Structure of Decision-making

Legislative competence on youth matters belongs to both the National Government and the local Authorities (Regions and Autonomous Provinces) (Cf. 1.2).

As far as the national level is concerned, the Prime Minister is responsible for youth policies. The responsibility is generally delegated to a Political Authority, either a Minister (as is currently the case) or an Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

The Department for Youth Policy and the Universal Civic Service constitutes the operating arm. Its mandate includes:

• The implementation and coordination of the youth strategy (Cf.1.3);
• The promotion of youth rights;
• The management and implementation of the Universal civic service programme;
• Support to the supervisory functions of the Delegated Political Authority on the Italian Youth Agency;
• Support to the supervisory functions of the Delegated Political Authority on the Italian Youth Agency;
• The representation function at European and international level for youth policy matters.

For the promotion of youth rights, the Department benefits from the collaboration of local authorities and other stakeholders including the National Youth Council.

At local level, according to Article 117 of the Italian Constitution, Regions and Autonomous Provinces are entitled to legislate on youth policies, except for the determination of the fundamental principles, which are laid down in the State legislation (Cf. 1.2).

Therefore, with the contribution of the Provinces and Municipalities (thus involving young people living in the Municipalities), the Regional Departments for Youth Policies can define the needs, proposals, safeguards and rights in the planning and implementation of the measures adopted in favour of youth within their respective territories.

Main themes

Youth policies priorities are agreed with the relevant local institutional actors, such as the Regions, the autonomous Provinces, ANCI and UPI, in particular within the framework of the annual Unified Conferences, and are based on the principles of inclusion, participation and dual approach. The main youth policies priorities are:

• Promotion of the engagement and active citizenship of young people;
• Empowerment of young people by supporting their personal development, their growth towards autonomy and their transition to adult life;
• Reduction of the number of NEETs;
• Employment and entrepreneurship, in particular digital and ecological transition;
• Youth participation and social inclusion, also through the support of Youth Work;
• Dissemination of the values of sport and healthy lifestyles;
• Access to the European, National and Regional Youth Cards.

The Italian Youth Agency 

The Italian Youth Agency is a non-economic public entity, with legal personality and regulatory, organisational, management, financial and accounting autonomy. The steering and supervisory functions of the Agency are exercised by the delegated Political Authority (Minister for Youth Policy) through the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service. It was set up in February 2023 with Law Decree 13/2023, converted into Law 41/2023, and it took over all the functions previously carried out by the National Youth Agency.

The Italian Youth Agency operates within the objectives identified by the European Programmes and in implementation of Decision No 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 and Regulation (EU) 2021/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021. 

Aside from managing the European Youth and Sport Programmes of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps, the Agency also implements measures in favour of youth in agreement with and funded by the Department of Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service. It promotes European citizenship, active citizenship and the participation of young people in the social and democratic life of the nation; it supports the acquisition of transversal skills, research, training and educational processes and promotes non-formal education; it fosters employability and access to the labour market; it encourages the values of solidarity, tolerance and social cohesion; it promotes European and international cooperation in youth policies, as well as cooperation with Italians around the world.

Policy Monitoring and Evaluation

In Italy, the controlling and monitoring of youth policies financed through the Fund for Youth Policies is exercised by the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service and is addressed at:

• verifying the correct use of the resources of the Fund for Youth Policies earmarked for national and territorial interventions;
• the financial planning, administrative and accounting management of the Civic Service Fund.

The Department produces periodical reports on the progress of all the programme activities implemented by the Regions, autonomous Provinces and Municipalities through the national youth Fund. The Department has the right to carry out inspections on-site to monitor and verify the correct implementation of the activities.