Luxembourg

The 2008 Youth Law, amended in 2016, sets the legislative foundation for youth policy development in Luxembourg. According to Article 15 of the law, the responsible Youth Minister is required to present a report to the parliament every five years on the current status of young people with regard to health and well-being. The most current results of this research can be found in the National Report on the Well-Being and Health of Young People 2020. It constitutes the scientific basis for the development of the current National Action Plan for Youth 2022-2025 (NAP), sometimes referred to as the "Youth Pact".

The NAP sets out the strategic objectives which are to guide the government's youth policy through 2025 within the framework of three key areas:

1. promoting well-being at school;
2. promoting well-being with youth and socio-educational structures; and
3. giving young people a voice and networking partners.

According to the EU Youth Wiki, there is a strong political commitment to evidence-based youth policy in Luxembourg. The scientific research providing orientation for youth policy is made available to the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth through its collaboration with the Centre for Childhood and Youth Research (CCY) at the University of Luxembourg. As stated by the EU Youth Wiki, a cooperation agreement between the ministry and the university, signed in 2007, "serves as the contractual basis for the institutionalised and recurring cooperation between youth policy and youth research".

The Ministry of Education, Children and Youth is responsible for the youth policy of Luxembourg. According to their website, the ministry is implementing a multidisciplinary and participatory youth policy to help young people adjust to the "complex period constituted by their transition from adolescence to adulthood". The ministry'smain missions include "legislation and general policy on youth: services for young people, participation of young people, training of youth leaders, etc.".

Within the ministry, the National Youth Service plays a key role in the implementation of youth policy. According to the EU Youth Wiki, It is considered the "national agency for youth" in Luxembourg and is a point of contact, information, counselling, and support for both young people and those in the youth work field.

As stated in the EU Youth Wiki, youth policy here is guided by three strategic orientations: participatory, transversal and evidence-based. In addition to the entities already named, the following organisations are also involved in the implementation of youth policies:

• The Interministerial Committee on Youth, which is composed of representatives of all other ministries;
• The Higher Council for Youth, made up of 19 representatives of several organisations and administrations dealing with youth issues, including eight young representatives of youth organisations;
• The Youth Parliament and the Additional Committee on Youth;
• The University of Luxembourg produces the Youth Report, which provides evidence for the development of the youth strategy (see "Youth Policy" section for additional information).

According to the EU Youth Wiki, youth participation and consultation at the national level is primarily ensured by three bodies: the National Youth Council, the Higher Youth Council, and the Youth Parliament (sometimes referred to as the National Assembly of Young People).

The National Youth Council of Luxembourg (CGJL) is the umbrella organisation of youth organisations in Luxembourg and a full member of the European Youth Forum. The CGJL has more than 30 member organisations which are active in a wide range of areas within the youth sector. It is "a privileged discussion partner for the ministries and other official actors in youth-related topics" and actively lobbies for the opinions and interests of the youth of Luxembourg and Europe.

The Higher Youth Council is an advisory body with the primary mission of analysing issues relating to young people, either of its own initiative or by request of the government. It recommends reforms and innovations aimed at increasing the well-being of young people. The council is composed of 19 representatives of organisations concerned with youth issues, including eight youth representatives from youth organisations and two student representatives.

The Youth Parliament, established by Article 14 of the 2008 Youth Law, is a politically independent platform that allows young people between the ages of 14 and 24 to discuss and debate topics of importance to them. The parliament is funded by the state budget and supervised by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. According to the ministry website, thematic committees of the Youth Parliament prepare opinions that are presented to the Chamber of Deputies on an annual basis. However, policymakers are not required to consult the parliament in the legislative process.

As stated in the EU Youth Wiki, although "there is no legal framework for the profession of youth work per se", the 2016 Youth Law and the 2017 Grand-Ducal regulation strengthened its political recognition, among other things, by introducing a national framework on non-formal education of children and young people. According to the EU Youth Wiki, "The introduction of a framework for quality assurance and a systematic monitoring in 2017 marks a milestone in the development of youth work in Luxembourg."

According to the EU Youth Wiki, the National Youth Service of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth is the main actor in policy-making on youth work at the national level.According to the ministry's website, the National Youth Service is a point of contact, information, counselling and support for actors in the field of youth work. It is also in charge of quality assurance for youth work. Further, it offers training programmes and courses for young people and professional youth workers. In 2022 they introduced a new continuous training system, free of charge, for youth workers and educators, organised in partnership with continuing education agencies.

Youth work is addressed by the National Action Plan for Youth 2022-2025 (NAP) as part of its second strategic objective: "Promoting well-being within youth and socio-educational structures". This plan points to the importance of youth work as an important pillar of the personal and social development of young people. It aims to strengthen the skills and know-how of youth workers, with a specific emphasis on physical health and digital health. Policy action in this field is based on nine measures that can be found here.

There are basic requirements with regard to educational degree with have to be fulfilled when working as a professional. Article 17 of the 1999 Grand-Ducal Regulation defines the requirements: "In particular, Luxembourg or foreign diplomas and certificates recognized as equivalent to the diploma of lawyer, psychologist, teacher, sociologist, curative teacher, occupational therapist, social worker, social assistant are accepted. ) social hygiene, teacher, nursery teacher, graduate educator, educator or junior assistant."

The budget of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth amounts to EUR 3.56 billion (USD 3.82 billion) in 2023, which represents 13.6% of the total national budget. Of this budget total, 25.7% goes to secondary education, 21.82% to primary education and 22.4% to general expenditures for children and youth. It was not possible to determine the budget allocated to implementation of the national youth policy.