This monograph has two purposes. The first is to develop the framework that was initially established through a grounded reading of the material from the first seven international reviews of national youth policy conducted by the Council of Europe Youth Directorate between 1997 and 2001. This has involved a careful reading of the subsequent national and international reports produced between 2002 and 2006 to identify either issues that merit greater prominence or new issues to be addressed in the future. The outcome of this exercise is the proposal of a new framework for European-level debates on the subject of youth policy.The second purpose is, through consultation with those who took part in the second cycle of reviews, to refine further the process by which international reviews are carried out. A number of observations suggest that immediate action can be taken to improve the experience of participating in review teams and, ultimately, the quality of the international reports.
Executive summary
Introduction
Section 1: Building on the 2002 framework
a. Concepts of 'youth' and 'youth policy'
b. Structure and Infrastructure
c. Policy domains
d. Cross-cutting issues
e. Foundation stones for effective youth policy
Section 2: The international review process -- reflections and recommendations
Section 3: A brief comment on benchmarks
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Recommendations
Appendix 2: A new framework for the international youth policy reviews
Appendix 3: Guidelines for the implementation of national youth policy reviews
Bibliography
