Cooperation with European countries

Italy has developed collaborations with several EU and EU-candidate countries, such as France, Germany and Ukraine.

On 26 November 2021 Italy signed the Quirinal Treaty with France, which entered into force on 1 February 2023.  The Treaty strengthens the bilateral cooperation between Italy and France, providing for the creation of an Italian-French Youth Council and for the organization of a youth voluntary programme (the Italo-French Civic Service). 

On 22 November 2023 Italy signed the German-Italian Action Plan with Germany, which was then updated in early 2026. The Action Plan It promises greater collaboration in the youth field through the encouragement of dialogue, participation and youth exchanges.

On 11 July 2025, Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth of Italy, and Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of youth, sports and physical activity with the aim of strengthening the bilateral relations through structured cooperation in the fields of physical activity, sport and youth, and supporting Ukraine's European integration in the field of youth and sports policy.

International cooperation

Italy is part of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative established in May 2000 through the Ancona Declaration. It aims to facilitate the enlargement of the EU in the Western Balkans and, among other things, to connect young people and youth organizations through initiatives such as the “Adriatic-Ionian Region is You(th)!” Conference which took place in November 2023. Today, the AII initiative includes ten members: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia and Slovenia.

Italy also participates in the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), an EU macro-regional strategy which aims to promote effective multilevel and cross-sectoral cooperation for an economically prosperous, socially inclusive, well connected, more integrated, green and liveable Adriatic-Ionian Region. EUSAIR brings together ten participating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia and Slovenia.

Italy is also part of the inter-governmental organization Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service participates in the Network of Focal Points set up further to the approval of the UfM Youth Strategy in December 2021.

Italy is also part of the Global Network for Youth Competitiveness Hope Network, launched in November 2024 by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Hope Network aims to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among global communities, connects policymakers, institutions, and youth leaders and supports the exchange of best practices and knowledge, bringing together countries committed to the power of hope as a key element in building strong, positive, and sustainable communities. 

Moreover, the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service takes part in the meetings and activities of the Council of Europe youth sector, by participating in the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ), as well as in the Programming Committee on Youth (CPJ). The Department is also part of the European Youth Card Association and of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP) of the EU-CoE Youth Partnership.

Italy also has bilateral agreements with several countries.

For example, on 11 December 2020, the Agreement between Italy and Canada on Youth Mobility was signed in Rome,  entering into force on 1 November 2022. The Agreement expands the scope of the Work-Holidays Memorandum by introducing the possibility of participating in exchange programmes for students of a post-secondary study course (International Co-op) and for those who, already in possession of a post-secondary qualification, intend to acquire professional experience in the host country (Young professionals). The Agreement provides young people from the two countries between the ages of 18 and 35 with new opportunities to enrich their curriculum and to identify further employment opportunities.

Also, on 20 November 2018 a Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the fields of Youth and Sports was signed in Rome with Qatar.