The European Youth Forum (YFJ) is an independent, democratic, youth-led platform, representing 99 National Youth Councils and International Youth Organisations from across Europe. The YFJ works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Institutions, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

There are three categories of membership (observer, candidate and full) within the European Youth Forum and the criteria for these depend on the nature of the organisation. The Consultative Body on Membership Applications (CBMA) recommends the observer type of membership for new applicants. Of course, you can consider applying for the candidate type of membership, but please bear in mind that after expiration of four years as a candidate member, this member becomes automatically an observer member, according to the Statutes of the European Youth Forum.

Observer membership 

NYCs have to satisfy the following specific criteria:

Most applicants join the European Youth Forum as observers, because it gives them room to develop and become eligible for the next stage of membership, which is…

NYCs have to satisfy the following specific criteria:   

գ be the national co-ordinating body of non-governmental youth organisations in a European country;

գ be open to all and represent most of the main democratic youth movements and organisations at the national level in that country. 

INGYOs have to satisfy the following specific criteria:

գ either have at least 5000 young members in ten European countries and under no circumstances have less than 300 young members in any one of those ten countries;

գ or have a justified recommendation from: 

o the Secretary General and the Bureau; or from

o the Consultative Body which advises the Bureau on membership applications.

Finally, candidate members may apply for full membership but only after they have maintained their candidate status for two years.

Full membership

NYCs have to satisfy the following specific criteria:

գ be the national co-ordinating body of non-governmental youth organisations in a European country;

գ be open to all and include most of the main democratic youth movements and organisations at the national level in that country.

INGYOs have to satisfy the following specific criteria:

գ either have at least 5000 young members in ten European countries, and under no circumstances have less than 300 young members in any one of these ten countries;

գ or have a motivated recommendation from: 

o the Secretary General and Bureau; or from

o the consultative body which advises the Bureau on membership applications.

Benefits and responsibilities

Benefits and responsibilities 

All members have the right to be present and speak at the General Assembly and the Council of Members. If you are a candidate member or full member, you can also present candidates for all the working structures of the European Youth Forum. Full members also enjoy the right to vote and to present candidates for all mandates and posts of all the statutory bodies.

It is your responsibility as a member to fulfil all the criteria associated with your membership and to inform the European Youth Forum of any changes to this. All members are expected to pay their annual membership fee before the end of the year concerned, to regularly attend European Youth Forum meetings and meetings of its bodies and working structures and to promptly answer requests for information connected with the European Youth Forum's purpose.

Becoming a member

National Youth Councils

International Non-Governmental Youth Organisation

The membership application procedure consists of a series of clearly defined steps explained in detail below. These guidelines are for first time applicants, re-applying applicants and those who are already members but wish to change their membership status.

a. How to become a member

If you write to the European Youth Forum informing it that you would like to become a member, your letter will not be considered an 'Application' but merely an 'Expression of Interest'. The European Youth Forum will respond by sending you all the necessary information to help you file an 'Application'.

b. How to file an 'Application' and what documentation has to be sent

An 'Expression of Interest' will only be considered an 'Application' and registered as such when the Secretary General of the European Youth Forum receives all the required documentation for the membership status for which you are applying. This must be sent in one package by registered mail to the European Youth Forum, 120 Rue Joseph II, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium. Once the documents have been received, you will be sent a confirmation of receipt. If this confirmation is not forthcoming, you must assume that the application did not arrive safely and act accordingly by taking the appropriate steps. In considering which type of membership you would like to apply for, please refer to Article 3 of the statutes included on this website. If you want to apply for a change of membership status, you will still have to resubmit all the documents listed below.

National Youth Councils

If you are applying as a National Youth Council, the following information must be submitted in English or French as well as in the original language.

գ Statutes/ Constitution, or any other legal document governing how your organisation functions

գ Rules of Procedure/ Standing Orders/ By-laws or any other document governing how your organisation functions

գ A written statement that your organisation fully accepts the statutes and aims of the European Youth Forum

գ A proof of the legal existence of your organisation.

գ A copy of your accounts for the last financial year

գ A draft budget of the current financial year

գ A list of your Bureau/Board members with their positions, age and background organisations.

գ A summary of your current work plan (maximum two A4 pages)

գ A full up-to-date list of your member organisations, with their membership status. For each of your members you must provide:

o the translation of the member's name as well as the name in your own language

o the number of individual members under 35 years of age plus their percentage of the total membership (you can give an estimate if full figures are unavailable)

o whether the member is from any or more than one international non-governmental youth organisation

Please answer the following questions using a separate sheet of paper for each question:

գ Is there an age limit for membership in the organisation's highest decision-making body? If so, please state this limit. If not, please state the percentage of members of the organisation's highest decision-making body who are under 35 years of age.

գ Do you know of any other youth structures or youth councils present in your country?

գ Please describe (briefly) your relationship with the government of your country.

Please supply any further information or clarification that you think will assist the Consultative Body on Membership Applications in ascertaining the extent to which your organisation fulfils the criteria for membership in the European Youth Forum.

International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations

If you are applying as an international non-governmental youth organisation, the following information must be submitted in English or French as well as in the original language:

գ Statutes/ Constitution, or any other legal document governing how your organisation functions

գ Rules of Procedure/ Standing Orders/ By-laws or any other document governing how your organisation functions

գ A written statement that your organisation fully accepts the statutes and aims of the European Youth Forum

գ A copy of your accounts for the last financial year

գ A draft budget of the current financial year.

գ A list of your Bureau/Board with their positions and age

գ A summary of your current work plan (maximum two A4 pages)

գ A full up-to-date list of your member organisations, with their membership status. For each of your members you must:

o provide the translation of the member's name as well as the name in your own language

o indicate the country from which they come

o specify the number of individual members under 35 years of age plus their percentage of the total membership. If you do not have national structures, please state the number of individual members in each European country (an estimate if full figures are unavailable)

o indicate whether your member is a member of more than one international non-governmental youth organisation

o indicate whether they are a member of the national youth council in that country

Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper for each question:

գ Is there an age limit for membership in the organisation's highest decision-making body? If so, please state the limit. If not, please state the percentage of members in the organisation's highest decision-making body who are under 35 years of age.

գ Please describe briefly your relations with international institutions.

Please supply any further information or clarification that you think will assist the Consultative Body on Membership Applications in ascertaining the extent to which your organisation fulfils the criteria for membership in the European Youth Forum.

c. What happens once the application is complete and has been received by the European Youth Forum

Once the European Youth Forum has received your application, the Secretary General has the responsibility of forwarding the applic

ation within 15 days to the Consultative Body on Membership Applications (CBMA). This body is made up of four representatives of the member organisations of the European Youth Forum, two from international non-governmental youth organisations and two from national youth councils, appointed by the General Assembly. The CBMA will examine the documents submi

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d for the application, e.g. membership statistics, statutes. In its examination of your application, the CBMA may request either further documentation or a study visit - should the latter be the case you will be informed well in advance by the secretariat. A cross-check of the membership of the applicant organisation may be conducted by the Secre

tariat of the European Youth Forum, requiring information from our member organisations, NYCs and INGYOs on their membership/contacts with your organisation. On the basis of the infor

mation in its possession, the CBMA writes up a report and submits it to the Bureau of the European Youth Forum. The CBMA has no fixed deadline it must comply with to complete the report. However, the applicant will be kept up to date on any developments.

d. What happens once the application has been sent to the Bureau?

Once the CBMA has submitted its

 report to the Bureau, the latter gives a recommendation on the membership application which is then put on the agenda of the General Assembly. Again you will be kept fully informed of the process.

e. When is the application voted on?

The General Assembly or the Extraordinary 

General Assembly of the European Youth Forum are the only bodies that can vote

 on a membership application. The General Assembly, made up of the members of the European Youth Forum, decides on the admission of a member by a two-thirds majority of votes cast, not counting abstentions. The applicant organisation is invited to attend the General Assembly and given the opportunity to speak. If there is a favourable vote by the General Assembly, the status of member is acquired on the day following the closing of the General Assembly. In the case of a negative vote, a new membership application will only be t

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en into consideration after a period of two years has elapsed.