The EYP is run by young people, for young people. It’s the members of the organisation who jointly steer and shape the future of the programme. The EYP is much more than the sum of EYP events that take place every year – it’s a vibrant network of people and member organisations across Europe.
The European Youth Parliament is one of the largest and most dynamic youth organisations in Europe, currently represented in 40 European countries. It provides young people with a transformative, holistic learning experience. The bulk of its activities are driven by young people – and the organisation itself is also jointly shaped by members, both on international and national levels. Various trainings and opportunities for exchange enable participants to hone a diverse set of skills, which they can then put to use in their work for EYP activities, and go on use beyond the EYP. For EYP alumni, the ‘EYP spirit’ never stops: when they go on to pursue a wide range of activities and careers, they often become changemakers – taking initiative and positively shaping the world around them.
As a peer-to-peer educational programme, the EYP is much more than the sum of its events – it’s an ecosystem that provides its volunteers and members with an environment to learn, grow and take on responsibility in a multitude of roles.
Not only are all EYP activities driven by young people – the members of the EYP also jointly steer and shape the future of the organisation at large. With close to 40 member organisations across Europe, the EYP is a vibrant network of thousands of people.
National Committees (NCs) implement the bulk of EYP events across Europe. There are currently 40 national member organisations with over 3,500 young volunteers who are actively involved. Each committee is led by democratically elected young boards.
National Committees organise regional and national sessions, international forums and outreach programmes, promote international EYP activities and run training programmes for their members.
If you are interested in the EYP, your country’s National Committee is a good place to start. Click on the map below to find out who to contact in your country.
The Governing Body (GB) is the EYP’s international board that represents the interests of the network as a whole. It is mainly responsible for the strategic development of the EYP and for facilitating the work of the organisation at the international level. In collaboration with the national committees and the members of the organisation, it establishes guidelines that ensure the quality and safety of the EYP’s activities, and it oversees the three annual International Sessions.
The GB is composed of six elected members, four of which are elected by the National Committees and two by the EYP’s members. A representative of the Schwarzkopf Foundation also sits on the GB. The Executive Director of the EYP participates in every meeting.
The members of the Governing Body in 2020 are: Noura Berrouba (Sweden), Ignacio Argüelles Martínez (Spain), Lika Abramishvili (Georgia), Nikola Popovic (Serbia), Janis Fifka (Germany), Dionysis Patriarcheos (Greece), Anne Rolvering (Germany) (Executive Director, Schwarzkopf-Foundation)
The Board of National Committees (BNC) is the general assembly of National Committees (NCs) and acts as the voice of National Committees on the international level. The BNC gathers twice a year in Berlin, and has full co-decision powers with the GB; meaning that any policy proposals made by the GB must be approved by the BNC. The BNC can also take the initiative and make proposals and recommendations to the GB. Besides decision-making, the BNC acts as a platform for National Committees to share knowledge and know-how. The work of the BNC is facilitated by a board, which is elected annually by all National Committees.
The Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organisation of the European Youth Parliament. The International Office of the European Youth Parliament is run by the Executive Director, who is supported by a team of project managers, assistants and long-time volunteers.
