Why Romania needs a new law for young people?

The current “law for young people” does not make anybody responsible for implementing youth policies that are efficient and coherent. It does not help address the real problems that the young generation of Romanians are facing. Moreover, it does not create the adequate environment so that young people manifest their creative potential, which is ultimately the greatest asset they bring to the community. The current law does not encourage youth social research to base the programs on and lacks the funding and sanctions sections.

A “working” law for young people should secure youth organizations access to funding opportunities at a local and national level. It should also provide for structured dialogue between the public institutions and the youth civil society, according to EU’s New Youth Strategy. Moreover, Romania needs to rapidly implement the recommendations of the Council of the European Union on youth work, from the November 18-19, 2010 meeting. These advise the Member States to offer sustainable support for youth work through adequate funding, resources and proper infrastructure; support youth participation; create youth strategies; endorse the new EU Youth Strategy; and include the local and regional public authorities in the development of youth work. Also, the new law for young people should contain sanctions, when the access of young people to resources is affected.

The specific policy proposals to change the current law (350/2006) have been published on www.PoliticiPublice.ro, the Romanian citizen engagement platform serving SMART Method of Public Policy. As it is the case with any petition, we are waiting for a reaction from the members of Parliament.