On this page

1. Existence of a national strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

4. Revisions/updates

Existence of a national strategy

A Strategy for Culture and National Heritage have been drafted for the period 2014-2020 and reviewed in 2016 for the period 2016-2020, including objectives to raise youth participation to culture, to support young creators and cultural entrepreneurs. However, the Government never adopted the strategy formally. Informally, the strategy was used to guide the cultural policies until March 2020, the beginning of restrictions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Youth Strategy 2015-2020 included a dedicated pillar to youth education and culture, including specific objectives to facilitate youth access to quality culture and cultural creation. A separate strategy on creativity and culture for young people as such does not exist in Romania.

Scope and contents

The specific objectives of the Youth Strategy 2015-2020 in the area of culture have been:

• to facilitate youth access to quality culture and cultural creation
• to improve funding of cultural activities

Planned actions included:

1. Boost youth interest in exploiting local cultural traditions, including through training in traditional trades (arts, crafts);
2. Stimulate youth interest in reading and literary creation;
3. Support and stimulate youth creativity and performance in various creative industries (advertising, visual arts, performing arts, research and development, software, etc.);
4. Promote, support and reward the work of young talented artists and technical-scientific innovators; encourage intercultural education both through traineeships and learning experiences in other countries (youth exchange programmes) and by providing opportunities for getting to know the culture of national ethnic minorities;
5. Protect children and youngsters from the risks posed by new media usage, particularly through relevant skills development, while recognising the benefits and opportunities that such media can offer to young people;
6. Facilitate access to quality culture for rural youth through special measures aimed at local cultural participation;
7. Offer support to youth-oriented forms of cultural expression, reflecting young people’s concerns and interests;
8. Grant youth NGOs  projects that tap into the tourist and cultural potential of the country;
9. Enhance media and online (social media) promotion of non-formal training and education opportunities;
10. Encourage the private sector to contribute to the financing of cultural events;
11. Launch national programmes aimed at discovering and promoting highly creative young people in cultural-artistic areas and at granting scholarships to valuable young artists;
12. Ensure profitable financial arrangements for the participation of talented young people from disadvantaged background in the activities carried out by professional arts training institutions;
13. Provide financial support to the establishments which promote cultural and artistic activities for youth (youth centres, student cultural centres, youth NGOs) in order to ensure better and more attractive conditions for youth participation in such activities.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

The Ministry of Youth and Sports was the main government authority responsible for the implementation of the Youth Strategy 2015-2020 , including the specific objectives on culture.

An action plan allowing systematic implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the strategy, was not adopted.

Revisions/updates

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.