The Council of Europe established the European Youth Foundation (EYF) to provide financial support for European youth activities, with an annual budget of approximately € 2.5 million. The EYF is a powerful tool for European youth co-operation. It supports European youth activities organised by non-governmental youth organisations, networks and initiatives, primarily international youth meetings, but also campaigns, exhibitions, publications, audio-visual material, websites and pilot projects. The EYF also provides grants for the development and administration of non-governmental international youth organisations and networks. More than 280 000 young people, aged between 15 and 30 and mostly from member states, have benefited directly from EYF-supported activities since 1972. In 2002 the EYF supported some 300 projects involving more than 10 000 young people.