Looking back: Young Opinions on the Future of Europe

The Conference on the Future of Europe is nearing its conclusion after over a year of work, with hundreds of thousands of people from all across Europe presenting their vision for what Europe should look like in the future. On May 9th the final proposals of the Conference will be presented and passed on to the major legislative European bodies. The European Youth Parliament and its members also contributed to the Conference. Through the Young Opinions on the Future of Europe project, the Young Ambassadors on the Future of Europe collected thousands of opinions from all across Europe, and presented the findings of this project to key decision makers. Read more about all their hard work below.

Young Opinions on the Future of Europe project

Throughout the project, more than 10 youth events took place in the Spring and Summer 2021 with over a thousand participants across Europe. Among them were international youth events in Milan, Warsaw, and Ljubljana, as well as national events in Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, and many more. Furthermore, the EYP ran a Youth Poll on the Future of Europe where 1,000 young people contributed by sharing their thoughts and visions relating to the continent. Amongst others, the ideas discussed within the framework of EYP’s Power Shifts – Reflecting Europe’s energy project events, as well as those under the umbrella of the Franco-German Youth Conference #Ensemble formed a part of the final vision paper.

Young Ambassadors on the Future of Europe

25 young people from 20 European countries between the ages of 17 and 25 were selected to be Young Ambassadors on the Future of Europe, so as to represent young people and their voices at the EU level. The group of Ambassadors mirrors the EU’s diversity and includes youth with a migratory background, those belonging to minorities in their country, and participants with various educational levels. They have summarised the input collected from young people across the continent in the Youth Vision for the Future of Europe paper focusing on the following issues:

European Values, Fundamental Rights, and Freedom; Europe’s Role in World Affairs; Digitalisation and Digital Transformation of the EU; Employment Opportunities and Conditions in Europe; Social Justice and Equality in Europe; Policy on Energy and Climate; Democracy in the EU and its Member States; Vision for the European Health Union.

The topic that came out as being one of the most important to both the Ambassadors and the many other young people who participated in the process was Energy and Climate. To address these concerns, the Ambassadors developed a separate Youth Vision for Climate and Energy Policy paper.

The Young Ambassadors on the Future of Europe came together in Berlin in September 2021 for the Future of Europe Lab where they formulated the main visions. Also, they joined the European Youth Event in Strasbourg in October 2021 where they advocated for their visions and had the opportunity to interact with decision makers who work in the relevant policy areas.

The video below shows the Young Ambassadors in action in Brussels.Throughout the 18th and 19th of November 2021 the Young Ambassadors met with the following decision-makers and stakeholders:

Vice President of the European Commission on Democracy and Demography, and co-Chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe, Dubravka Šuica;
Vice President of the European Parliament, Klára Dobrev;
Guy Verhofstadt, co-Chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe, Member of the European Parliament.
Gabriele Bischoff, Member of the European Parliament
Dragoş Pîslaru, Member of the European Parliament
Thomas Waitz, Member of the European Parliament
Alviina Alametsä, Member of the European Parliament
Victor Negrescu, Member of the European Parliament
Biliana Sirakova, EU Youth Coordinator, European Commission;
Stina Soewarta, Adviser to Director for Energy Policy Cristina Lobillo Borrero, DG ENER,
Lawrence Meridith, Director for the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood & Institution Building in the DG NEAR
Helen Campbell, Head Of Division at European External Action Service.

Vice President of the European Commission, Dubravka Šuica had the following to say about the encounter: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Here are impressions from some of the Young Ambassadors who attended the meeting in Brussels on their opinions on the Young Opinions project and the Youth Vision paper:

Rita Jevdokimova – Latvia

Athanasios Theofanakis – Greece/Netherlands

Aliosha Bielenberg – Cyprus