Belgium

According to the EU Youth Wiki, there is no youth policy at the federal level, and "the most explicit youth policy instruments" can be found at the Community level. The federal or "Belgian" level of government has limited competences in youth matters, such as some aspects of judicial youth protection.

In the Flemish Community, youth policy is defined by the Decree on a renewed youth and children's rights policy of 2012. According to the Country Sheet on Youth Policy in Flanders (2020), this act serves two major purposes: 1) it describes the basic instruments to implement youth policy, including a Flemish Youth and Children's Rights Policy Plan, and; 2) specifies the conditions for accreditation and funding of a large number of private organisations and youth-related organisations operating at the Flemish level.

The Flemish Youth and Children's Rights Policy Plan 2020-2024, mandated by the decree, is currently in effect; -an official English translation is available.

Moreover, the Flemish Minister for Brussels, Youth, Media and Poverty Reduction submitted his Policy Memorandum Youth 2019-2024 indicating strategic goals for the entire parliamentary term.

The French Community currently does not have a specifically dedicated document on youth policy, nor a comprehensive youth law. According to the EU Youth Wiki, a youth strategy "Youth Plan 12-25" was discussed from 2010 to 2013, but the process remained unfinished and did not lead to the implementation of a national youth strategy. However, the government has outlined its priorities in the field of youth in its Policy Statement of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation 2019-2024.

The Youth Service lists six decrees specifically relating to youth in the French Community: the decree on youth centres (2000); the decree on youth organisations (2009); the decree establishing a youth forum (2019); the decree on homework schools (2004); the decree on holiday centres (1999); and the decree on employment subsidies in the socio-cultural sectors (2008).

The German-speaking Community has a Strategic Plan on Youth 2023-2027. The development of such a plan every five years is mandated by Article 4 of the Decree on the promotion of youth work (2011). As stipulated by the decree, the plan includes an analysis of the situation of youth in the German-speaking Community as well as an Action Plan. The current plan has four thematic focuses: participation in society; digitisation; emotions and self-perception; and the sustainable development of East Belgium.

Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities (the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community) and three regions (the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region, and the Brussels Capital Region).

According to the EU Youth Wiki, there is no hierarchy between the federal, the community, and the regional levels, which is a unique characteristic of Belgian federalism. Each community has their own minister responsible for youth, a parliamentary commission and a number of administrative departments with titles holding "youth", and a large number of specific youth-related budget items.

The Flemish Community has authority in the Flemish provinces and in Brussels. For this community, youth policy is overseen by the Minister for Brussels, Youth, Media and Poverty Reduction. At the administrative level, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media plays a key role, with its Youth Division holding responsibility for the implementation of the youth and children's rights policy.

The French Community exercises its powers in the Walloon provinces (except the German-speaking communes) and in Brussels. In this community, youth policy is the responsibility of the Minister of Higher Education, Education, Social Advancement, University Hospitals, Youth Assistance, Houses of Justice, Youth, Sports and Promotion of Brussels. Moreover, the Youth Service acts as the central administrative authority for youth affairs.

The German-speaking Community hold powers in the communes of the province of Liège and the German-speaking area. The Minister for Culture and Sport, Employment and the Media is responsible for youth policy for this community. In addition, according to the EU Youth Wiki, the Minister for Family, Health and Social Affairs oversees such issues as youth aid and rights of the child. The Department of Culture and Youth provides support for youth work and youth centres.

The Flemish Youth Council is the official advisory body on all matters concerning children and young people in the Flemish Community. Its mandate is specified in Article 7 of the Decree on a renewed youth and children's rights policy (2012). According to the EU Youth Wiki, there are also many local youth councils that advise on all matters relating to youth policy.

In the French Community, the Youth Forum became the official consultative body on youth issues through the Decree establishing a Youth Forum of the French Community in 2019. Per the decree, the Youth Forum succeeds the former Youth Council in its rights and obligations, and the 2008 Decree establishing the Youth Council of the French Community is repealed.

According to its website, the Youth Forum represents young people aged 16 to 30 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, with its organisation being "centred around concrete projects that young people from different backgrounds have decided to carry out collectively."

In the German-speaking Community, the Youth Council of the German-speaking Community (RDJ) is the representative body for young people, giving them the opportunity to voice their opinions on issues and to research and create ideas for projects and events. The RDJ sees itself as a link between young people, youth facilities, politics, and other public institutions.

Flemish Community

The Decree on a renewed youth and children's rights policy (2012) defines youth work as "socio-cultural work based on non-commercial objectives for or by young people aged three to thirty, in leisure time, under educational guidance and to promote the general and integral development of young people participating in it on a voluntary basis." Similarly, a youth worker is defined as "any person who assumes responsibility in youth work and who has verifiable experience, or makes efforts in the area of education and training related to youth work."

As stated in the EU Youth Wiki: "Youth associations can offer a framework training programme to young people in order to obtain a certificate as an animator, chief animator or instructor in youth work. Each route consists of a theoretical part, a supervised work placement and an evaluation."

More information on certification can be found on the website of the Department of Culture, Youth and Media.

French Community

According to the EU Youth Wiki, youth and culture policy in the French Community has been marked by a "clear desire of state neutrality", with the state playing a secondary role as compared to associations. This background also shaped the development of youth work in the French Community and continues to do so today.

Gauthier Simon (2009) states that "The first hesitant steps of youth work gradually came into being in the mid-19th century, in particular in the Catholic sphere. The state still played no significant role". Following the division of Belgium into communities, Simon writes, the objectives of youth workers were more clearly defined in legislation, with youth work being clearly distinguished from emergency social work and assistance.

The six decrees listed in Section 3 of this factsheet: Policy and Legislation - on youth centres; youth organisations; the youth forum; homework schools; holiday centres; and employment subsidies in the socio-cultural sectors - all relate to youth work.

German-speaking Community

The Decree on the Promotion of Youth Work (2011) is the primary legislative document defining and regulating youth work in the German-speaking Community. According to the decree, "Youth work mainly takes place in out-of-school settings and is based on processes of non-formal and informal learning and voluntary participation. [It] promotes the individual, social and cultural development of young people through appropriate services, taking into account their interests and needs."

According to the EU Youth Wiki, youth work enjoys a high status and is the "main pillar" that forms the basis of the Decree on the Promotion of Youth Work and thus the youth policy in this community. Besides defining the main actors in the field, the decree specifies the various categories and types of youth work that are eligible for government funding, outlines qualification pathways, and sets out the essentials of youth policy.

The Youth Office is one of the most important structures for youth work in the German-speaking Community. According to their mission statement, they are a service provider for the youth sector and act as a networking place for youth work and its further development. The Youth Office advises and accompanies youth institutions on an administrative and pedagogical level, offers professional, goal-oriented services and deploys professionals in open and mobile youth work and in the youth council.

For the Flemish Community, according to the EU Youth Wiki and the Policy and budget explanation Youth 2022, the 2022 budget allocated to youth within the Department of Culture, Youth and Media was EUR 58.2 million (USD 63.2 million). The budget allocated to the Flemish Youth and Children's Rights Policy Plan 2020-2024 was EUR 33.3 million (USD 36.2 million) in 2022.

According to the EU Youth Wiki, the French Community allocated EUR 76.2 million (USD 82.7 million) in 2021 for youth policies. The funding is divided into four categories:

• Financial aid for youth organisations, youth centres, homework schools (comprises the majority of the budget);
• Operational costs of the Youth Council;
• Training of youth workers, support to extraordinary youth activities, cross-sectorial actions; and
• Youth service activities.

A detailed account of the French Community's spending, including on youth, is available in the 2021 Adjusted Budget; comments are available in the 2021 Adjusted Budget Explanatory Memorandum.

As for the German-speaking Community, according to the EU Youth Wiki, the subsidies supporting youth policy are related to structural funding. The Decree for the Promotion of Youth Work secures support for youth work facilities at community level. This funding covers the staffing costs of professional youth workers, the maintenance of infrastructure, equipment, and the training of youth workers and voluntary youth leaders.

As stated in the EU Youth Wiki, the 2022 budget for the youth sector was EUR 2.6 million (USD 2.8 million) - this number can be found on page 566 of the 2022 budget reader. It is difficult to estimate the exact amount dedicated to young people overall, as there are multiple other policy fields that also support youth, such as health, sport and culture.