YPACT | Bringing Youth Policy Dialogues to Italy and Croatia for a more sustainable future
10/07/2026
On 16 July in Lyon, France, Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, will meet with 30 young people from across Europe to help shape the next EU Youth Strategy.
The EU Youth Policy Dialogues were launched to encourage young people to express their views on EU policy initiatives by engaging directly with European Commissioners. The dialogues aim to ensure that young people's perspectives are better reflected in the EU's political agenda by providing a space for open discussion, the exchange of ideas, and meaningful interaction between young people and EU decision-makers. By promoting active participation in democratic life, they empower young people while helping them better understand how policy decisions are made and how they affect their lives.
Inspired by this participatory approach, YPACT is bringing Youth Policy Dialogues to the Italy–Croatia cooperation area, giving young people a similar opportunity to shape sustainable development through their own perspectives and engage directly with local and regional decision-makers.
YPACT also introduces an innovative dimension to youth participation by involving youth organisations as key actors in the dialogue process, rather than engaging young people solely as individuals. To this end, the project has selected 12 youth organisations from Italy and Croatia, together with two local and regional authorities, to participate in cross-border policy dialogues.
This approach recognises the multiplier role of youth organisations. By reaching broader and more diverse groups of young people, they can amplify youth voices, encourage wider participation, and act as a bridge between young communities and public institutions. Their involvement strengthens governance processes and contributes to more inclusive, representative, and effective policymaking.
Through YPACT, young people in Italy and Croatia will exchange ideas, share their perspectives, and work alongside decision-makers on one of the most important challenges for their future: sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By connecting youth organisations, institutions, and communities across borders, YPACT promotes meaningful youth participation in cross-border governance and supports the development of more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable policies.
More on the Youth Policy Dialogue is linked in the box.
