Interested in making a difference in EU policies?

The EU Youth Dialogue offers a platform

for young people and policymakers to collaborate,

addressing youth perspectives and needs.

Ready to explore how you can generate impact

through the EU Youth Dialogue?

Step 1.

Make your voice heard.

The EU Youth Dialogue is a youth-led process

supported by the European Commission.

It is co-organized by national youth

councils of the trio EU presidency countries

and the European Youth Forum.

Reach out to your National Youth Council

to discover ongoing opportunities to participate.

Share your opinion by participating

in their consultation activities.

Consultation outcomes will be taken

to the EU Youth Conferences

by the Youth Delegates,

often selected by the National Youth Councils.

Step 2.

Be informed and prepared.

A European Youth Conference is therefore

not a stand-alone event,

but is connected to the whole

EU Youth Dialogue cycle.

Participants, ideally attending the entire cycle,

should engage

with national working groups

to understand the process.

Key steps include reading

reports from consultation outcomes of your country

and prior conferences

to guarantee an effective representation.

Step 3.

Speak up and interact.

European Youth Conferences

should offer a safe(r) space

for young people

to engage

with relevant policymakers

and ministerial delegates,

enriched by expert insights.

All participants play equally important roles

in the process,

each contributing valuable insights.

Interacting with each other is crucial

for successful outcomes.

Step 4.

Engage in advocacy.

Youth councils incorporate

EU Youth Dialogue outcomes

nationally through campaigns

or advisory opinions,

while ministerial delegates

use them for policy making.

National Working Groups should ensure ongoing

dissemination of EU Youth Dialogue outcomes,

maintaining contact with their target group

for necessary follow-up

after consultation activities and events.

Step 5.

Request feedback from policy makers.

The outcomes of a cycle are discussed

among the Ministers of Youth in the EU Council,

who adopt a political text

which includes recommendations

towards EU institutions and Member States.

The implementation of these

is then up to these actors.

However, it's crucial for Youth Delegates

to directly engage

with their National Working Groups

and relevant ministries,

to enquire about possibilities

to turn youth recommendations

into actions that matter.

Step 6.

Be patient but ambitious.

An EU Youth Dialogue cycle lasts 18 months,

but the concrete impact

thereof might only be visible much later.

What starts as a process of small steps,

may, over a long time, create big change.

For instance,

during the 8th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue,

young people proposed

lowering the voting age to 16.

In 2022, the European Parliament

proposed to set the EU election voting age at 16,

a change implemented for example in Belgium

and Germany for the EU elections of 2024 onwards.

Feeling inspired?

Join the conversation and contribute

to shaping the future of the European Union.

Your voice matters.

Contact your National Youth Council today!