(European) youth policy and why research it

This chapter takes a deep dive into the general notion of youth policy. Historically, there was no “youth” as there simply was no transitional phase between being a child and an adult. It is indeed the outcome of the societal development within the 20th century that youth was established as a unique phase in life – and that policies directed to this group of people were needed. Following the idea of different welfare regimes by Esping-Andersen, different approaches to youth policy can be studied all over Europe. In the second part of the chapter, a further youth policy actor is introduced: the European Union. Starting in the late 1980s the EU became more and more engaged in this area, leading to the first attempt to formulate a “European Youth Policy” in a White Paper in 2001 – and the introduction of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) within this area. As this first “youth OMC” failed to stand up to its expectations, a restart was made with the European Youth Strategy in 2009. This overarching strategy strived to reach two goals: investing in and empowering young people, especially in the light of the recent financial crisis. The chapter closes by noticing at least some hints that this OMC was used quite differently by the member states – but that comparative research analysing and explaining these differences is yet to be done.