YEYS 2026: Young Europeans to shape the next EU Youth Strategy

At the 'Your Europe, Your Say!' event, participants put forward proposals to contribute to the EU's next strategy for young people. They called on the EU institutions to pay far more attention to their housing needs, the challenges of the digital sphere and their potential in political and social life.

The aim of this year's annual event 'Your Europe, Your Say!' (YEYS), held by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 19–20 March, was to explore the theme of 'Meaningful Connections, Active Participation and Democratic Engagement'. The event brought together almost 140 participants, including secondary school students and their teachers, as well as young adults associated with youth organisations. They reflected on how young people can engage in stronger democratic participation and inclusive dialogue at YEYS’ interactive workshops, networking activities and collaborative discussions. 

‘Youth participation is a key priority of my mandate. At the EESC, we believe that young people must be at the heart of shaping Europe’s future. Creating spaces where they can meet, exchange ideas, challenge perspectives and build solutions is vital’, stressed Séamus Boland, EESC President. 

The youth groups presented proposals at the closing session of the YEYS, which will be passed on to the European Commission to inform its work on the next EU Youth Strategy, due to be published in March 2027. ‘Youth has been a political priority for the European Commission since the very first day of this term. Let's keep working together to make sure that young people are given a seat at the table in Brussels, in every capital and in every region, town and village’ said Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, in his video message.

Maria Hanževački, EESC Vice President for Communication, indicated that the proposals from YEYS would be reflected in the future EESC opinion on the next EU Youth strategy and the EESC’s advisory work, including through the implementation of the EU Youth Test and advisory work of the Youth Group. The EESC was the first EU body to implement the EU Youth Test, directly involving young people in drafting opinions and assessing policy impacts on future generations.

The first of the three proposals selected by vote at the YEYS’ closing session is 'Go big or NO home', which focuses on housing and calls for stricter oversight of tourist apartments in order to help safeguard local community life. It includes ideas for regulating tourist apartments, renters' rights regulations and guaranteed affordable student housing. The second is 'Think before you click: Make Privacy Sexy Again', which aims to increase media literacy in the public sphere by introducing it as a school subject, labelling AI-generated content and improving digital conditions through an EU-funded app. The final proposal, 'Nothing about us without us', tackles the feeling among young people that their voices go unheard. It suggests developing an AI-based digital platform offering information on the EU and targeting underrepresented groups, such as migrants, to foster their engagement and enhance communication among young people.

‘I think most of you are having your first experience of Brussels of being in the corridors and hearing all these different languages and perhaps realising that you have a lot in common with other young people living miles away. You may also have realised that you have managed to reach concrete recommendations despite not knowing each other two days ago’, said Laure Niclot, EESC Youth Group member. For her part, Ingrid Bellander Todino, Head of the Youth and Volunteer Solidarity Unit in DG Education, Youth, Sport & Culture, pledged to focus on the proposals and recommendations formulated as part of the European Commission’s work on the next EU Youth strategy.

At the YEYS opening plenary, speakers shared insights from their social and political activism and the challenges they had faced. Carolin Hochstrat of The Democratic Spin advised young people never to let anyone persuade them that they are too young to speak out on important social issues. She urged them not to wait for others to affirm that they are ready to take action, reminding them that perfect readiness does not exist. Youth participation, she stressed, is about putting your ideas, views and voice into action, and learning by doing. She also encouraged young people not to be discouraged by any potential backlash. ‘When you feel the backlash, it means you're doing something right. And when you feel scared, think about all the people you can represent with your voice,’ she said. 

Boris Gurzhy of Junior Enterprise, on the other hand, urged young people to make their voices heard themselves, including on European Union matters, rather than simply waiting to be invited to participate in decision-making processes. 'European politicians, from the Commission and Parliament, talk a lot about young people, which is great, but they do not really talk to them. So it is up to us. It is up to young people to take the initiative, reach out, and participate in EU decision-making processes,’ he said. 

Moreover, Miroslav Hajnoš, a member of the EESC Youth Group, advised young people to “unfollow at least one social media influencer”, even that person seemed like a convenient shortcut to a fulfilling life. 'That life takes time and you have to build it step by step. So just keep building yourself and contributing to your society, because you are part of your civil society, your city, your country and the European Union,' he said.

More information about the YEYS : https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/your-europe-your-say-2026

Youth participation at the EESC: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/initiatives/youth-participation-eesc