The first meeting of the Programming Committee on Youth (CPJ) under the 2026-2027 mandate brought together representatives from 7 governments ; 8 youth organisations ; as well as observers from the European Youth Forum.
The exchanges focused on reviewing key developments and saw the adoption of key strategic decisions aimed at shaping the Council of Europe's youth sector. A central focus was on monitoring and on adjusting programmes and grants administered by the European Youth Foundation (EYF) and the European Youth Centres.
The committee agreed on modifications to current activities and adopted and provided feedback on the progress of the EYF reform, including the launch of a new online grant management system and enhanced financial oversight measures and new eligibility criteria were introduced.
Among the key highlights:
- Election of Mr. Dragoș TARȚA (YMCA Europe) as Chair for 2026 and Ms. Marija IVKOVIĆ TRKULJA (Ministry of Tourism and Youth of Serbia, Sector for Youth) as Vice-Chair. Both elected members will alternate roles in 2027, thus asserting the committee’s pledge to balance between governmental and non-governmental leadership.
- Adoption of the updated Rules of Procedure, which reflect ongoing reforms in youth policy.
- Adoption of the 2027 draft programme and budget, continuing the themes of democratic resilience, inclusion, and gender equality, in line with the operational framework of the European Youth Foundation (EYF).
- Approval of a total of 11 grants for long-term and 12 grants for one-off international youth co-operation projects for 2027.
Those decisions reaffirm the Council of Europe’s determination to empower youth engagement in the face of emerging challenges across the continent.
The meeting concluded by setting dates for future sessions, with the 57th meeting scheduled for June 2027 in Budapest and the 58th in December 2027 in Strasbourg.
