About us

Since 1987, the European Youth Parliament has inspired and empowered hundreds of thousands of young people to be open-minded, tolerant and active citizens.

Thousands of young people are actively involved as volunteers all over Europe, making the European Youth Parliament (EYP) a genuinely youth-driven programme – run by young people, for young people.

What makes the EYP unique:

  • Non-Formal Education: Our programmes allow participants to learn and develop a diverse set of skills through a fully immersive social, cultural and educational programme.

  • Peer-Led: All our activities as well as the organisation and governance of the EYP network are organised for and by young Europeans.

  • Voluntary: The EYP is shaped by young volunteers with the primary purpose to create a much-needed platform for youth.

  • Diverse and Inclusive: Our programmes actively seek out young people from all social backgrounds to ensure a diverse mix of participants.

  • Active Alumni network: Through friendships and connections we create in the network, the network initiates bonds that can last for decades and have a lasting impact.

A short summary of our purpose and some key numbers we are proud of.

Find out more about the EYP in this video!

Our Impact

Large-scale evaluations of the EYP experience and societal impact of the programme, drawing on the 2024 Members’ Survey completed by 324 members from 36 National Committees, show that the EYP:

Raises awareness of European issues and encourages active European citizenship

  • More than 98% of respondents believe that participation in EYP influenced their institutional and cultural knowledge, with those who felt most influenced reporting the highest levels of understanding.

  • Across all measures of positive attitudes, over 94% of respondents indicated that EYP had an influence on them, particularly in relation to democratic values such as peace and democracy.

  • A significant share of members have engaged in civil action, with at least one third of respondents reporting participation in most forms of civic engagement. The longer members are involved in EYP, the more likely they are to take part in civil action.

Promotes international understanding, intercultural dialogue and diversity of ideas and practices

  • 94.4% of respondents agreed that they felt included during their time in EYP, highlighting the programme’s role in fostering an inclusive environment for dialogue and exchange.

    The diversity of the EYP network is broadly comparable to that of the EU population and exceeds it in terms of sexual minority representation, underlining EYP’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Contributes to the personal skills development of European youth

  • 92% of respondents believe that EYP influenced them across a wide range of skills, including communication, teamwork and leadership (with the exception of Media and Marketing).

  • Among employed respondents, between 59.2% and 70.8% agreed that the skills, knowledge and values gained or practised through EYP had an impact on their current job.

Provides a forum in which young people of Europe can express their own opinions, without reverting to role play

  • There is a strong sentiment among members that participation in EYP increases confidence in expressing opinions and engaging constructively with others.

  • Evidence from 2024 confirms that EYP delivers impact across every stage of its Theory of Change, demonstrating that the programme functions as a coherent pipeline rather than a collection of isolated activities.