In its work, the Estonian National Youth Council has considered it relevant to expand international cooperation, both for gaining foreign competence, exchanging experience and having a say in youth policy at the European level. We are of the opinion that Estonian youth should also be represented at all important international events on youth policy.

International cooperation works well with the European Youth Forum, of which ENL has been a member since 2004. The European Youth Forum (YFJ) is a representative organisation for youth associations and umbrella organisations of youth associations across Europe. The YFJ is a partner to the European Union, the European Community and the United Nations. The Nordic-Baltic Contact Meeting (NBCM) network has enabled ENL to better find common regional interests and thereby to better defend the interests of young people. ENL is also a member of the Alcohol Policy Youth Network.

The aim of ENL is, on the one hand, to protect and implement YFJ’s positions in Estonia as much as possible, and, on the other hand, to transfer the needs of Estonian youth to the European Union, but also to the wider international level.

Cooperation with other umbrella organisations of youth associations – we have also maintained important bilateral and trilateral relations with the umbrella organisations of other national youth associations. Long-term cooperation connects us with the Alliance, the umbrella organisation of Finnish youth associations, and with the umbrella organisations of Latvian and Lithuanian youth. There is also good cooperation with the regional youth association in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.

Since joining the European Youth Forum network, cooperation has also grown with the umbrella organisations of other Nordic youth organisations, such as the Swedish LSU, the Norwegian LNU and the Danish DUF. It has become a good practice to meet the umbrella organisations of the Baltic and Nordic countries prior to the general meetings of the European Youth Forum.

Its positions, which are communicated at the international level, are based on the ENL youth policy platform. In the field of foreign relations, it also cooperates with the youth department of the Ministry of Education and Research.