Youth policy defines the goals and methods of ensuring youth participation in public affairs.
Youth policy is primarily regulated by the Law on Youth Policy Framework. It governs persons involved in the implementation of youth policy and their areas of competence, youth participation in the development and implementation of youth policy, and the basic principles for granting funding to youth initiatives, for youth participation in decision-making, and for youth work. These basic principles include, but are not limited to:
- open and informal communication
- voluntary participation
- joint activities
- individuality
- learning from experience
- safe environment
Local governments are especially involved in implementing youth policy. In particular, the Law on Youth Policy Framework requires that the local government should ensure that youth organisations and initiative groups are able to participate in discussions regarding decisions of the local government affecting youth policy prior to the taking thereof.
For those reasons in all the municipalities Councils for Youth Affairs exist where youth representatives can raise questions that are important for them. Also, each municipality has a co-ordinator for youth affairs – a civil servant responsible for youth policy.
Similarly, the Council for Youth Affairs works to represend youth interests at the national level.