Policy Analysis Report

This report presents the findings from an analysis of policy documents that impact young people’s daily lives across the six countries involved in the SINCRONY project: Denmark, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. This analysis focuses on contemporary policy documents and on how they shape political and social participation, either reducing or exacerbating social exclusion among young people. The central question is whether EU and national policy narratives recognize young people’s needs, diverse identities, and roles as citizens, and their potential to drive social change and contribute to democracy. Specifically, the analysis examines how these policies address intersectionality, considering both general youth needs and the unique challenges faced by those at the intersection of various disadvantaged identities. An intersectional perspective was applied to identify factors that enhance or hinder inclusive participation, particularly for marginalized youth.

The Deliverable draws on materials collected, summarized and analyzed by the six consortium partners - AAU, UNIBO, U.PORTO, UNIMAN and UTU - with the UNIGE team responsible for preparing the guidelines and conducting the final analysis. It is important to note that our analysis is limited by different factors but most notably by the small sample size and the limited number of policy documents reviewed within a specific timeframe. As a result, our report does not provide an in-depth view of the overall situation of young people at the UE level nor within the six countries studied, rather it offers a general understanding of some themes and issues currently being discussed both at the UE and national levels, as reflected in the documents analyzed.

Our analysis highlights variations in policy approaches across the six countries, particularly in five key areas: Education, Employment, Health, Housing and Participation. Most countries have policy documents that aim to include young people, particularly in Education, Health and Participation sectors. However, Housing policies frequently maintain the status quo or even exclude some young people. Participation policies documents often highlight opportunities for young people involvement, in particular on youth councils, volunteering and youth-led initiatives are present at both national and local levels. At the local level, policies tend to be more explicit and local initiatives often provide more concrete actions for young people compared to broader national strategies. While most countries recognize that young people are not a homogenous group and implicitly mention some intersections, most documents refer to young people as a general group, but with differences across countries and levels. 

At the European level, the analysis of 25 policy documents reveals a focus on youth social inclusion and participation across areas such as Employment, Housing, Education, Health, and Participation. While 20 documents address youth social inclusion, concrete measures are most prevalent in Employment, with fewer actions in Housing and Education. Opportunities for youth participation are mostly emphasized in Participation and Education policies but are largely absent in Housing. Many documents acknowledge youth diversity and consider young people as a heterogenous group, however, they often lack in offering targeted solutions for specific subgroups, with limited attention to intersectionality