Bratislava Roundtable Brings Youth Test Closer to National Policy-making

A recent roundtable in Bratislava brought together young leaders, policymakers and civil society to examine how the EU Youth Test - a tool designed to assess the impact of legislation on young people - can be meaningfully integrated into national decision-making processes.

While the summer period often signals a slowdown in political activity, the European Information Centre on Palisády Street in Bratislava was buzzing with ideas on 29 July.

Over 30 youth representatives, union activists, policy experts and EU officials came together to debate the national potential of the EU Youth Test, a unique tool for assessing the impact of legislation on young people.

The roundtable, titled 'EU Youth Test – a new approach to youth participation in policy-making', marked a major milestone in bringing this EU-level initiative closer to practical implementation in Slovakia.

Introduced by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in 2024, the EU Youth Test is now being recognised as a pioneering method for integrating young voices in policy-making. The EESC became the first EU institution to fully implement the tool, enabling a structured input into official opinions.

The Youth Test was also the focus of a high-level debate during the last EESC plenary in July, with the participation of Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef along with EESC President Oliver Röpke and President of the EESC Youth Group, Katrīna Leitāne. 

“Youth are experts on their reality”

Roundtable participants discussed barriers and opportunities in Slovak policy-making and identified next steps for deploying the Youth Test in selected ministries or agencies. 

'We must ensure that young people are not just a target group but active participants in the design of future-facing policies,' explained EESC member and co-host of the Bratislava roundtable, Miroslav Hajnoš.

Lucia Yar, Member of the European Parliament, highlighted in her opening statement that 'young people are experts on their reality, and our policies should reflect their lived experience – not only their future, but their present.' She commended the EESC's example and called on national governments to adopt similar measures to systemically involve youth in public decision-making.

Ján Hrinko, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic, emphasised that policy relevance and legitimacy are strengthened when young people are part of the decision-making process, stating that: 'Institutionalising youth participation is not only a matter of good will, but of good governance.'

From a civil society perspective, Juraj Lizák, Director and Chair of the Youth Council of Slovakia, shared how youth-led platforms in Slovakia are already bringing grassroots voices into public institutions: 'The EU Youth Test gives us a framework to deepen this cooperation and ensure the views of young Slovaks are not lost in translation,' he noted.

A tool grounded in participation and impact

The Youth Test is built on three pillars: meaningful consultation with young people, impact assessment of draft proposals on youth and mitigation of potential negative outcomes. 

According to an official review by the EESC Youth Group, the test has already influenced EU institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament, leading them to more fully take into account the impact of policies on youth, sparking initiatives such as the Commission’s own Youth Check (which was launched in 2025).

A network of over 70 youth organisations has been created under the EESC framework, allowing them to participate in drafting EU opinions. 40 opinions have undergone the process since the launch of the Youth Test, with 27 already adopted. Feedback shows the initiative fosters mutual learning and elevates youth perspectives in policy debates.

Bratislava as a catalyst

The Bratislava roundtable, co-organised by the EESC and the European Parliament’s Liaison Office in Slovakia, served as a local testbed for exploring how the Youth Test can be adapted to the national level. 

'Hosting this event in the middle of summer and still seeing such strong engagement proves the relevance of this topic,' Hajnoš highlighted. 

He extended his thanks to Haraslín and the entire EP Office team for their longstanding cooperation, which includes preparing further joint activities to strengthen democratic participation.