) was founded and both the sports commission and the sports council were disbanded. LOS will consequently take over both the responsibilities of the commission and the council and part of the responsibility of the sports department. The transfer of responsibilities is planned to be finalised by 30 June 2022.

Living healthy in East Belgium

"Living healthy in East Belgium" (Gesund leben in Ostbelgien) is a Regional Development Concept III project. Within the framework of the REK III, measures of the health areas and offers, which were developed on the basis of the health planning (health promotion, mental health, rehabilitation, care, etc.), are to be implemented in an integrated way. The aim is to strengthen the health network in the German-speaking Community and to prepare for the future together with the stakeholders. The project is divided into four sub-projects. Each sub-project contributes to the optimization of health care for the population. The responsibilities transferred as part of the state reform, which have not yet been reorganized, are the focus of two subprojects.