Your Europe, Your Say! Past editions

Your Europe, Your Say! Past editions

2025 - Giving Youth a Voice

On 2025, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) brought together nearly 100 young participants from youth organisations, national youth councils and secondary schools as well as 37 teachers from EU Member States, candidate countries and the UK for its annual Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) event. This year, YEYS focused on the role of young people in collectively shaping a resilient future. It aimed to equip them to engage in civic action and continue to contribute to participatory democracy activities in their communities and beyond.

2024 - Stand up for democracy & speak up for Europe: Youth priorities for the next EU legislative term

The 2024 edition of YEYS took place as part of the EESC's Civil Society Week. With the 2024 edition of YEYS taking place in the run up to the European elections, the one-day event aimed to inspire its young participants to exercise their democratic right to vote and actively encourage others to do so too.

2023 - Youth Democracy Dialogues

The discussions of the 2023 edition of YEYS focused on youth and democracy, on how active citizenship fosters participatory democracy and on the role of youth voices and initiatives in achieving this. The EESC, as the voice of civil society, aimed to ensure that the ideas of Europe's younger generation are heard.

2022 - The Truth about lies. Youth Challenging Disinformation

In 2022, schools from all of the 27 EU Member States, the 5 EU candidate countries and a Brussels-based European school were invited to apply to take part and one school from each country was then selected by drawing lots. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was organised online. This year, the discussions focused on disinformation and fake news. The goal of the event was to raise awareness of the dangers of disinformation and to encourage the participants to becomemore active in the fight against fake news.

2021 - Our climate, our future!

The 2021 edition simulated an international climate change conference (COP) and was organised online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With climate change on everyone's mind and young people all around the globe taking action to save the planet, the EESC asked young participants about the best ways to protect our planet for the future.

2020 -  Cancelled (Covid-19)

The 2020 edition of Your Europe, Your Say!, originally featuring a focus on climate change, was cancelled due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

2019 - #YEYSturns10: Vote for the future!

2019 was an election year, and the newly elected European Parliament faced crucial decisions at a time of rapid transformation across the economy, communication, politics, and social trends. YEYS 2019, as part of its 10th anniversary, invited young people from 33 countries to exchange ideas, reflect on Europe’s direction, and make their voices heard at a pivotal moment in the EU’s evolution.

2018 - United in diversity: a younger future for European culture

2018 was the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH), and the European Economic and Social Committee invited pupils from all over Europe to Brussels, in order to get their opinion on the best way to engage European youth in the protection and promotion of our common cultural heritage. The EESC, interested in the pupils’ fresh views on the relationship between culture, democracy and peace, was eager to ensure that the ideas of Europe’s younger generation are heard.

2017 - Europe at 60: Where to next?

At YEYS 2017, held during the EU’s 60th anniversary, students were asked to imagine the Europe of the next 60 years and take a stand against populism to preserve the EU’s legacy of peace and prosperity. Their ideas were shared with EESC members and the European Commission and later presented at the EESC’s Civil Society Days. The EESC strongly supported the students’ focus on sustainability and education, echoing these themes in its opinions on sustainable food policy and EU education strategy, which advocate for fostering active citizenship and a stronger European identity through inclusive and value-based learning.

2016 - Meeting the migration challenge

In response to Europe’s 2016 migration crisis, where over 300,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean, students at the YEYS event proposed practical solutions for better integration of migrants and refugees. Their ideas were later presented at the European Migration Forum and to the EESC’s immigration study group, helping shape discussions on communication and integration policies related to migration.

2015 - Active citizenship

At the 2015 YEYS edition, focused on active citizenship, students proposed three key participatory ideas addressing global challenges, with the environment taking priority due to the upcoming Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Their top recommendations were exceeding the EU's 2020 environmental goals, tackling youth unemployment and simplifying the transfer of educational qualifications across borders. These proposals were submitted to the EESC’s ad-hoc group on European Citizens’ Initiatives for follow-up. The environmental theme aligned closely with the EESC’s priorities, contributing to its stance on civil society’s essential role in achieving EU climate targets post-Paris Agreement.

2014 - Act. React. Impact.

At YEYS 2014, held shortly after the European elections, students proposed five key recommendations to make Europe more relevant to its citizens. These recommendations were shared with the European Parliament, the European Commission, and EESC members, and discussed at the EESC’s 500th plenary session. The EESC strongly supported the recommendations' emphasis on educational exchange and advocated for making such opportunities more inclusive and accessible to a wider range of young Europeans, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

2013 - It’s about Europe, it's about YOUth

At YEYS 2013, students were asked to prioritise the EESC’s 15 political goals, resulting in three top recommendations: improving access to first-time employment for young people, providing EU-funded bursaries for students from low-income backgrounds, and encouraging youth entrepreneurship. These priorities influenced several EESC initiatives, including studies on youth employment and opinions promoting job access, quality traineeships, and vocational training. The EESC also emphasised entrepreneurship as a key focus, advocating for education systems that foster creativity, business skills, and mobility to help young people build independent and successful futures.

2012 - It’s your Europe, have your say today!

At YEYS 2012, in the lead-up to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, students engaged in a simulated EESC plenary to debate issues like poverty, environmental protection, sustainability, and citizen involvement. Many of their ideas were integrated into the EESC’s official position for the Rio+20 summit. These contributions helped shape the EESC’s continued commitment to sustainable development, reflected in its support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its ongoing work promoting a green, low-carbon economy through civil society engagement and various policy opinions.

2011 - Get involved today

At YEYS 2011, students participated in a simulated EESC plenary session to discuss the EU’s “Youth on the Move” proposal, focusing on improving education and training, increasing youth mobility, and addressing unemployment. These discussions contributed to the EESC’s 2012 opinion on youth employment, technical skills, and mobility, which emphasised the importance of linking training to labour market needs and valuing both formal and informal learning to ensure Europe remains competitive through a well-prepared, adaptable workforce.

2010 - Your Europe, Your Say! Student plenary session

At 2010's first-ever YEYS student plenary session, despite travel disruptions caused by an Icelandic volcano eruption, students gathered in Brussels to contribute to the EESC’s opinion on alcohol-related harm. Bringing a youth perspective, they proposed restricting aggressive alcohol advertising, launching awareness campaigns, and increasing alcohol prices to discourage consumption. Their contributions enriched the EESC's stance by highlighting preventive strategies and the importance of educating young people on the risks associated with alcohol.

Embedded links: YEYS on Youtube (Youtube event recap video playlist), Instagram