EESC's Youth Group aims to be a hub where young people's concerns and ideas can be heard and transformed into concrete policy recommendations, writes its president Nicoletta Merlo

By Nicoletta Merlo, President of the EESC Youth Group

My professional and personal journey has always been closely linked to one core belief: young people must have a say in decisions that shape their present and their future. This objective underpins the work of the EESC Youth Group, created in July 2023 to strengthen youth participation and to better reflect young people’s realities, priorities and expectations in the Committee’s work.

Today, the Youth Group’s mission goes beyond formal mandates. Alongside overseeing tools such as the EESC Youth Test and supporting youth‑related EESC initiatives, we aim to be a hub where young people’s concerns, ideas and proposals can be heard and transformed into concrete policy recommendations. Listening to young people across Europe — including from neighbouring and candidate countries — and translating their voices into the EESC’s work remains a priority.

The year 2026 will be particularly significant. The Youth Group will hold regular meetings with thematic debates and take part in major moments such as European Youth Week and Council Presidency Youth Conferences. Some topics identified for this year include the responsible and safe use of AI, combatting disinformation, and the cooperation with candidate country youth organisations. These milestones will also seek to contribute to the next EU Youth Strategy to be adopted in 2027.

Our ambition is clear: to ensure that youth perspectives are not consulted only occasionally but embedded permanently in how EU policies are shaped — today, and for generations to come.