European Steering Committee for Youth
What is the European Steering Committee for Youth?
The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) brings together representatives of ministries or bodies responsible for youth matters from the 48 States Parties to the European Cultural Convention. The CDEJ fosters co-operation between governments in the youth sector and provides a framework for comparing national youth policies, exchanging best practices and drafting standard-setting texts.
The CDEJ was set up by the Committee of Ministers under Article 17 of the Statute of the Council of Europe and is operating in accordance with Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.
The CDEJ's terms of reference for 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027.
What does the CDEJ do?
The governments of the States Parties to the European Cultural Convention come together in the CDEJ to oversee the Council of Europe's Youth for Democracy programme, to advise the Committee of Ministers on all youth-related issues, as well as to develop youth policies and standards that tackle the challenges and obstacles young people face in Europe and guarantee youth participation and young people's access to rights.
The CDEJ has developed a variety of principles and values that should underpin youth policies and helps public authorities to implement these, providing advice and capacity-building support through a series of assistance measures. Key ingredients include young people's access to human and social rights, learning, inclusion and social cohesion, citizenship and participation, safety, health and well-being.
As far as the Council of Europe’s action plans – both thematic and country-specific – and other activities are concerned, the CDEJ implements any aspects relative to young people.
In all of its work, the CDEJ takes due account of pertinent aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as of a gender perspective, and contributes to the building of cohesive societies.
The CDEJ ensures the Council of Europe's youth policy standards are promoted by granting the Council of Europe “Quality Label for Youth Centres”.
For full details, see the CDEJ's terms of reference.
Meet the CDEJ Bureau!
The members are:
Bureau members:
Intergovernmental co-operation
In addition to the educational and training activities implemented in the framework of the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest and of the European Youth Foundation, the Council of Europe’s action in the youth field is also carried out through intergovernmental co-operation focusing particularly on the development of youth policies in the States Parties to the European Cultural Convention.
The promotion of this co-operation, which involves ministries or public administrations in charge of youth affairs in the different member States, constitutes the main responsibility of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ), which supervises a programme of activities involving policy makers, youth researchers and youth work practitioners.
Contact: