EU Youth Strategy and the European Youth Goals – can they help in achieving solidarity?

What are the European Youth Goals and how do they relate to the EU Youth Strategy? Do they embody the principles of solidarity? Can they contribute to solidarity in the youth field at a national and European level and if yes, how?

This paper examines the EU Youth Strategy, especially the Youth Goals, from two different perspectives. This will be done on the one hand by understanding solidarity as a cohesive system and on the other by viewing solidarity as a common value. It will further give an insight as to whether the European Youth Goals incorporate the principles of solidarity. Lastly, it assesses the role of the EU Youth Strategy and the Youth Goals as tools to achieve solidarity.

The analysis conducted in the paper provides the following insights. Solidarity can be understood as a cohesive system of cooperation in the European youth field. Each stakeholder has a specific role and knowledge base with which they contribute to the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy and the process of the EU Youth Dialogue. Additionally, solidarity as a common value has become even more crucial than before in the second EU Youth Strategy and in the European Youth Goals. However, the implementation of these documents depends on national realities.