The European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP)

The virtual European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP) aims to provide the youth field with an entry point to access knowledge and information on the realities of youth across Europe. It was developed within the framework of the Youth Research Partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Commission. The EKCYP follows the knowledge based approach to youth policy making shared by both institutions and expressed in their relevant political documents and strategies. These promote evidence based policy making and practice and enhance the exchange of information and dialogue across the youth field.

For the European Commission a better knowledge on youth plays a prominent role since the adoption of the White Paper “A new impetus for European Youth” in 2001, confirmed in  the European Commission Common Objectives on a Better Understanding of Youth Following the European Youth Pact in 2004 and the European Commission Commmunication on the promotion of full participation in education, employment and society in 2007 the EKCYP’s thematic focus has been expanded to the topics of health & well-being, social inclusion, youth employment and living conditions. The strategic relevance of the EKCYP as a tool for the provision of youth knowledge and the support of evidence based youth policy hase been acknowlegded recently by the European Commission Communication Youth – Investing and Empowering. Data from EKCYP have contributed to the first EU Youth Report published by the European Commission in spring 2009.

For the Council of Europe policy-making based on evidence plays a crucial role since the establishment of youth policy reviews and policy advisory missions and is part of monitoring of youth policy in its member states. This policy contributes to quality development and standard setting in the youth field in general and in the reviewed countries in particular. The growing number of countries participating in the EKCYP which are member states of the Council of Europe (and not integral part of the political processes in the European Union as described above) shows evidence of an increased interest in knowledge on youth. The Council of Europe’s youth sector has expressed the political priorities for the upcoming years in “The future of the Council of Europe youth policy: Agenda 2020”; in the final declaration of their meeting in Budapest in 2008 Ministers responsible for youth confirm the relevance of youth research and knowledge of youth by highlighting the need of a further development of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy.

When it begun

The launch of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy took place during the EU Luxembourg Presidency conference under the priority of a Better Understanding of Youth 16-18 June 2005 in Luxembourg and at the Council of Europe’s Conference of European Ministers responsible for Youth in Budapest 24-25 September 2005.

In 2006 content and technical infrastructure of the website was evaluated and feedback was gathered from the national correspondents who provide data and information on their countries based on questionnaires. As a result the revised European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy is now integrated in the new partnership web-portal and is easily accessible for all users representing the triangle of research, policy and youth work.

 Network of EKCYP-correspondents

The EKCYP is supported by a European wide network nominated by the member states ministries responsible for youth policy. The correspondents draft and update country sheets and answer questionnaires on the topics of Participation, Information, Voluntary Activities and a Better Understanding of Youth. The results are displayed as PDF documents in the section country information. They contain quantitative and qualitative data on young people, their realities and living conditions in the various member states of correspondents.

 Document library and other tools

In order to find more in-depth information on young people a searchable database provides documents from research, policy and practice. You can perform your search by keyword or using the advanced search to further narrow your research criteria.

You can also find an experts database where experts in the fields of youth can set up their own portfolios underlining their expertise. Examples of good practice on participation, information, voluntary activities and better understanding of youth are available for consultation.

Getting involved

Anyone can register into the EKCYP and all registered users can upload relevant research or policy documents to the document library, sign up to the expert database and by submitting news on youth related activities and events and examples of good practice on priority topics sharing their experiences with others. All documents, news or examples of good practice go through a validation process before going online.