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European Economic and Social Committee Your Europe, Your Say! Brussels, 23-24 April 2015 Final Report and Evaluation
European Economic and Social Committee
Your Europe, Your Say! Brussels, 23-24 April 2015
Final Reportand Evaluation
Six years of “Your Europe,
Your Say”
On 23-24 April 2015, 84 students and 30 teachers from across Europe came together for the sixth edition of “Your Europe, Your Say!” at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. Coming from locations as far apart as Limerick in Ireland and Thessaloniki in Greece, the students constituted a random but representative sample of Europe’s young people. Over the course of the two days they had the chance to meet, debate and learn from each other and finally put forward their ideas to the Committee.
In the event’s sixth year, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back and celebrate the successes so far. Since 2010, more than 500 students from 168 schools have had the opportunity to take part in the annual event and have their views heard on the future of Europe.
The initiative was conceived as a way of connecting with young people and communicating what Europe is in an engaging and accessible way. A key part of this is showing the importance of debate, compromise and reasoned exchange in the political process in Europe. As part of the anniversary celebrations, a special photo exhibition highlighting the history of “Your Europe, Your Say” was held alongside this year’s event.
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Not just about Brussels: taking Europe to
its citizens
Although the main event takes place only once a year, “Your Europe, Your Say!” is more than just a two-day affair. Before the students make the trip to Brussels, EESC Members go in the opposite direction and visit the chosen schools in their own countries. These trips form part of the EESC’s “Going Local” strategy, which brings the European Union into local communities and helps them connect with local civil society organisations.
The visits have three main purposes. First, they give the students taking part in the event the chance to prepare and learn from EESC members about debating in a multinational environment. Second, they allow EESC members to talk to a wider group of young people and explain what the EESC is and what it is doing for young people. Lastly they provide an excellent way of promoting “Your Europe, Your Say” and the EESC within local communities.
January
The EESC invites schools from across the EU to register online for the chance to participate in “Your Europe, Your Say”.
February – March
One school (and two reserves) from each EU country are chosen by ballot to receive a visit from an EESC member of the same nationality. The EESC members then lead an information session on the EU and the EESC. Three students at each of the selected schools prepare a presentation on an important topic concerning both the European institutions and young people.
April
The main event: each group of three students per EU country, along with a teacher, spends two days in Brussels. At a series of workshops the groups give their presentations and discuss a range of pan-European issues. They also take part in cultural and social events and visit some of Brussels’ attractions.
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“If only it could have lasted a week”
For the majority of participants, this was a week of firsts: their first experience of Brussels, their first chance to take part in an international conference, and the first time they had worked in such a diverse and multicultural environment. Alongside being able to learn more about the European institutions, the event gave participants the opportunity to work and socialise with people from across the continent.
What matters to young people?
The main focus of “Your Europe, Your Say!” is giving young people a voice on Europe and its future – allowing them to tell the EU institutions what matters to them. The participants used this opportunity to present the wide variety of issues about which they are concerned. Although these were varied, a number of common themes came up frequently throughout the event. These were:
1. Education and how to improve knowledge of the European Union
2. The environment and tackling climate change
3. The importance of fundamental rights
4. How to tackle youth unemployment
5. How to find new ways to connect young people with the EU
6. How to engage young people in the political process
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Quotations from students and teachers
What they said about
Your Europe, Your Say!
“I have already met a lot of people but there are still so many people I want to get to know, if only it could have lasted a whole week!”
“Events like this are important in bringing people closer to the European Union, as it can all feel a bit distant and alien otherwise.”
“It was amazing working in such a multinational
environment and I can’t wait to make use of EU programs, such
as Erasmus, in the future”
“It is not only a great event for the children but also for us teachers. We get the chance to learn more about the work of the EESC and of the EU in general, as well as getting to discuss topics with professionals from across Europe.”
“Events like this are so important because if we don’t understand how Europe works
how are we going to improve it?”
“The event has really inspired me to get more involved in politics”
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The role of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is to further European integration by enabling civil society organisations from the Member States to express their views at a European level. An important part of this work involves understanding and promoting the views of young Europeans.
Over the past few years, the EESC has thrown its weight behind the European Union’s efforts to help young people find their way into work. Youth unemployment is a tragic waste of potential, which not only undermines economic growth but could also have serious consequences for social cohesion in the future.
“Your Europe, Your Say” plays an important role in helping connect young people and the EESC. Over the last few years more than 500 students have had the chance to learn more about the Committee’s work and to put forward their ideas about the future of Europe.
Young People and the European Economic and Social Committee
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Your Europe, Your Say,
23-24 April 2015
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1. Opening Session – ‘Spring time of Optimism’
The 2015 edition of Your Europe, Your Say got underway on 23 April at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. After a quick trip to the hotel to drop off their bags, the students arrived at the EESC to begin an intense two-day schedule of debates and workshops about the future of Europe.
The first event the students took part in was a debate on “The optimistic Europe we want to build”. Held as part of the “Spring of Optimism”, this major public debate included EESC President Henri Malosse, Deput y Pr ime Minis ter of Belgium, Didier Reynders, as well as a host of other f igures from the European institutions, business, journalism and civil society. The “Spring of Optimism” was a series of workshops and talks held
in the spring of 2015 in Paris and Brussels on the importance of having a positive outlook to the issues and challenges facing Europe.
The event focused on the importance of creating a forward-looking and positive vision of Europe, particularly for Europe’s young people. As part of the event, each national student delegation put forward a word and a sentence that for them summed up what Europe meant. Ranging from “solidarity” to “freedom” and “unity”, the words reflected the variety of opinions about what Europe is and can be.
Following the high-level debate, the students had the opportunity to get to know each other, and some of the EESC members, through a range of ice-breaking games.
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2. Morning Session – ‘how to influence decision makers’
The second day of Your Europe, Your Say began with a welcome address from Henri Malosse, EESC President.
“It is your Europe, take your place”: with these words, EESC President Henri Malosse encouraged the 84 school pupils to play their part in the political process. “Don’t wait until other people are willing to make space for you; you are the reality of today and the future of tomorrow. If you want to change something then you have to start now”. With these words, the president urged his guests to be focused, patient and consistent but also to “push for your ideas”.
During his speech he explained the importance of young people as a constituency of the EESC and the importance of “Your Europe, Your Say” in providing new ideas for the committee’s work. He explained how the ideas proposed at an earlier edition of the event had led to the EESC’s focus on youth unemployment and fed into the eventual development of the Youth Guarantee.
The speech was followed by addresses by Allan Päll, Secretary-General of the European Youth Forum, and Sophie van Hatzfeldt, a campaigner at Democracy International. Both speakers focused on how young people could help influence decision-making, through co-operative action such as student union groups and direct democracy through new instruments like the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI).
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3. New ideas for a more democratic future Europe
The second part of the morning session put the microphone firmly in the hands of the students. Each of the 28 schools had prepared a presentation on a topic relating to new ideas for a more democratic Europe. This lively session allowed the students to tell the EESC and each other what they thought about the challenges facing the continent.
From making the EU more accountable to changing the way we vote, the presentations reflected the wide variety of issues facing young Europeans. Alongside the range of topics that was discussed was the variety of media used; from PowerPoint presentations to videos and role plays, each presentation found a different way to get its vision across. However, alongside these contrasting styles and subjects, the common thread running through each presentation was a belief in creating a better Europe.
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4. Workshop Session: Participative proposals for Europe
The afternoon session focused on discussing and developing new participative proposals for Europe. For this workshop the students were left in complete control, while their teachers had an information session on the European Year for Development. The session used the ‘open space’ concept, where students put forward an idea and then other interested participants could form a working group around that subject. Once these ad-hoc groups had formed, students put together a short presentation highlighting why the other participants should adopt their proposal.
The proposals The students split into ten multinational teams working on the issues they felt were most important to them. These were:
1. Tackling inequality between different Member States
2. Tackling racism across Europe
3. Ensuring qualifications and skills are recognised between Member States
4. Tackling the effects of mass production
5. Improving teaching about the European Union in schools
6. The environment and going beyond the 2020 goals
7. Improving political education of 16-18 year olds in schools
8. Preserving fundamental rights
9. How to tackle youth unemployment
10. How to create unity in Europe
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5. And the winner is… The final plenary session
The final session of “Your Europe, Your Say” was chaired by Jane Morrice, EESC Vice-President. The session put students in the place of EESC members, and allowed them to put forward their proposals to be voted on by the other participants. Each working group had five minutes to argue their case before voting began.
After much passionate debate, the participants used the electronic voting machines to decide on their three top proposals for a more active European citizenship. Following a close vote, “The environment and going beyond the 2020 goals” was selected as the winner. This choice was emblematic of the whole event, with all participants showing a mature and reasoned view of the challenges facing Europe.
The other two proposals were:
1. “Youth employment: you can’t get a job without experience but you can’t get experience without a job”
2. “International transferability of educational qualifications”
Jane Morrice, EESC Vice-President, together with Bruno Kaufmann, ECI expert, then drew final conclusions.
The three main proposals and conclusions will be passed on to the EESC ad-hoc Group on European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECI), which will ensure that they are followed up.
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Media Coverage and Promotional
Activities
Annexes
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The “Your Europe Your Say!” event was the subject of substantial media coverage both online and in print.
There were positive reports in local media of the school visits made by EESC members. Press interest was strong before and after the event itself in Brussels. In 16 Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the United Kingdom), the local press (and online outlets) reported on the success of “Your Europe Your Say!”.
The event was also covered on social media, and had dedicated accounts on Facebook (the “Your Europe Your Say” page) and Twitter (@youreurope). Interactions on the FB page increased in the three weeks before the event (with 2 795 users being reached).
Before, during and after the event 175 tweets were sent with the hashtag
#YEYS2015, with a potential audience of 248 859 users.
Pictures of the event continue to be shared and commented on, mainly on the Facebook page.
Furthermore, the following promotional activities have been carried out:
• Individual press releases created for each EESC member “going local” and general press releases for all members visiting schools.
• A press release was published after the event and has been sent to the Commission representation offices in the Member States.
• Two articles were published in EESCinfo before the event (in February and April). Another article was published afterwards, in the May edition of EESCinfo.
• Distribution of a Passport to Active European Citizenship that displays key information about rights and opportunities for participation.
• A video of the event has been published on the EESC website, YouTube and Facebook, and has been sent to the participating schools and other selected recipients.
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Email campaign to schools
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Greece
Germany
Spain
Poland
Romania
France
Ireland
Italy
Lithuania
Czech Republic
Belgium
Austria
Slovakia
Bulgaria
United Kingdom
Denmark
Portugal
Latvia
Croatia
Hungary
Estonia
The Netherlands
Divers
Sweden
Luxembourg
Finland
Cyprus
Slovenia
Malta
1477
1346
654
9951delivered
559
512
464
400
383
383
363
329
315
281
276
263
242
227
218
168
167
148
140
126
119
102
101
87
79
52
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Number of applications received
per country
18
Portugal
Greece
Romania
Croatia
Spain
Poland
Bulgaria
ItalyIreland
Finland
Slovakia
Czech Rep
Germany
Slovenia
UKCyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Estonia
Sweden
France
The Netherlands
AustriaHungary
Denmark
Malta
Belgium
Luxembourg
69
60
26
22
22
21
20
19
12
11
11
10
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
6
5
4
3
3
2
2
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Assessment by the participants
of the event
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4,74/5
3,9/5
4,59/5
3,86/5
On the whole, did you find your visit to Brussels rewarding?
Was it easy to find information about the event from our web site?
Were you happy with the welcome you received?
Was it easy to find information about the event from Facebook / Twitter?
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Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 991040 Bruxelles/Brussel
BELGIQUE/BELGIË
Published by: “Visits and Publications” UnitEESC-2015-39-EN
www.eesc.europa.eu
© European Union, 2015Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
ENREG.NO. BE - BXL - 27
Print:QE-02-15-442-EN-C
ISBN 978-92-830-2802-4doi:10.2864/286586
Online:QE-02-15-442-EN-N
ISBN 978-92-830-2801-7doi:10.2864/642800
European Economic and Social Committee
