European co-operation between youth movements in Europe on a multilateral basis began with the organisation of a European Youth Security Conference jointly managed by CENYC and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) held in Helsinki in 1972. Various other conferences and meetings followed, such as the "European Youth and Students Conference on Disarmament" held in Prague in 1973. On the basis of a paragraph in the Final Act of the "Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE)" from summer 1975, where multilateral youth co-operation and the creation of a framework was encouraged, the five youth organisations CENYC, "Democratic Youth Community of Europe (DEMYC)", "European Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (EFLRY)", "International Falcon Movement (IFM)" and "International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY)" met regularly ("Balaton meetings") and prepared for the creation of a "Framework for All-European Youth and Student Cooperation" understood as a permanent body. Its constituent assembly took place in Budapest on 14 October 1980 with the participation of a large number of youth movements and councils. CENYC was very much supporting the AEYSC, but underlined the viewpoint, that it should be considered a step towards youth co-operation, not a final aim. During the following two years regular statutory meetings like the "consultative meetings" were held. Working groups such as e.g. the "Consultative follow-up group", "Youth and Student Contribution to the Struggle for a New International Economic Order (NIEO)" and "Youth and Student Contribution to the Implementation of the Final Act of the CSCE" meet on a regular basis. A technical secretariat was established in Budapest, in 1986 to 1990 it was transferred to Brussels and was administered by the CENYC's secretariat general. The meeting in Cyprus in autumn 1982 ended in a crisis and it was not until 1986 that the AESYSC was reactivated.
The documents present in this series are mostly created by CENYC and cover the creation, the activities and the crisis of the AEYSC.