Prishtina, 25 June 2025
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and in cooperation with the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), the International Conference of the European Youth Card Association (EYCA) is being held for the first time in our country.
On the first day of this two-day conference and during the opening ceremony, the Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku, participated.
Prime Minister Kurti delivered welcoming remarks. He said it is an honor for this conference to be held for the first time in our state, in the capital of the Republic, where over 100 participants from 37 countries have gathered.
“The European Youth Card represents one of the concrete actions in our new policy for youth. On August 9, 2024, the new Law on Youth entered into force, replacing the previous law from 2009. This new law places youth at the heart of our state’s priorities and creates an inter-institutional framework for youth inclusion, particularly in decision-making, as well as for improving the well-being of youth in our country. So far, four key Administrative Instructions have been issued, covering the areas of Youth Volunteering, National and Local Youth Councils, Youth Work and Non-formal Education, and Youth Centers,” said the Prime Minister.
He added that EYCA has an inspiring mission: to empower young people through real opportunities for mobility, experience, and social inclusion.
“The European Youth Card Association is not just a card that offers discounts – it is a tool for mobility, education, and active participation, based on a powerful idea: that young people should have real opportunities, not just promises,” Prime Minister Kurti further stated.
In conclusion of his welcoming remarks, the Prime Minister emphasized that through this conference, we are strengthening cooperation between institutions, organizations, and actors who impact the lives of young people, by discussing many new ideas, exchanging best practices, and inspiring one another in designing fairer and more youth-sensitive policies.
Kosovo officially became a member of EYCA in December 2023. In the first six months of Kosovo’s membership in EYCA, nearly 8,000 young people have registered as members of the program and 18 businesses have joined as program partners. Through this card, our youth can benefit from discounts in transport, education, culture, sports, accommodation, and many other services in over 35 European countries, with more than 70,000 different benefits.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Dear Hajrulla Çeku, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports,
Dear Miguel Perestrello, President of European Youth Card Association,
Dear Alessandro Roggi, Programme Manager at Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
Dear representatives of European Youth Card Association,
Dear participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It’s a great honor to open the 41st annual conference of the European Youth Card Association, which for the first time is being held in our country, under the motto “Shaping What Comes Next”.
This week, in our capital city of Kosova in Prishtina, we are hosting over 100 participants from 37 states. I wish you all a warm welcome to the Republic of Kosova, and I hope you take full advantage of your time here, to experience our country, our people, and our culture.
Kosova officially became a member of EYCA, a year and a half ago, precisely on December 11, 2023, marking an important step in our efforts to include Kosova’s youth in the European space of opportunity and development. Our European Youth Card program started at the beginning of 2024 and is being implemented by the consortium of youth organizations in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
During the first six months of this period, we managed to register nearly 8,000 young people as members in the program, as well as to include 18 business partners, with the aim of expanding to 60 partners by the end of the year. We are also offering thousands of discounts and benefits for youth, inside and outside of Kosova. Through this card, our youth can take advantage of discounts on transportation, education, culture, sports, accommodation, and many other services, in over 35 European countries, with more than 70,000 different benefits.
The European Youth Card represents one of the concrete actions in our new policy for youth. On August 9, 2024, the new Law on Youth entered into force, replacing the previous law from 2009 and this new law places young people at the heart of our state’s priorities and sets up a cross-institutional framework for the inclusion of youth, especially in decision-making, as well as for the improvement of the well-being of young people in our country. Up to now, four key Administrative Instructions have been issued, covering the areas of Youth Volunteerism, National and Local Youth Councils, Youth Work and Informal Education, and Youth Centers.
Meanwhile, we have also drafted and approved the State Youth Strategy for 2024–2032. This Strategy is our most comprehensive document to date and represents a clear commitment to giving our young people the means and the opportunity to realize their full human potential. The vision of this strategy is for every young person in Kosova to live a healthy, secure, and fulfilled life, while taking part in every sphere of social interaction – not just inclusion but participation, not just participation but decision-making.
The Strategy includes clear objectives such as strengthening life skills, improving access to high-quality services such as mental health, education, and security, as well as enhancing the inclusion of young people in decision-making and public policy.
The European Youth Card Association – EYCA – has an inspiring mission: to strengthen youth through genuine opportunities for movement, experience, and social inclusion. EYCA is not just a discount card – it is a tool for mobility, education, and active participation, founded on a powerful idea: that young people need real opportunities, not just promises.
Through this conference, we are strengthening cooperation between institutions, organizations, and actors who have an impact on the lives of young people. Here we will discuss many new ideas, we will exchange best practices, and we will inspire one another to devise fairer and more youth-sensitive policies.
Young people represent the energy, the creativity, the future of Europe. But you are not only the future, you are the present of each and every country of our continent. As a state, we are committed to shaping our policies to reflect this conviction.
EYCA is an essential partner in this endeavor, and an example of how international cooperation can bring about tangible changes in the lives of young people.
I hope this conference provides a fruitful setting for reflection, exchange, and collaboration among us all.
Thank you very much!
