It is expected that next spring the recently formed National Youth Council (NIT) will be able to take up membership candidate status within the European Youth Forum (YFJ). The NIT is the umbrella organisation for youth associations in Hungary.

At an NIT meeting from 13 November to 1 December, 104 organisations signed the document ratifying their membership of the umbrella group – its founding regulations will be sent to the presiding court within days. With the formation of the NIT Hungary has thus become the last country in Europe to have a unified forum for the representation of youth interests. The organisation primarily seeks to provide interest representation for young people who wish to remain outside party politics. At the same time, the youth organisations of parties may also join the NIT.

The youth organisations of individual states and non-governmental youth organisations at European level created the European Youth Forum in 1996. Its goals are interest representation, consultation and the creation and maintenance of links with the European system of institutions in the field of youth affairs.  The YFJ is Europe’s largest organisation for the representation of youth interests, with a current membership of ninety-nine organisations. Member organisations include international youth civil society organisations and national youth councils. It is expected that the Hungarian organisation can gain candidate membership status at the YFJ’s next general assembly in April 2013, and gain full membership within two years. Candidate member organisations may attend YFJ events and they have the right to give opinions and make statements at general assemblies. While they have no voting rights, they may nominate candidates for the forum’s working groups. The NIT may take part in decision-making affecting European youth, and may put forward independent proposals on behalf of Hungary.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)