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1. Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

2. Actors

3. Information on the extent of youth participation

4. Outcomes

5. Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

Legal provisions or policy guidelines on youth consultation

Participation and co-determination of young people at all political and societal levels are key priorities of the Department for Families and Youth at the Federal Chancellery (Sektion Familie und Jugend im Bundeskanzleramt). Youth participation is a cross-cutting principle across all policy areas and is embedded in several legal and strategic frameworks: 

• Article 4 of the Federal Constitutional Law on the Rights of Children (Bundesverfassungsgesetz über die Rechte von Kindern) establishes every child’s right to meaningful participation, ensuring that their opinions are considered in all matters affecting them. This constitutional provision enshrines participation as a fundamental principle of contemporary youth policy in Austria, a commitment also reflected in the federal government’s programme.
• The Federal Youth Promotion Act (Bundes-Jugendförderungsgesetz) supports projects that promote co-determination, participation, responsibility, independence, an democratic engagement among young people.
• The Federal Youth Representation Act (Bundes-Jugendvertretungsgesetz) establishes the National Youth Council (Bundesjugendvertretung, BJV), as Austria’s official representative body for children and young people, guaranteeing their right to participate in political decision-making on matters that affect them.
• The Austrian Youth Strategy explicitly identifies youth participation as a core objective and integrates young people’s perspectives in policy development and implementation.
• The Reality Check (in German) ensures that young people are directly involved in shaping the Austrian Youth Strategy’s goals and measures. It thus serves as a minimum standard for youth participation across all ministries.

• In addition, the Youth Check, also known as the Regulatory Impact Assessment on Children and Young People (Jugend-Check), legally requires all new laws and regulations to be assessed for their potential impact on children, young people and young adults. 

   

Framework and Implementation of youth consultation

Youth consultations take place at national, regional and local levels, and are conducted through various complementary methods and formats. These consultations are held regularly, but also as and when needed. 

At the national level, youth participation in Austria is primarily organised by the National Youth Council (Bundesjugendvertretung, BJV), which is the legally mandated representative body for young people. As a recognised social partner, the Council contributes actively to national policy discussions and negotiations on youth issues, representing Austrian youth at the European level through its membership of the European Youth Forum (see Chapter 5.3.2). 

Reality Checks (in German) are a flexible consultation tool used as part of the Austrian Youth Strategy to incorporate the views of young people into national youth policy. They take place in various forms and formats. Most commonly, they involve young people directly, in workshop-style settings, which provide a structured opportunity for discussion and feedback (usually in person, but also optional online). In addition, consultation with organisations specialising in youth affairs and the incorporation of research findings provide institutional and evidence-based input. Reality Checks are conducted periodically during the development or evaluation of youth goals and measures. 

Including the provincial and local levels, the National Working Group on Youth Dialogue and Participation (NAG) coordinates youth consultation across all governance levels. It meets regularly and brings together representatives from the Federal Chancellery, Provincial Youth Departments (Landesjugendreferate), the Federal Network of Austrian Youth Information Centres (BÖJI) and the Centre of Competence for Open Youth Work (bOJA).

In addition, Provincial Youth Departments regularly organise consultations and participatory events in their respective federal states and municipalities. This enables young people to contribute directly to decisions that affect their local environments. 

At the regional level, the Viennese Children and Youth Parliament (Kinder- und Jugendparlament der Stadt Wien) enables young people to have a direct say in shaping city policy. Around 300 participants take part in workshops and committee meetings each year, including kindergarten children, school classes from various districts, and young people aged 14 to 20. Based on the principle that children and young people know best what they need for a good life in their city, the parliament enables them to develop concrete proposals alongside politicians and city administration officials. These proposals then feed directly into the Viennese Children and Youth Strategy 2025 – 2030, which will guide future municipal actions aimed at making Vienna an even more child- and youth friendly city. 

Moreover, research institutions such as the Austrian Institute for Family Studies and the University of Vienna and the Institute for Youth Culture Research (Institut für Jugendkulturforschung) strengthen evidence-based youth policy further by conducting surveys, qualitative studies and stakeholder interviews, which provide in-depth insights into the needs and everyday realities of young people in Austria. In addition, occasional studies, conducted by organisations in the youth sector, capture the views of young people in various topics.

Actors

The Department for Families and Youth at the Federal Chancellery is in charge of the consultation process, alongside regional authorities in charge of youth relevant topics and the Federal Ministries planning the adoption of a particular law with an impact on young people. Other institutional and non-governmental stakeholders may be involved in the processes depending on the specific topic.

The Austrian Institute for Family Research (Österreichisches Institut für Familienforschung) continuously protocols all youth relevant data, which have been collected by various institutions. This enables to quickly access any youth relevant topic and to easily link a variety of different data.

Main youth actors are the Federal Youth Council BJV (Bundesjugendvertretung, representing more than 50 member organisations), bOJA (bundesweites Netzwerk offene Jugendarbeit, representing open youth work), and BÖJI (Bundenetzwerk Österreichische Jugendinfos, representing youth information).

As a target group, consultations aim to include all young people in all their diversity.

Information on the extent of youth participation

The number of young people involved varies depending on the consultation method used. Surveys and dialogue formats tend to aim for broad diversity rather than targeting specific groups, thereby ensuring that a wide range of perspectives is represented. Participation figures are usually recorded for each individual initiative or project, reflecting the scope and focus of the consultation process in question. 

Outcomes

Youth consultation processes gather young people’s input on defining policy (youth) goals, evaluating existing measures, and identifying emerging needs across various fields. This feedback, collected through structured dialogues, surveys, workshops, and tools such as the Reality Check, directly informs the Austrian Youth Strategy (see Chapter 1.3) and helps shape related national and regional policies. 

Relevant ministries incorporate these findings into policy planning and coordination. Although decision-making processes are not always fully public, authorities regularly release summaries and results – often through official reports – and often provide feedback to participants, explaining how their contributions have influenced policy outcomes. 

Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

The Federal Youth Speech Competition (Bundes-Jugendredewettbewerb) is a nationwide initiative organised by the Federal Chancellery’s Department for Families and Youth, in collaboration with the Provincial Youth Departments. It provides a public platform for young people aged 13 to 24 to express their views on social and political issues, either through prepared or spontaneous speeches. Held annually with regional rounds leading to a federal final in Vienna, the competition fosters democratic debate, critical thinking and civic engagement. 

As part of the Youth Parliament (Jugendparlament), young participants interact directly with members of Parliament (MPs), who introduce them to parliamentary work, provide guidance during debates and attend the final plenary sessions. During this session, MPs discuss the pupils’ proposals, answer questions and share insights into real political practice, facilitating a direct and practical exchange between young people and elected representatives. 

The ‘Chats with Politicians’ (Chats mit Politiker:innen) initiative, organised by the Austrian Parliament’s 'DemokratieWEBstatt', offers pupils from around the 7th or 8th grade upwards the opportunity to engage directly with politicians and experts in moderated online discussions. Each session focuses on a specific topic, such as digitalisation, human rights, or mental health. Young people can ask questions, share opinions, and exchange ideas with decision-makers in an accessible and interactive setting.