German Association pleads for an ambitious EU Youth Strategy beyond 2027

The EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027, which provides the framework for cooperation on youth policy in Europe, is coming to an end.The European Commission is currently gathering suggestions and perspectives through a public consultation to inform the development of the next EU Youth Strategy after 2027.

The German Association for Public and Private Welfare (Deutscher Verein für öffentliche und private Fürsorge e.V.) is also participating in this process and contributing its experiences and recommendations with the following key messages:

The next EU Youth Strategy should establish combating youth poverty and poverty prevention as a distinct strategic area of action and set measurable goals for reducing poverty, housing insecurity, and social exclusion among young people.

In particular, structural causes of poverty and the perspectives of young people affected by poverty should be given greater consideration in political processes and decision-making.

The goal should be for young people to grow up in material security, with their basic needs—including material and age-specific needs as well as those related to sociocultural participation—being met. Young people should, in principle, be entitled to independent social protection that covers the entire subsistence minimum.

The strategy should place a special focus on preventive measures that reduce the risk of poverty at an early stage, for example through equal access to education, vocational training, affordable housing, social security, and social participation.