YEYS - Press Release - School visit in UK

Students from Coleg sir Gâr college in Llanelli to take part in European youth debate in Brussels

On 18 February, Coleg sir Gâr college in Llanelli will welcome Brian Curtis, member of European Economic and Social Committee, to prepare for "#YEYSturns10: Vote for the future!", the youth assembly which will take place in Brussels on 21 and 22 March. 

Coleg sir Gâr in Llanelli is one of the thirty-three schools from across Europe that will come to Brussels next March to debate with their peers from as many countries about the forthcoming European elections. The teenagers will come up with three proposals encapsulating their generation's top priorities for Europe to tackle. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will make sure that these proposals reach the law-makers.

Brian Curtis, a Welsh member of the EESC's Workers' Group, will work with the 16 to 18-year-old students ahead of the March meeting in Brussels. They will be ready to share ideas about the 2019 European elections and to have answers on specific key questions:

  • How can we strengthen representative democracy in the future?
  • What kind of political engagement exists beyond the European elections, and how would you take part in it?
  • What in your view should be done to increase voter participation in the EP elections?

During the YEYS plenary, the participants will vote on three proposals for the European Parliament to take on board in its campaign for the European elections.

Background:

The 33 schools were selected to participate in this initiative using an electronic name picker. One school from each of the 28 EU Member States and five candidate countries (Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) will be involved. A record 1038 applications were received for this 10th anniversary.

Called "Your Europe, Your Say!" (YEYS), the event is organised by the European Economic and Social Committee, the voice of civil society at European level, and is the Committee's flagship event for young people.

Through this initiative, the EESC aims to ensure that the views, experiences and ideas of the younger generation are taken on board in EU policy-making.

The EESC wishes to maintain and develop its ties with British civil society beyond Brexit, and has therefore decided to engage British youth in this debate even though most likely they will not vote in the 2019 EU elections.

Further details about YEYS2019 are available on the event's official page, and you can watch the YEYS 2018 video here.

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YEYS - Press Release - School visit in UK