Your Europe, Your Say! 2025

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Location

Brussels
Belgium
Youth

It's a Wrap!

The curtains close on the EESC’s annual youth event after 1.5 days of engaging discussions, workshops, and debates.

130 participants came together with approximately 100 young people creating the youth assembly drawing recommendations to potentially be taken further into account into EESC’s advisory work. The closing session saw a committed and engaged crowd presenting the 5 top recommendations to President Ropke and EU Youth Coordinator Biliana Sirakova.

While economic issues such as employment and housing remain important to YEYSers, they produced recommendations related to social rights and fundamental societal issues as they believe these need to be urgently addressed.

Their proposals highlight that much work still needs to be done to unite us, to promote equality and level the playing field, such as, but not only, addressing the gender pay gap, combatting violence against women, ensuring equal opportunities and increasing the involvement of youth, women, minorities and persons with disabilities.

The 5 YEYS recommendations are - in order of ranking based on preference/significance:

  1. Fighting corruption through transparency and youth participation – Urging for greater involvement of young people in anti-corruption efforts, improved transparency in public spending, and stronger protection for whistle-blowers.
  2. Active citizenship: from classroom to community – Promoting civic education that empowers youth with the tools to engage in democratic values, combat disinformation, and contribute to social and cultural development.
  3. IN for equality – Addressing inequality with concrete actions to ensure equal pay, representation, reproductive rights, and non-gendered education, while challenging outdated societal structures.
  4. Youth deserves a seat – Advocating for stronger youth representation in decision-making processes through lower voting ages, regional youth councils, and more inclusive structures in governance.

  5. Develop a coherent climate change strategy – Calling for the EU to take a leadership role in global climate action, with comprehensive strategies for both mitigation and adaptation, ensuring sustainability for all citizens.