Several key European and regional initiatives have been launched during the last years, especially for the WB6 region, in order to bring it closer to the EU, but also to strengthen the cooperation among young people. The EU remains the main strategic partner of the region, providing funds and support through various programmes (IPA, Erasmus+, etc). Further on, building upon the successful example of the Franco-German Youth Office, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO)4 was launched in 2016 in order to promote the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation between the youth in the region by means of youth exchange programs.

However, considering the issues and data mentioned above, the question arises how much political parties, the key policy makers in all countries, focus on and prioritise young people and youth policies. How are youth policies structured, and do they reflect the needs of young people?
Based on those questions, we decided to launch this research paper to examine the quality of youth policies and its development within the EPP and KAS partner parties in the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as in Croatia and Slovenia. The latter are included due to their closeness to the region and their membership in the EU.