International Youth Day 2022

Last year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared 2022 the European Year of Youth. Speaking in the European Parliament, she set out a vision of a Europe driven by young people, and honouring their contribution to Europe's future.

To make this vision a reality, the EU has launched several initiatives offering opportunity to young people across Europe. Through Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, dedicated to cross-border student and voluntary exchanges, young people are able to live in a new country, experience other cultures and bring their own perspective forward. On this basis, youth are better equipped to live - and lead - in an ever more interconnected world.

In the world of work two EU initiatives, the EU's Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative are focused on bringing more young people into the workplace. Through the Youth Guarantee, all of the EU's member states committed to ensuring that people under the age of 30 have access to continued education, employment or traineeship within four months of entering the labour market.

As the pandemic hit, that commitment has become even more crucial. Like all age groups, young women and men were negatively affected by a global economic slowdown and reduced opportunities. Yet today, more than 24 million young people registered in Youth Guarantee schemes moved into employment or further education. In this way, youth have been given the chance to build a better life for them, and for others, and thus contribute to a stronger EU.

Many young Europeans are already in traditional positions of influence. For instance, in 2019 Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, a Danish MEP, became the youngest person ever elected to the European Parliament, at just 21 years old. She came together with other young politicians to form part of the EU40 group, a network of MEPs and Members of Parliament under the age of 40, which aims to bring forward young people’s priorities at the highest political level.

And for many other young people, the EU is acting as well. In 2022, the ALMA programme (standing for Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) offered youth with less opportunity for education or employment a work placement abroad, along with job and skills coaching.

Talking about youth participation is easy. But the EU has done something about it, by putting youth at the centre of its policy. Mobilising funding from the EU recovery plan, NextGenerationEU, Europe has worked to truly make 2022 the European Year of Youth. And through the Youth Action Plan, currently being developed by the Commission, the EU will work for the benefit of young people around the world.

Here at the EU Delegation in Rome, we work to include young people as much as possible. Through our work with the Holy See and UN agencies, we work to promote the EU’s youth priorities at the multilateral level. Recently we were glad to see the closing of negotiations on the Committee on World Food Security’s policy recommendations on youth, which we hope the Committee will endorse next October.  And through the efforts of our young trainees and employees, our Europe Day celebration this year was inspired by the 2022 Year of Youth, featuring young dancers, musicians and performers. The Delegation has also hosted young diplomats and trainees from Rome’s diplomatic community, allowing them to network and further develop their professional lives.

Learn more about the European Year of Youth, and opportunities available for young people by clicking here.