EU4YOUTH
Achievements Report 2025

The EU4Youth programme is the European Union’s (EU) largest initiative since 2018 for supporting young people across the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, covering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Its impact is significant and is attributed to the vast network spanning programme implementing partners and grantees, European institutions, several national line ministries and state agencies, youth networks, civil society organisations, universities, and social innovation initiatives across the region. Each year, the results of these collaborations are monitored and recorded in public reports – with this year’s edition titled “Youth education, employment and participation in the Eastern Partnership.”

EU4Youth works across three core areas:

This report summarises the programme’s accomplishments over the course of 2025. Given the scale of the programme and the influence of its stakeholders on youth policies and their implementation in the respective countries, this report is a one-of-a-kind regional overview of wider developments in reducing youth unemployment, strengthening active citizenship and expanding opportunities for young people in the EaP. As the current EU4Youth phase approaches its conclusion at the end of May 2026, the report also serves as a comprehensive wrap‑up of the initiative. It builds on previous achievement reports by placing a stronger focus on the EU4Youth programme’s long‑term impact and sustainability.

The EU’s long-term investment in young people across the region remains central to promote democratic values, political stability and sustainable economic development. By engaging in decision-making processes, young people contribute to democratic transformation, counter authoritarian pressures and strengthen societal resilience.

Economically, investing in youth enhances employability, supports innovation and fosters social entrepreneurship. These dynamics help stimulate local economies and open new avenues for cooperation between the EaP region and the EU. Socially, empowering young people promotes cohesion, inclusion and stronger, more adaptable communities.

The wider achievements of the EU4Youth programme reflected in this report have taken place in the context of ongoing conflict, uncertainty and political challenges in the region. These factors continue to shape policies and the everyday lives of young people. Against this backdrop, EU support to youth in the region plays the role of a stabilising force, nurturing innovative potential, strengthening civic engagement and ensuring that young people remain equipped to face regional and global challenges. At the same time, the Eastern Partnership has been hit hard by the full-scale war in Ukraine and a global funding squeeze, driven in part by deep cuts to US foreign assistance and wider re‑prioritisation and re-allocation of funding among traditional donors. Youth‑focused programmes, already structurally underfunded, have seen international resources shrink, putting pressure on youth organisations, local youth infrastructures and youth programming in general. The role of EU funding for youth becomes, under these circumstances, even more critical in sustaining capacities, safeguarding existing gains, and ensuring continued support to young people across the region.

Even in the evolving political landscape of 2025, EU4Youth and the many organisations it unites have once again demonstrated resilience and adaptability. Looking ahead, the legacy of the current EU4Youth phase will continue through the systems, skills and relationships it has helped establish across the Eastern Partnership. The programme leaves behind stronger youth organisations, more capable public institutions, and a generation of young people equipped with the competences, confidence and networks to sustain civic participation, employment pathways and community‑driven initiatives.

Many of the mechanisms introduced, such as Youth Policy Labs, strengthened youth councils, improved career‑guidance tools, and inclusive youth spaces, are now embedded in local structures and can continue to operate beyond the programme’s lifetime. The accumulated evidence, practices and partnerships developed through EU4Youth provide a durable foundation for ongoing youth empowerment, ensuring that the programme’s impact extends well beyond 2025 and remains a reference point for future youth‑focused efforts in the region.

The report is structured into four main chapters. Chapter 1 provides Main insights and an overview of the EU4Youth programme. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 focus respectively on Education and Employability, Entrepreneurship and Employment, and Engagement and Empowerment, presenting the programme’ s key activities and achievements throughout 2025.

The information presented in this report is drawn from programme‑wide monitoring data collected throughout 2025 under the EU4Youth framework. Quantitative figures are primarily based on official EU4Youth progress reports, data submissions from implementing partners, and records from the EU4Youth central monitoring database. These sources are further complemented by thematic reporting produced under the Coordination and Policy Support project, as well as project‑level results frameworks, event reports, and grant implementation reports.

Qualitative evidence, including examples of impact and success stories, is sourced from published stories on EU Neighbours East and partner platforms.