Youth Leaders Rally for a United Future: EESC President Oliver Röpke at the EU Forum

President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Oliver Röpke took center stage at the third annual Forum on the Future of the EU, held at IE University in Madrid on October 26, 2024. This year’s forum, organized by Equipo Europa, brought together over 500 young Europeans to shape a vision for the EU’s future, emphasizing topics like European enlargement and the reformation of EU treaties.

In his remarks, President Röpke praised the forum’s proactive spirit, emphasizing the EU’s enlargement as “a strategic investment in peace, stability, and prosperity across the continent.” Röpke highlighted the EESC's ongoing "Enlargement Candidate Members" initiative, which actively involves 146 civil society experts from candidate countries, aiming to foster European identity through civil and social dialogue. He underscored the importance of this engagement, stating, “These exchanges help align candidate countries with EU values, nurturing a shared understanding across borders.”

During a panel on social and economic rights within the enlargement process, Röpke expressed the EESC’s commitment to supporting youth-driven socio-economic reform in Europe, stressing that issues like affordable housing, quality employment, and robust climate action must remain priorities. Through initiatives such as the EU Youth Test and Youth Climate and Sustainability Roundtables, he emphasized that “the EESC is creating avenues for youth involvement in policy-making, ensuring that young voices shape EU decisions on matters critical to their future.”

The event, attended by prominent representatives from the EU and candidate countries, was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, and several Member State embassies. As the forum drew to a close, participants’ proposals on EU enlargement and treaty reform were prepared for submission to European institutions for consideration—a tangible testament to the forum’s mission of youth-powered European transformation.

In a brief bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Forum, President Röpke and Spanish MEP Elena Nevado engaged in a cordial exchange about the evolving landscape of an enlarged EU. They discussed the importance of enhancing youth participation in the EU's future and emphasized the geopolitical need to foster stronger connections between Europe and civil society in Latin America.