Evaluation of participant inclusion levels within the EU Youth Dialogue

Year of production: 2023

The EUYD is a key youth participation mechanism at EU level aiming to bring youth voice to the EU policy making. It is operational in all EU-27 states, though the national name for the process does vary between countries. Its main element is the dialogue between young people, youth organisations and policy and decision makers, as well as experts, researchers and other relevant civil society actors. It serves as a forum for continuous joint reflection and consultation on the priorities, implementation and follow-up of European cooperation in the field of youth. It builds on the achievements of past dialogue processes (Structured Dialogue), with the aim of including more decision-makers and young people in the dialogue activities. Particular attention is given to the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in decision-making processes. Within this research the term ‘demographic inclusion’ is used to describe the extent that participants from minority groups are represented in the makeup of EUYD participants. An alternative term for this, used commonly in social research, is a representative sample. A representative sample is when a sample of participants from a larger group accurately represents the characteristics of a larger population. However, the term ‘representative’ is avoided within this evaluation because it risks confusion with the concept of democratic representation. Young representatives of democratic youth organisations such as National Youth Councils can be said to ‘democratically represent’ the young people in their country. Democratic representation arises from the democratic procedures of those organisations and not the social backgrounds of the representatives. This concept is also important to EUYD. It is necessary to clearly distinguish it from demographic inclusion and representation.

Authors

Council of Europe
Council of Europe (CoE)

The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organisation. It includes 47 member states, 27 of which are members of the European Union. The Council of Europe advocates freedom of expression and of the media, freedom of assembly, equality, and the protection of minorities. The Council of Europe helps member states fight corruption and terrorism and undertake necessary judicial reforms. The Council of Europe promotes human rights through international conventions, such as the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and the Convention on Cybercrime.

Photo of Dr. Dan Moxon
Dr. Dan Moxon

​Dan is researcher and practitioner specialising in inclusive youth participation with over 20 years experience working with children and young people in the voluntary, public, for-profit and academic sectors. His research focuses on how children and young people's participation can influence policy, as well and the development of participatory structures and processes. Originally a youth worker at local and regional level in the North West of England, he now works throughout Europe and beyond supporting a variety of organisations, to develop their approach to youth participation. In 2017 he was invited to re-develop the consultation process behind the EU’s Youth Dialogue. This engages nearly 50,000 young people from across the EU, and was instrumental in developing the new European Youth Goals. In 2020, his advice paper to the Ukrainian Government led to a revision of a draft law which enabled under 18s to participate in local civic processes.

Ondřej Bárta