Dear readers,

As spring blooms in Brussels, I want to take a moment to reflect on Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS), the EESC’s flagship event for youth, which welcomed almost 140 young people from all EU Member States, the candidate countries and the UK. It was not only a meeting of young people, but also a space for dialogue, collaboration and action. It showed that in the EESC, young people are taken seriously and given the opportunity to help shape the next EU Youth Strategy.

This year’s theme, Meaningful Connections, Active Participation and Democratic Engagement, was more than just a theme. It reflected young people’s experience of being heard and of having the opportunity to step up and develop their ideas. Something that makes me especially hopeful is that this year’s edition of YEYS attracted a strong interest not only from young people from the Member States, but especially from candidate countries and Ukraine, showing that their hearts beat in the EU.

Over two days, the participants worked on developing 17 proposals, with topics ranging from healthcare to digital awareness to youth opportunities. Through a vote, three proposals were chosen: Go big or NO home, exploring the increasingly difficult housing market, Think before you click: make privacy sexy again!, on digital-awareness and Nothing about us without us, encouraging young people to use their voice. 

These three proposals show one thing: our young people want to shape the future. They want to use their voice and their passion to change the status quo. YEYS allows them to learn and to connect with other young people who are just as passionate as them. Once again, the participants have shown me that they understand the issues that shape the future and strive to improve the lives of people not only from the European Union, but from all around the world.

The EESC has been advocating for young people for years. The Committee was the first EU institution to introduce the EU Youth Test, a policy impact assessment tool designed to ensure that young people’s perspectives are considered in EU policymaking. Young people are directly involved in the consultation process on the EESC opinions that are selected for their relevance for young people. The Youth Test is now one of the 48 initiatives nominated for the European Ombudsman 'Award for Good Administration', under the category 'Excellence in diversity and inclusion'.

In 2023, the EESC set up the Youth Group, Initially envisaged to coordinate the EESC’s youth-related initiatives, its mission today goes beyond its formal mandate. In this issue, Youth Group president Nicoletta Merlo writes about the group’s ambition to become a hub where young people’s concerns, ideas and proposals can be heard and transformed into concrete policy recommendations. 

We understand that young people are the future. We must not forget that they are our present too.

This is why I am very happy that this month’s newsletter will shine a spotlight on youth. We are taking a closer look at YEYS, bringing you the messages of our young speakers and members, while giving the floor to key issues facing the next generation. By exploring housing insecurity, political and civic education, the growing gender gap in support of far-right parties, intergenerational fairness, and the mental health of young people, we highlight the defining challenges for the generation, as identified by the YEYS participants themselves. 

Looking ahead to May, we invite you to experience this spirit of engagement firsthand. The EESC will host an open-door, festive celebration for Europe Day, offering an opportunity to discover the workings of the Committee and learn how complex debates are turned into opinions. We hope to welcome you there.

And last but not least, I am happy to announce this year’s Connecting EU seminar, the EESC’s flagship communication event for civil society communicators. It will take place on 6 and 7 July at the University of Sofia, Bulgaria. Entitled In defence of European values: the power of civil society, the 2026 Connecting EU seminar will focus on Europe’s ability to uphold its core values as its economic priorities shift and pressure on democratic trust and civic space intensifies – and on how civil society can defend them. Mark your calendars and join us in Sofia this July!