At its September plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an opinion on the New Pact for the Mediterranean, a month ahead of its official launch by the European Commission. The Committee calls for bottom-up processes ensuring that the Pact has a direct, positive impact on all people, especially on youth.
Introduced by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in 2024, the Youth Test is now being recognised as a pioneering method for integrating youth voices into policy-making. A recent roundtable in Bratislava brought together young leaders, policymakers and civil society to examine how the Youth Test can be meaningfully integrated into national decision-making processes.
The topic of the conference was the mental and physical condition of young Europeans and the role of civil society organisations in supporting it. The event was organised as part of the Polish presidency of the EU Council on the initiative of the Minister for Civil Society, Adriana Porowska, and the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the EESC.
In this interview, Nicoletta MERLO (NAT member) talks to us about the creation of the EESC Youth Group - of which she's vice-president - and of the progress achieved so far, including the implementation of the Youth Test for EESC opinions.
Young people in the Mediterranean region must be included in every step of the way, from policy-making to implementation. They shape not only policies but also life, as highlighted in the debate held by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
recommends including youth representatives in every youth-focused legal activity and involving young people in all stages of the policy-making process, from decision-making to the implementation and evaluation of policies;
estimates that civil society and social partner organisations should further support young people by providing capacity-building workshops, making it easier for them to connect with resources and opportunities for involvement;
calls on the European Commission to support a third phase of the South Mediterranean Social Dialogue (SOLiD) project, which should be used to develop a Youth Charter, while also exploring the establishment of youth-focused consultative mechanisms.
emphasizes that Mediterranean countries are often characterised by a lack of adequate frameworks for effective social dialogue and therefore stresses the need to strengthen social dialogue in particular at national, sectoral and company levels through the full implementation of the key ILO Conventions on social dialogue.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is actively participating in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11–22, 2024. Representing the voices of civil society, the EESC is committed to ensuring that marginalized and vulnerable groups are included in global climate solutions.
underlines that youth participation mechanisms need to be transparent for every stakeholder and that the interests and concerns of young people need to be considered at each stage of the policy-making cycle;
points at the importance of having monitoring and dissemination strategies in place in each youth participation mechanism to inform young people of the impact that their participation has had, including in EU Youth Dialogue (EUYD) processes;
suggests that information on EUYD outcomes should be compiled at pre-agreed intervals and focus on all cycles of the EUYD to be able to track policy and other outcomes linked to particular EUYD cycles.
