President’s Youth Advisory Board berät mit Ursula von der Leyen über Jugendpolitik nach 2027

In addition to youth participation and digital policy issues, the meeting focused in particular on the socio-economic concerns of young people and the structural safeguarding of youth work in Europe. The outcomes of the discussions are to be incorporated into the further development of European policy and the forthcoming EU Youth Strategy for the period after 2027.

Making youth policy binding

Among other things, the youth representatives called for the EU Youth Check to be systematically expanded and made more binding. This tool is intended to ensure that the impact of European initiatives on young people is taken into account at an early stage. Youth policy must be established as a distinct policy area at European level, and young people’s participation must be organised in a sustainable and effective manner, with transparent feedback processes.

Beyond youth participation, the representatives raised a wide range of pressing issues for the future. Rising living costs, affordable housing, fair conditions in apprenticeships and work placements, as well as social divisions and threats to democratic structures, were among the topics discussed.

Securing reliable funding for youth work

For the Bundesjugendring, one thing is clear: an effective European youth policy also requires a reliable financial basis. For the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework from 2028 onwards, the DBJR is calling for a dedicated budget for the youth sector, adequately funded youth-specific support programmes, and reliable framework conditions for youth organisations and youth federations.

Isabel Rutkowski, DNK representative on the President’s Youth Advisory Board: “Young people are currently facing massive economic pressure and a sense of insecurity caused by social divisions. If we want to strengthen democratic resilience, youth organisations and civil society actors must not be run into the ground by budget cuts. We need reliable structural funding within the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework from the outset, rather than as an after-the-fact consolation measure.”

Making digital spaces safe and inclusive

The protection of children and young people in the digital space also featured in the discussions. The Special Committee on Online Safety for Children, set up by the European Commission, had recently recommended that platform providers be held more accountable for ensuring safe digital spaces. In line with the ‘Safety by Design’ principle, providers should demonstrate that their services are designed to be safe and age-appropriate for minors. The special committee thus also recommends shifting the burden of proof onto digital service providers. These are recommendations from the committee which will now be incorporated into the European Commission’s further work.

The Bundesjugendring supports binding requirements for ‘Safety by Design’. At the same time, it rejects blanket age limits on social media and blanket age verification as a condition of access. The protection of young people in the digital space must not be achieved through exclusion: protection, empowerment and digital participation must be guaranteed together.

Background: President’s Youth Advisory Board

The Youth Advisory Board, initiated by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was officially established on 25 June 2025 as an expert group of the European Commission. The board comprises delegates from the national youth organisations of the EU Member States as well as representatives of the European Youth Forum (YFJ). It advises EU leaders directly and at the highest political level. German interests are represented on the board by the DNK, whose members include the German Federal Youth Council (DBJR). In 2025/2026, the DNK was represented by Paula Gehrs (JEF) and Isabel Rutkowski (KLJB).