On 19-20 March, the European Economic and Social Committee will host Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) 2026 under the theme ‘Meaningful Connections, Active Participation and Democratic Engagement’.

This year’s call for applications attracted more than 3 000 submissions, including over 2 500 from individuals and around 500 from secondary schools. From this pool, one school per country was selected to participate, representing the EU Member States, the nine candidate countries and the UK. More than 40 individual participants from all the above countries will also join, ensuring a diverse and inclusive exchange of views. The highest number of applications came from Italy, Romania and Ukraine.

Starting in mid-January, EESC members will visit the selected schools to present YEYS and explain the Committee’s role in shaping Europe’s future.

YEYS 2026 aims to be more than an event. It is a platform for young people to connect, actively engage and contribute to democratic life across Europe, and is expected to feed into broader discussions and consultation processes on the next EU Youth Strategy. You can find more information on the YEYS webpage.