Origin and Aims

Origin

The European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) was established on 17 April 1986 in Madrid, in accordance with a recommendation adopted by the first European Colloquium of Youth Information Centres organised in April 1985 in Marly-le-Roi (France). This Colloquium, which brought together some 200 youth information and counselling professionals from 18 countries, was an initiative of the Paris Youth Information and Documentation Centre (CIDJ), with support from the French Ministry for Youth and Sport and from the Commission of the European Communities.

ERYICA is composed of national bodies (non-governmental or governmental) which seek to guarantee the right of young people to full and reliable information, which helps them make the choices they face in their lives, and which promotes their autonomy and their active participation in a democratic society.

Mission

The European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) is an independent European organisation, composed of national youth information co-ordination bodies and networks. It works to intensify European co-operation in the field of youth information work and services. It aims to develop, support and promote quality generalist youth information policy and practice at all levels, in order to meet the information needs of young people in Europe and to apply the principles of the European Youth Information Charter.

Aims

As stated in the Agency's Constitution, ERYICA has three aims:

1. to promote respect for the principles of the European Youth Information Charter, and to work for their implementation;
2. to ensure European co-ordination and representation in the field of youth information and counselling;
3. to promote the establishment of a European arena in this field, especially by developing a European Network of youth information and counselling structures.

In order to achieve these aims, the Agency seeks, in the field of youth information and counselling:

• to bring together at the European level co-ordinating bodies in this field;
• to monitor at the European level the current situation of this sector and its evolution;
• to facilitate European co-operation among bodies working in this field, especially through professional exchanges;
• to promote research and innovation in this field and the development of services which meet the needs of young people;
• to co-operate with European institutions (such as the Council of Europe, the European Union, etc.) in this field;
• to undertake other initiatives in the sense of the Agency's aims which are deemed useful by its Members or its competent organs.