Governance

The competent government body for defining and coordinating youth policies is the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports through the General Secretariat of Vocational Education, Training, and Lifelong Learning. 

The Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation, supervised by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, provides technical and scientific support to the General Secretariat for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning and is responsible for managing European programs for youth like  Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, Eurodesk Greece and Youthpass, operating as the main national mechanism for information, mobility, and cooperation among young people and youth organizations.

Civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations also play a significant role. The Hellenic National Youth Council (H.N.Y.C.) has, in the past, played a coordinating and representative role for youth organizations at both national and European level. Today, networking and cooperation among youth organizations take place mainly through European programmes and the structures managed by INEDIVIM, as well as through individual thematic networks of organizations.

The 13 Regions of the country, within the framework of their competences, develop initiatives and programmes related to supporting young people at local and regional level, in cooperation with central government authorities.

Municipalities also hold responsibilities concerning children and young people. Based on the institutional framework aimed at strengthening youth participation in local governance (Law 3443/27-02-2006 on Local Youth Councils), Local Youth Councils have been established. Where they operate, they contribute to:

• identifying and highlighting the needs of young people,

• developing participation initiatives,

• cooperating with corresponding structures at national and European level.

In recent years, digital forms of youth participation have also been strengthened, such as public online consultations and web-based dialogue platforms, which complement traditional representation structures.

Cross-sectoral Cooperation

According to Ministerial Decision 30964/2022, an interministerial working group was established with the aim of designing, coordinating, monitoring, and formulating policy proposals implemented for youth. The working group is mandated to:

• record the existing policies of each Ministry concerning young people aged 15–29,

• ensure continuous updates regarding their implementation,

• link youth policies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The same working group also served as the coordinating body for the European Year of Youth 2022, undertaking the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the relevant actions.