Existence of a National Youth Law

There is no National Youth Law and there is no public discussion about the need for a single law. 

However, there are 5 Decrees that concern youth policy implementation at the community level. 

3 of them are completely managed by the Youth Department: 

1.    Youth Centres, Youth Hostels and Youth Information Centres are ruled by the decree “décret determinant les conditions d’agrément et de subventionnement des maisons de jeunes, centres de rencontres et d’hébergement et centres d’information des jeunes et de leurs federations” (Decree of 20 July 2000, revised in 2004 and 2008, which defines the general missions and the specific procedures to recognize and fund Youth Centres, Youth Hostels, Youth Information Centres and their Federations)  ;

2.    Youth Organisations are ruled by the decree “décret fixant les conditions d’agrément et d’octroi de subventions aux Organisations de Jeunesse“ (Decree of 26 March 2009 which defines specific procedures to recognise and fund youth organisations)  ;

3.    The Youth Council is ruled by the decree “Décret instaurant le Conseil de la Jeunesse en Communauté française” (Decree of 14 November 2008, revised in 2013, establishing the Youth Council in the French-speaking Community). This Decree concern the implementation of an independent association working on youth participation.

2 Decrees are at the intersection of Youth and Childhood sector:

4.    Homework Schools are ruled by the decree “décret relatif à la reconnaissance et au soutien des écoles de devoirs” (Decree of 28 April 2004 related to the recognition and the support of Homework Schools) ;

5.    Holidays Centres are ruled by the decree “Décret relatif aux centres de vacances” (Decree of 17 May 1999 related to the Holiday Centres). The Youth Department is in charge of the training section of the Decree. 

Scope and contents

The 5 decrees organise and rule:

• the field of actions of every type of youth structure ;
• the conditions to be recognised as a youth structure ;
• the conditions to receive public support ;
• the role of the Advisory Commissions ;
• the schedule and framework in which the evaluation of the decrees takes place.

Revisions/updates

The Observatory of Childhood, Youth and Youth Welfare is charged to coordinate the evaluation of the decrees related to youth organisatons and to youth centres (see section 1.4 youth-policy decision-making). 

The evaluation of the decree relatd to Youth Centres and the evaluation of the decree related to youth organisations have been published in March 2017.