YOUR EUROPE, YOUR SAY 2026: YOUNG EUROPEANS SPEAK OUT ON THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT EU YOUTH STRATEGY

100 young participants in the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) top youth event Your Europe, Your Say! called on the EU institutions to pay far more attention to their housing needs, challenges in the digital world and their potential in political and social life. Their proposals will feed into the EU’s next strategy for young people.

‘Go big or NO home’, ‘Think before you click: Make Privacy Sexy Again’ and ‘Nothing about us without us’, were voted as three best proposals among 17 created by more than a hundred young people who took part in the  17th edition of Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) on 19 and 20 March 2026 in Brussels.

The three winning proposals reflect the top concerns and priorities that young people consider to be crucial for the next EU Youth Strategy. They address the acute housing problem in Europe, challenges of living in a digital world and the feeling of not being heard by politicians.

The event brought together almost 140 participants, including secondary school students and their teachers, as well as young adults associated with youth organisations. Over one and a half days, the participants took part in interactive workshops, teambuilding activities and collaborative discussions, creating a dynamic youth assembly focused on meaningful connections, active participation and democratic engagement. 

‘At the EESC, we believe that young people must be at the heart of shaping Europe’s future. Creating spaces where they can meet, exchange ideas, challenge perspectives and build solutions is vital’, stressed Séamus Boland, EESC President. 

At the YEYS opening plenary, speakers shared insights from their social and political activism and the challenges they had faced. Carolin Hochstrat of The Democratic Spin advised young people never to let anyone persuade them that they are too young to speak out on important social issues. She urged them not to wait for others to affirm that they are ready to take action, reminding them that perfect readiness does not exist. 

Boris Gurzhy from Junior Enterprise, urged young people to make their voices heard themselves, rather than simply waiting to be invited to participate in decision-making processes. ‘European politicians, from the Commission and Parliament, talk a lot about young people, which is great, but they do not really talk to them. So, it is up to us. It is up to young people to take the initiative, reach out, and participate in EU decision-making processes’, he said. 

MORE ON THE THREE WINNING PROPOSALS 

In the closing session, YEYS participants selected three proposals by vote, solidifying their priorities. 

The first proposal 'Go big or NO home', focuses on housing and calls for stricter oversight of tourist apartments to help safeguard local community life. It includes ideas for regulating tourist apartments, renters’ rights regulations and guaranteed affordable student housing.

 The second proposal ‘Think before you click: Make Privacy Sexy Again’, aims to increase media literacy in the public sphere by introducing it as a school subject, labelling AI-generated content and improving digital conditions through an EU-funded app. 

The final proposal, ‘Nothing about us without us’, tackles the feeling among young people that their voices go unheard. It suggests developing an AI-based digital platform offering information on the EU and targeting underrepresented groups, such as migrants, to foster their engagement and enhance communication among young people.

 All the proposals will be passed on to the European Commission to inform its work on the next EU Youth Strategy, due to be published in March 2027. 

Marija Hanževački, EESC Vice President for Communication, indicated that the proposals would be reflected in the future EESC opinion on the next EU Youth strategy and the EESC’s advisory work, including through the implementation of the EU Youth Test and advisory work of the Youth Group. 

Ingrid Bellander Todino, Head of the Youth and Volunteer Solidarity Unit in DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, further pledged to focus on the proposals and recommendations formulated as part of the European Commission’s work on the next EU Youth strategy. 

A recap on YEYS 2026 is captured in the event’s wrap-up video.