Active participation of young people represents one of the key priorities of the Youth Strategy 2023 – 2030. It is defined under the third specific goal and further elaborated through a set of measures aimed at its implementation. 

This strategic goal is primarily pursued through the creation of conditions that enable young people to participate in decision-making processes and in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies that affect them. The Strategy emphasises the need for systematic efforts to encourage active youth involvement at all levels, with particular focus on local governance structures and processes. Special attention is given to the development of standards ensuring inclusiveness and functionality of local youth councils, as well as to the meaningful involvement of young people related to public policy documents of relevance to youth at the local level, such as local action plans.  

The Strategy also foresees further development of mechanisms to support youth participation in international bodies, structures and conferences, underlining the importance of the EU Youth Dialogue as a framework for representing young people’s perspectives at the European level. 

Across its measures, the Strategy consistently recognises the need to support young people who require additional assistance and explicitly refers to vulnerable groups, including young people with disabilities, young people from rural areas, young women (including young Roma women), young people leaving alternative care, and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Furthermore, proposed measures that should lead to greater participation of young people include: