The 2019-2027 EU Youth Strategy is coming to an end. ELFAC has sent its comments to the public consultation for the post-2027 EU Youth Strategy opened by the European Commission.
The strategy supports social and civic engagement for young people. It also aims to improve policy decisions and their impact on young people.
Contribution of ELFAC
When promoting the inclusion of youth with fewer opportunities, it is vital to recognize the unique vulnerabilities of large families, where over 25% of European youth reside. These households face severe economic hardship; Eurostat data indicates that 22.1% of the EU population in households with children were at risk of social exclusion in 2025.
Behind job loss, raising children remains Europe’s primary poverty risk, and this financial stress directly hinders a young person’s capacity for civic engagement. Older youth in large families frequently shoulder heavy informal caregiving and financial roles, such as managing the household, caring for younger siblings, or contributing to family income. These compounded responsibilities impose severe “time poverty,” leaving these young people with little free time to attend after-school civic clubs or commit to sustained EU initiatives.
It is not just a matter of social justice; it is a strategic tool
However, supporting these households is not just a matter of social justice; it is a strategic tool to unlock long-term competitiveness, economic resilience, and youth participation across Europe’s regions. Large families provide the foundational demographic support that aging regions desperately need to break out of low-growth traps, as these children will form tomorrow’s regional labor force. To unlock this potential and advance territorial cohesion, the EU should actively expand the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities. By promoting proven best practices—such as integrating family perspectives into local policies, fostering gender equality, supporting responsible parenthood, driving youth empowerment, and creating local business alliances—the EU can simultaneously boost youth participation and secure regional stability for generations.
To achieve this, the European Large Families Confederation calls on the post-2027 EU Youth Strategy to account for these socioeconomic realities and make engagement genuinely accessible. Information regarding EU opportunities must meet young people where they are, utilizing familiar channels like schools and social media.
Furthermore, to accommodate youth facing severe time constraints, EU frameworks must shift away from high-burden, large-scale conferences. Instead, the strategy should focus on low-barrier, decentralized initiatives that allow meaningful participation without imposing an extreme time burden, ensuring that youth from large families are not left behind.
(Contribution prepared by Delia Bousquet, intern of ELFAC)