Youth in Action

The unlimited potential of European youth

The EU’s youth policies aim to meet young people’s changing expectations while encouraging them to contribute to society. This policy work is supported by concrete action in the form of a specific programme for young people called Youth in Action.

The current generation of young Europeans is the first to have grown up in a largely borderless and peaceful Europe. This is a Europe where they can move around freely, work and learn more easily than ever before - and it is very different to the one their grandparents, or even parents, grew up in.

A specific Programme aimed at young people
The new Youth in Action programme (2007-2013) is the flagship European programme for young people. It builds on the experience of the previous Youth for Europe Programme (1989-1999), the European Voluntary Service and the YOUTH Programme (2000-2006). The budget for the Youth in Action Programme is €885 million for 7 years. Geographically, its reach will spread across the EU to its neighbours (Eastern Europe and Caucasus, the Mediterranean region and South-East Europe) and other partner countries in the world. Young people between the ages of 15-28 – and in some cases 13-30 – can participate.

The Youth in Action Programme aims to inspire a sense of active European citizenship and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union’s future by boosting their participation in democratic life. The programme promotes non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue among European youth, as well as the inclusion of all young people, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds.

The Youth in Action Programme encourages young people's mobility within and beyond the EU borders, thus giving them the opportunity to expand their horizons and gain valuable life and work experiences.

Programs
The programme funds a large variety of activities through five actions. ‘Youth for Europe’ encourages young people to participate in democratic life through exchanges and other initiatives. The ‘European Voluntary Service’ helps young people to develop their sense of solidarity by working on a voluntary project abroad. ‘Youth in the World’ promotes partnerships and exchanges among young people and youth organisations across the world. ‘Youth Support Systems’ include various measures to support youth workers and youth organisations and improve the quality of their activities. ‘European Co-operation in the youth field’ promotes dialogue and understanding in this area.

This is the general overview of the program, you can visit the website by following this link and find more information and more websites to visit.

To find your national contact, visit this website