Strasbourg, 9 February 2021

EUROPEAN STEERING COMMITTEE FOR YOUTH (CDEJ)

Table on recent developments in the national implementation of youth policies

Tableau sur les développements récents dans la mise en œuvre nationale des politiques de jeunesse

Please feel free to share your country’s good practices in the implementation of recent Committee of Ministers’ recommendations in the field of youth

The information provided in this document is the responsibility of the national representatives on the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and does not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe or its member states.

Les informations fournies dans ce document relèvent de la responsabilité des représentants nationaux au Comité directeur européen pour la jeunesse (CDEJ) et ne reflètent pas nécessairement la politique officielle du Conseil de l'Europe ou de ses États membres. Country Update on recent developments in national implementation of policies (new national laws, initiatives, etc) Albania/ Updated May 2019 Albanie With the new formatting of the Government in Albania, youth policies passed to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, where for the first time in Albania, a Deputy Minister was appointed for Youth Affairs.

Regarding the implementation of youth policies, we are currently working with the National Action Plan for Youth 2015-2020. This plan consists of six main objectives, such as:

 Encouraging and participation of young people in democratic decision-making processes;  Encouraging youth employment through effective labour market policies;  Health, Sport and the Environment;  Youth Education;  Social Protection,  Culture and Volunteering,  Creation of the Youth Corps.

YOUTH LAW The purpose of this Draft-Law is to determine the role and responsibilities of public institutions at central and local level, regarding youth protection and empowerment, by proposing and establishing new structures at the municipal level, dedicated to addressing youth issues. In the framework of addressing all public and non-public actors, as actors with a very important role in addressing youth issues, the Draft-Law introduces the concept of the youth network, which includes, not only institutions and organizations, but young people as well. Their co-operation is expected to be accomplished through active, systematic, transparent, continuous and long-term interaction. The draft law was drafted by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, with the contribution of representatives of line ministries, representatives of various youth organizations and civil society, with the support and assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Olof Palme Center.

During the drafting of the draft law, public consultations were held in 12 counties of the country, according to the provisions of Law no. 146/2014 “On Notification and Public Consultation”. The law was published on 15.11.2018, on the public consultation website and there were no comments.

The draft law was published on the official website of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth on 07.11.2018.

STUDENT CARD The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth is in the process of preparing the Student Card, which is included in the Law on Higher Education. The Council of Ministers' Draft-Decision “On the categories of services provided by state entities, which are obtained through the use of the student card”, is intended to provide some categories of service with reduced cost or free services to be provided for the students by the state institutions. Benefit of these services will be for the students, who hold the student card as a unique document to receive reduced or zero rate services. This draft decision aims at facilitating the lives of students through provision of these services. The categories of services provided by the state entities will be in the fields of: arts and culture, health and social protection,