EESC Youth Test

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What is the EESC Youth Test?

The  EESC Youth Test  is a pioneering tool which allows youth organisations to take part in the EESC's work directly. Its purpose is to ensure that the realities of young people, and the interests of future generations are considered systematically across every policy field, so that legislation is future-proofed and built to last. 
It was launched in 2024, making the EESC the first EU institution to put a structured youth participation mechanism into practice for its core work. Since then, around a quarter of all EESC opinions have been Youth-Tested (see the tab on the left-hand side menu). The tool is co‑created with the European Youth Forum, the largest platform of youth organisations in Europe, ensuring that it is credible, practical and rooted in young people’s real experience. The tool is continuously improving based on the participants’ feedback.

How can a youth organisation get involved?

To make the Youth Test work, we set up a  network of 73 youth organisations from across Europe and beyond. Every month, these organisations can express interest in upcoming EESC opinions. On this basis, EESC Members decide which opinions will be Youth-Tested. The selected youth organisations then attend the study group meetings to provide concrete input that feeds directly into the opinion-making process.

An application form for interested youth organisations to apply to take part in the EESC Youth Test can be found on the left-hand side menu under the tab called 'Apply here to take part!'

In the application form the youth organisations are able to indicate which section(s) of the EESC their expertise corresponds to. The sections of the EESC are:

Browse the NaviGate tool to see all the opinions produced by each section.

What happens if an organisation is selected?

The selected youth organisations will be informed via email once a month of the new upcoming opinions within that section. They will be asked to flag any opinions they would like to work on by expressing their interest within 5 working days.

Please note that due to administrative constraints, a limited number of opinions will go through the EESC Youth Test per year. If an organisation expressed interest in an opinion but it is not selected to go through the EESC Youth Test, other involvement could be foreseen such as providing input on the topic via email, a meeting with EESC members, etc.

What happens when an opinion is selected for the EESC Youth Test?

The organisation will be informed via email if they are interested in an opinion which is selected for the EESC Youth Test. If several youth organisations are interested in one opinion, they will be put in touch and asked to agree amongst themselves who between them will be the youth representative. This youth representative should have relevant experience on the topic of the opinion and speak on behalf of all interested parties. The selected person must confirm their participation in the opinion-making process to the EESC within 5 working days.

What is the role of a youth representative? 

A youth representative is the person selected to represent all interested youth organisations throughout the opinion-making process at the EESC. 

This person will be invited to actively participate in all study group meetings for that opinion.

Info box: Study group meetings

  1. Composition of a study group

  • The study groups are composed of EESC members who have been appointed to take part in the drafting process of that opinion. Browse the NaviGate tool to see examples of opinions and their study group members.
  • One EESC member is appointed as president of the study group. This person chairs the meetings.
  • One EESC member is appointed as rapporteur. For some opinions, other EESC member(s) can be appointed co-rapporteur(s)". This/These person(s) are responsible for drawing up the working document for discussion in the study group meeting, and for taking into consideration the comments of the other study group members in subsequent versions.
  • Advisors can be nominated by the rapporteurs, co-rapporteurs or the Groups. Advisors are not EESC members. They are usually experts in the topic of the opinion, and provide input throughout the opinion-making process where needed.
  • The secretariat is present to take notes, manage technical issues and guide the study group participants in any way needed throughout the process.

  1. Logistical details

  • All of these actors are normally present at study group meetings. This means there are usually between 10-20 people in study group meetings.
  • There are usually two study group meetings per opinion, taking place roughly one to two months apart.
  • A study group meeting usually lasts half a day, and sometimes a full day.
  • They are usually in a hybrid format (meaning you can attend physically or connect remotely).

During these study group meetings, the youth representative will be invited to take part in the discussions, and discuss the potential impact of the topic of the opinion on young people, and any eventual mitigation measures. They will also be given the chance to provide written contributions.

No monetary allowance is foreseen for the online participation of youth representatives, nor the physical presence if the person is based in Brussels. If the presence of the youth representative is required for a meeting, the travel expenses will be covered if the person travels more than 100km to the EESC's offices (Rue Belliard 101, Brussels).

What language will the youth representative work in?

English and French are the working languages of the EU, but there could be interpretation into any of the other 22 official EU languages, if it is already foreseen by the EESC. If this is the case, this would be communicated to the youth representative ahead of the meeting.

For more information on other youth engagement opportunities at the EESC visit our webpage 'Youth Participation at the EESC' or contact us at: youtheesc@eesc.europa.eu.

Make civil society proposals youth proof! (pdf)

Downloads

  • List of Youth Organisations participating in the EESC Youth Test