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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Spain

Spain

5. Participation

5.10 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 28 November 2023

In recent years, debate has opened up on the possibility of lowering the barrier of the legal age to 16 years old, so as to match it with the age of criminal adulthood. This initiative is included in the Action Plan 22-24 of the 2030 Strategy, which is shared by the CJE and the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030. Although it has been put to a vote several times in the Congress of Deputies (the last time in 2022), it has never had sufficient consensus to be approved.

In the framework of Spain's presidency of the EU, the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 underlines that there is a will to concretise the participation of young people both in the EU decision-making process and in the design of public policies, with special emphasis on mental health.