EU Youth Strategy post-2027 must be inclusive for the participation of young workers

The European Commission is currently consulting stakeholders on the future EU Youth Strategy beyond 2027. As part of this process, CESI Youth has submitted its contribution, stressing that the next Strategy must move beyond consultation towards genuine participation, ensuring that young people and their representative organisations, including CESI Youth, are systematically involved in European policymaking and that the voices of young workers are fully represented.

Among its key priorities for the future EU Youth Strategy, CESI Youth highlights the need for:

• meaningful, structured and permanent participation of young people in EU policymaking;
• stronger recognition of youth trade union organisations, including CESI Youth, as stakeholders in the Strategy's governance and implementation;
• closer cooperation between youth organisations, trade unions and policymakers;
• better protection of young workers through quality jobs, fair working conditions and stronger labour rights;
• greater support for inclusion, mental well-being and equal participation opportunities; and
• an EU approach based on intergenerational fairness, ensuring that young people's interests are considered across all policy areas.

According to CESI Youth, the future EU Youth Strategy must recognise that young workers are not only beneficiaries of European policies but essential partners in shaping them. Stronger participation of youth trade unions will help ensure that Europe's response to the green and digital transitions delivers quality jobs, social fairness and opportunities for the next generation."

CESI Youth also underlines that participation must be genuinely inclusive. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, rural areas, migrant communities and other vulnerable groups continue to face significant barriers to engagement. The future Strategy should therefore strengthen equal access to participation, support civic education and democratic literacy, promote mental health and provide safe spaces for dialogue and democratic engagement.

Finally, CESI Youth calls for the future Strategy to embed intergenerational fairness across EU policymaking. Young Europeans are already disproportionately affected by climate change, housing insecurity, labour market instability and geopolitical uncertainty. The next EU Youth Strategy should therefore ensure that the impact of EU legislation on younger generations is systematically assessed and that youth perspectives are integrated across policy initiatives.

The full consultation contribution is available here.