The dissertation deals with the problem of the international cooperation in the field of non-formal education in the European Union and defining the prospects of European experience of international cooperation in the establishment and development of the NFE in Ukraine. The work presents the theoretical basis of formation and development of NFE in the European Union. the state of development of research problem in the context of research trends in Ukrainian and foreign science. The scientific works of local scientists were analyzed and systematized according to four directions: the development of non-formal education in the EU in the context of the European strategy "Lifelong learning"; the development of the area of NFO of children and studying youth as the part of lifelong learning in the Member States; the organization of international cooperation in the sphere of NFO of children and studying youth in the EU; the development of non-formal education of children and youth in Ukraine Analysis of numerous native and foreign scientific works gave the possibility to define the main concepts of the research - "the sphere of non-formal education", "the international cooperation in the sphere of NFE", "periods of the international cooperation in the sphere of NFE", "sphere of non-formal education in the EU", "sphere of informal education in Ukraine". The study identifies the main stages in the development of international cooperation in the aspect of NFE of children and studying youth. The methods of the chronological analysis, generalization and systematization used to determine the criterion characteristics of each period. The first stage (1990 - 2000) - the conceptual stage, the second (2000 - 2009) - the founding stage, the third (current) stage (2009 - 2016) - the stage of verification and validation. The current state and key modern organizational foundations (levels and aspects: social and educational, political and scientific) and procedural foundations (political instruments of coordination, multifaceted verification and validation processes, the complementary, compensatory, integrational, society-forming functions of NFO of international cooperation in the NFO children and youth in the EU are characterized; Contents foundations (priority areas: education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-being, participation in civil society, voluntary activities, social inclusion, youth and the world, creativity and culture and organizational forms in this areas) of international cooperation in the NFO of children and studying youth in the EU are research. The current positive trends (the EU including in a global and European space of the lifelong NFO, strengthening the role of the EU in the establishing the legal basis of European space of the lifelong NFO, including NFO of children and studying youth) are summarizes. The possibilities of the establishment of the non-formal education in Ukraine: the current state, the components of non-formal education, European integration processes, the potential for international cooperation, the role of the national system of out-of-school education in the forming the educational environment for children and youth are defined.
