On Tuesday 9 April, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education organised a debate on the inclusion of young people in its decision-making process.
The meeting between MEPs, youth representatives and European Commission representatives provided an opportunity to take stock of the achievements of the legislature for young people and in the fields of culture, education, audiovisual production, sports and the media.
Chaired by Sabine Verheyen (EPP, German), the event, entitled ‘Engaged4YOUth’, highlighted the fact that, although significant progress has been made, notably through initiatives such as the European Solidarity Corps (see EUROPE 13292/28) and in 2022, the European Year of Youth (see EUROPE 13165/9), a great deal of work remains to be done to ensure the active and meaningful participation of young people in all spheres of decision-making.
Discussions focused on the need for a more inclusive and cross-cutting approach to integrating young people’s perspectives into all EU policies. This includes strengthening dialogue between young people and decision-makers, adapting consultation methods to reflect young people’s needs and expectations, and involving young people in assessing the impact of policies on their generation.
Ismael Paez Civico, representing the European Youth Forum, called for the systematic application of the “youth test” at the heart of the legislative process. “Each proposal must be assessed through the prism of its impact on young people, with concrete measures to mitigate any potential risks”, he stressed, calling for the participation of young people to be mandatory rather than optional.
Representing the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisations for Youth (ENGSO Youth), Tiago Guilherme spoke of the potential of sport as a vehicle for social and political integration for young people. He also called for more active consultation with young people and sports organisations, and for greater recognition of sport in the development and well-being of young Europeans.
For Horia Onița of the European Students’ Union (ESU), integrating young people into political dialogue requires more transparent communication and deeper engagement with young people. “We must ensure that young people are not only listened to, but also understood and taken into account in all phases of our parliamentary work. Democracy is not limited to elections; it is lived on a daily basis in our interactions with the youngest citizens”, he said.
Rita Dias, from the Erasmus Student Network, stressed the need for participative governance. She also called for a holistic vision of education that embraces sustainability, diversity and active citizenship as the foundations for Europe’s future.
Finally, Nicoló Bertolini, from the Michelangelo Buonarroti Institute of Technology in Trento, called for the voting age to be lowered to 16 for all Member States. It is “a necessary step towards strengthening young people’s sense of belonging to the European community. We are ready to take an active part in the political and civic life of our continent”, he said. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)