Breadcrumb

Youth Participation

1_Why Youth?

Why Youth?

Young people have a concrete role to play in shaping the future of Italy-Croatia cooperation. As the most interconnected generation, they can help bridge the gap between borders by bringing new perspectives, contributing to identifying challenges and solutions. The Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme is therefore committed to involving young people as contributors to its activities in the whole programming cycle. The Programme aims to ensure that no one is left behind and that cross-border cooperation remains inclusive and forward-looking.

2_Our Journey

Our Journey

Meaningful youth participation means the structured, inclusive and continuous involvement of young people as equal partners in decisions that affect them. It is about creating opportunities for young people to contribute throughout the whole policy cycle, from setting priorities and co-designing solutions to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 
Achieving meaningful participation, however, requires commitment from both young people and the institutions engaging with them. Alongside opportunities, skills and support for young people to participate, Programme staff and stakeholders need the capacity to listen, collaborate and create an enabling environment for their involvement. In this spirit, Programme staff have strengthened their own capacities through dedicated training on citizen engagement, helping them engage with young people more effectively and support their active participation.

The Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme has progressively developed its approach to youth engagement, building on these efforts and translating its commitment into action through four pillars:

3_Connect_Empower_Co_design_Embed

Making the Programme more accessible, visible and relevant to young people through dedicated communication channels, including social media, and by sharing clear information on opportunities to get involved. This commitment is also reflected in youth engagement activities, including ‘Youth4Sea’ and a session at the Mediterranean Multi-Programme Mechanism event ‘Paths that Last’, which explored the future of Interreg. During the session, young speakers opened a discussion on the importance of balancing generational and gender diversity to deliver real value to citizens.

We have opened up opportunities for young people to discover European cooperation from the inside through initiatives such as Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) and At School of OpenCoesione (ASOC), in which the Programme has participated. Through IVY, young volunteers contribute to Interreg programmes and projects, gaining first-hand experience of cross-border cooperation and seeing how it works in practice. ASOC takes a different approach, inviting students to investigate EU-funded projects in their own territories, explore the impact of cohesion policy and develop research, data analysis and civic engagement skills. Together, these initiatives offer young people different ways to connect with Europe: by experiencing cooperation at work, exploring the results of EU investment in their communities and discovering how public policies can make a difference in people's everyday lives.

Young people have been invited to share their ideas and help shape the future of Italy-Croatia cooperation. Through consultations and initiatives such as The Declaration by Young People on the Future of Territorial Cooperation and the ‘Youth Vision Board’, they have shared their perspectives, priorities and expectations for cross-border cooperation. These contributions bring young people’s voices into the discussion on the future of the Programme, helping identify what matters to them and how cooperation can better respond to their needs and aspirations. 

Youth engagement is already embedded in Programme design itself. Key Programme documents - the Interreg Programme and the Programme Implementation Manual - identify young people as a target group under Priority 1, 2, 4 and ISO1 and the selection criteria of the Calls give an advantage to projects that address youth through dedicated activities. At the same time, we are working to create a more systematic and continuous approach to youth participation. On 23rd June 2026, the 2028-2034 Task Force has approved the participation of youth representatives as advisory members in its composition. Investing in young people means investing in the future of our territories.

4_What's Next

What's Next

The EU’s 2028-2034 ERDF and Cohesion Fund Draft Regulation highlights the importance of intergenerational fairness, and equal access to opportunities for young people, particularly in disadvantaged and depopulating areas. It emphasises the role of skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods, culture and sport in creating opportunities for younger generations.


Building on the ideas, experiences and expectations shared so far, we are working to shape the next chapter of youth engagement in the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme. This work is also part of the broader reflection on the future of Interreg beyond 2027, with the aim of giving young people a more active voice in shaping future priorities and ensuring that their perspectives help inform the direction of cross-border cooperation.


In the coming months, we will continue to grow our youth community, creating more opportunities to discover Interreg, exchange ideas with peers from Italy and Croatia, and contribute to the future of cooperation across the Adriatic. Whether you are a student, a young professional, a volunteer or simply curious about making a difference, check out the opportunities section.

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