On this page

1. Existence of a National Youth Strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

4. Revisions/updates

Existence of a National Youth Strategy

A National Youth Policy Strategy 2015-2020 (hereafter: Youth Strategy 2015-2020, Strategia Nationala în domeniul politicii de tineret 2015-2020) was adopted by the Romanian Government, by Government Decision, in 2015. The Youth Strategy covered the timeframe 2015-2020. A new strategy was planned and presented in public consultations between 2021 and 2024, but not adopted until March 2024.

Scope and contents

Summary

The Youth Strategy 2015-2020 aimed at supporting youth to participate to the economic, social, cultural and political life, ensuring equal opportunities to education, employment and decent life conditions to all youth, including vulnerable youth groups.

The Strategy integrated several policy domains in five main pillars/key areas of intervention:

1. culture and non-formal education;
2. health, sports and leisure;
3. participation and volunteering;
4. employment and entrepreneurship;
5. the social inclusion of young people.

Key objectives

Under each of the 5 key areas of intervention of the Youth Strategy 2015-2020, 34 specific objectives and lines of actions were established. However, an action plan allowing systematic implementation of the strategy, monitoring and evaluation the strategy, was not adopted.

Target groups

The target group of the strategy were young people in general, defined accordingly to the Youth Law in Romania, between 14 and 35 years old. Moreover, the Strategy defined clearly specific target groups within each of the five key areas of intervention.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

The Ministry of Youth and Sports was the main government authority responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the national Youth Strategy 2015-2020. It was in charge with:

• drafting the Action Plan of the Strategy
• drafting and implementing a monitoring and evaluation plan of the Strategy
• designing and implementing the actions under the key area of intervention on participation and volunteering
• designing and implementing the actions under specific objectives related to non-formal education, sport and leisure

An action plan allowing systematic implementation of the strategy, monitoring and evaluation the strategy, was never adopted.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports was transformed in December 2021 in the Ministry of Sport. All its responsibilities regarding the development of the youth strategy post 2021 have been transferred to the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities. It drafted and published for consultation a new, post-2021, Youth Strategy, but this new strategy was not adopted until March 2024.

Revisions/updates

The Youth Strategy 2015-2020 have been preceded by the National Action Plan for Youth (PNA-T) 2001 and its revised version for 2005-2008. Their evaluation has been done by the Institute for Educational Sciences in 2011.

The PNA-T 2001 was designed in order to stimulate youth participation to the economic and social life as well as to come up with a set of measures aiming to reduce marginalization and social exclusion. The plan starts with a socio-economic analysis of the situation and concludes that the main risk factors when it comes to the youth group are the following: the regional disparities, the quality of life, poverty, youth unemployment, lack of access to education, delinquency and corruption. The main groups affected by these factors are: rural youth, unemployed youth, young girls, early school drop outs. It is highlighted the need to stimulate youth participation to the economic, civil, political and cultural life and, in order to follow up the implementation process, the creation of a monitoring and coordination unit for the Plan - through the Inter-Ministries Committee on Youth Matters and a Management Unit to follow up the Plan as well as an info unit is put in place. More than this it is also mentioned a financial allocation of 900 000 Euro to implement the action plan.

In 2020 the Ministry of Youth and Sports started preparing the youth strategy 2021-2027. In December 2020 a needs assessment was provided by the Life Quality Institute to support the elaboration of the strategy in 2021. Additionally, the Youth Barometer 2020 was released with the same aim. Other than that, consultations with the Counties’ Directorates on Youth and Sport and with other governmental institutions with responsibilities in the field of youth were organized. Based on the outcomes of the research and the consultation processes and after consultation with the National Council for Youth, a preliminary proposal for the new Youth Strategy, in line with the European Youth Strategy, was published in 2021. A cooperation protocol with the Government’s General Secretariat was signed by the Ministry of Youth and Sport in order to be provided with additional support for the coordination of the development and adoption process of the new Youth Strategy. In 2022, the consultation processes with the governmental and non-governmental organisations will continue, aiming to have the final project adopted by the end of the year.

In 2020 the Ministry of Youth and Sports started preparing the youth strategy 2021-2027. In December 2020 a needs assessment has been provided by the Life Quality Institute to support the elaboration of the strategy in 2021. The strategic planning process was carried on in 2021, with several consultations organised and several versions of the strategic objectives and main actions have been presented by the Ministry to the National Council on Youth, the advisory body of youth organisations organised by the Ministry. However, in March 2024 the strategic process is ongoing and the new Youth Strategy is under final consultation with the Government Ministries and other institutions.

In 2020 the Ministry of Youth and Sports started preparing the youth strategy 2021-2027. In December 2020 a needs assessment was provided by the Life Quality Institute to support the elaboration of the strategy in 2021. Additionally, the Youth Barometer 2020 was released with the same aim. Other than that, consultations with the Counties’ Directorates on Youth and Sport and with other governmental institutions with responsibilities in the field of youth were organized. Based on the outcomes of the research and the consultation processes and after consultation with the National Council for Youth, a preliminary proposal for the new Youth Strategy, in line with the European Youth Strategy, was published in 2021. A cooperation protocol with the Government’s General Secretariat was signed by the Ministry of Youth and Sport in order to be provided with additional support for the coordination of the development and adoption process of the new Youth Strategy. In 2022, the consultation processes with the governmental and non-governmental organisations will continue, aiming to have the final project adopted by the end of the year.

In 2020 the Ministry of Youth and Sports started preparing the youth strategy 2021-2027. In December 2020 a needs assessment has been provided by the Life Quality Institute to support the elaboration of the strategy in 2021. The strategic planning process was carried on in 2021, with several consultations organised and several versions of the strategic objectives and main actions have been presented by the Ministry to the National Council on Youth, the advisory body of youth organisations organised by the Ministry. However, in March 2022 the strategic process is ongoing and no Youth Strategy has been adopted by the Romanian Government.