Children’s participation in local public decision-making in Romania: between legal obligations and very limited practice
Children have the right to be consulted. But are local public authorities listening?
Democracy is learned from an early age, and children’s participation in public decisions that affect them should be a natural part of democratic governance, rather than merely a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise. In Romania, the legislative framework has evolved in recent years, with Law No. 295/2024 amending Law No. 272/2004 on the Protection and Promotion of Children’s Rights strengthening the right of children aged 14 to 18 to be consulted in decision-making processes. But to what extent are these legal provisions reflected in the practices of local public authorities?
At the Romanian Centre for European Policies (CRPE), we have long argued that a functioning democracy requires greater civic engagement, and that this engagement should be encouraged from childhood. To understand how the right to consultation translates into practice, we examined the consultation mechanisms, representative structures and funding opportunities available to children and young people across Romania’s towns and cities. We submitted freedom of information requests to all 319 towns and cities, receiving responses from 237 local authorities. The findings reveal a significant gap between the legislative framework and practices at the local level.
Although the primary focus of our analysis was children’s participation (ages 14–18), we also examined mechanisms targeting young people (ages 14–35) to better understand the broader framework for civic participation, particularly given the limited availability of mechanisms specifically designed for children.
What the data tells us: consulting children remains the exception
Only 11.4% of the towns and cities that responded to our requests (27 out of 237) reported organising annual consultation sessions with children that meet the requirements introduced by Law No. 295/2024. The remaining 88.6% (210 out of 237) stated that they had not organised such sessions.
Broader participation mechanisms are equally uncommon. Only 16.7% of local public authorities (39 out of 234 towns and cities) reported organising other forms of consultation with children over the past three years. Meanwhile, 83.3% (195 out of 234) stated that they had not carried out any consultation activities involving children.
Our analysis also identified another important issue: consultation is often confused with information-sharing or participation in educational and recreational activities. Information campaigns, visits to city halls, or activities organised through programmes such as Școala Altfel (Alternative School Week) and Școala Verde (Green School Week) can be valuable, but they do not automatically constitute consultation with children. Meaningful consultation requires actively gathering children’s views and proposals on decisions that affect their lives.
Advisory councils for children and young people
Only 12.3% of local public authorities (28 out of 228 towns and cities) reported having advisory councils dedicated to children or young people. The remaining 87.7% (200 out of 228) stated that no such councils existed. Of the 28 localities that reported having these structures, only five had councils exclusively dedicated to children.
Without funding and transparency, participation remains limited
Available resources also remain limited. Only 32% of local public authorities (73 out of 228 towns and cities) reported providing financial support for projects initiated by or targeting children and young people. Funding is primarily channelled through mechanisms supporting nonprofit projects, but also through participatory budgeting or dedicated budget allocations. Without accessible and predictable funding, initiatives developed by children and young people risk remaining little more than proposals.
What needs to change?
The challenge is no longer simply to recognise children’s right to be consulted, but to establish functioning mechanisms that ensure their voices genuinely influence public decisions. Local authorities need clear and regular consultation procedures, accessible representative structures, resources to support children’s initiatives, and transparent mechanisms to explain how the proposals they receive are taken into account.
Children’s participation should not be a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise, but an integral part of local governance. For this to happen, authorities must not only ask children what they want, but also show them how their views contribute to public decisions.
Unfortunately, the information provided by local authorities offers little clarity on what happens to the ideas expressed during consultations. There is no systematic data on which proposals are incorporated into public policies, why certain suggestions are rejected, or how consultation outcomes are communicated back to participants.
The methodological guidelines approved through Order No. 1541/2025 provide a framework for organising and reporting consultations. However, the absence of a clear monitoring mechanism and publicly available national evaluations makes it difficult to assess whether the legislation is being effectively implemented.
Read our full report here in Romanian language:
DECISIONS ABOUT CHILDREN, WITHOUT CHILDREN: Children’s Participation in Local Public Decision-Making in Romania – Between Legal Obligations and Very Limited Practice