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enhancing learning for young people with fewer opportunities and/
or at risk of social exclusion and advocates for the strengthening of
its recognition and validation 65 . The Lifelong Learning and the Youth
in Action programmes (as developed further below in this section)
have also been instrumental in this respect.
Thus, the 2009 Council Conclusions on the new Strategic framework
for European cooperation in the field of education and training ("ET
2020") reiterated the equal importance of all different kinds of
learning – formal, non-formal and informal learning – to make lifelong
learning a reality. This includes, amongst other things, strengthening
the structures for volunteering and youth participation, and
supporting the acquisition of key skills through non-formal
educational activities, as a supplement to formal learning or as an
incentive to reintegrate back into the formal education system. Nonformal
education is thus acknowledged at European level and
national level as a key component of the lifelong learning approach 66 .
The European Union has also for long advocated the importance of
making non-formal and informal learning visible through the
validation of non-formal and informal learning, to ensure that nonformal
learning is recognised through different means and at different
levels (social, political, individual) 67 . The European principles 68 and
guidelines 69 for the validation of non-formal and informal learning and
the periodic production of a European Inventory on the Validation of
non-formal and informal learning are examples of this. Furthermore,
the upcoming Council recommendation on the validation of nonformal
and informal learning will give the subject of recognition a new
dynamism focusing on aspects such as guidance and information,
reliability of instruments and trust of stakeholders 70 .
Specifically in the youth field, with the 2009 Council Resolution of 27
November 2009 on a renewed framework for European cooperation
in the youth field (2010-2018 71 ), non-formal education became for the
first time a priority for policy cooperation in the youth area at
European level 72 . The Strategy underlines that non-formal education
for young people should be supported to contribute to lifelong
learning in Europe. This is done by developing its quality, recognising
65 Schild, J. (2012) ‘From Pathways to Pathways 2.0’ Coyote, n.18, pp. 7-11.
66 Hawley, J., Souto-Otero, M. and Duchemin C. (2010) ‘2010 update of the European Inventory on validation of non-
formal and informal learning –Final report’ GHK Consulting.
67 European Youth Forum (2005) Policy paper on Recognition of non-formal education: confirming the real
competences of young people in the knowledge society. COMEM 0716-05.
68 Council of the European Union (2004) Conclusions of the Council and representatives of the governments of
Member States meeting within the Council on common European principles for the identification and validation of
non-formal and informal learning. (EDUC 118 SOC 253, 18 May 2004).
69 CEDEFOP (2009) European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. Luxembourg, Office for
Official Publications of the European Communities.
70 Schild, J. (2012) ‘From Pathways to Pathways 2.0’ Coyote, n.18, pp. 7-11.
71 Council Resolution of 27 November 2009 on a renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field
(2010-2018) (2009/OJ C 311/01).
72 Council of Europe and European Union (2011) Pathways 2.0 towards recognition of non-formal learning/ education
and of youth work in Europe. Strasbourg and Brussels, January 2011.
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