An Educational Programme
The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is an independent no-partisan educational project aimed young Europeans. It encourages independent thinking and political initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills.
Since 1987, hundreds of thousands of young people have taken part in regional, national and international sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond borders. The EYP has thus made a vital contribution towards uniting Europe.
Today the EYP is the largest European programme of its kind. It offers a platform for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The EYP is present in almost 40 European countries and thousands of young people run its activities in voluntary capacity. On the international level, the EYP is a programme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation.
Activities in 39 countries
The EYP involves well over 20,000 young people at more than 120 regional, national and international events through 35 national organisations and 3 initiative organisations every year.
The flagship events of the EYP are its three annual International Sessions. Each of these sessions brings together about 300 young people from about 36 countries for 10 days in different European countries.
Since 1987, the EYP has organised 68 International Sessions. The latest one was in Zagreb in autumn 2011 and the next one is just about to begin in Istanbul. The 70th International Session will then take place in July-August 2012 in Tallinn. Finally, the last International Session of the Anniversary Year 2012 will be organised in Amsterdam.