European Youth Event

The European Youth Event (EYE) is an international event initiated and hosted bi-annually by the European Parliament since 2014 with the aim of stimulating active citizenship amongst young Europeans.[1]

EYE (European Youth Event)
EYE signature
EYE signature
StatusActive
GenreDebates, festivals, conferences, exhibitions
FrequencyBiennial
VenueEuropean Parliament
Location(s)Strasbourg
CountryFrance
Years active9
Inaugurated9 May 2014 (2014-05-09)
Most recent9–10 October 2021
Previous event9–11 May 2014, 20–21 May 2016, 1–2 June 2018, May 2020
Next event9–10 June 2023
ParticipantsYoung people
Attendance5000-10000
Organised byEuropean Parliament
Websiteeuropeanyouthevent.eu

The EYE brings together thousands of young people from all over the European Union and beyond at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and online in order to share and shape their ideas on Europe’s future.[2]

During the event, participants take part in activities co-created with institutions, international organisations, civil society, youth organisations and the participants themselves, offering a space for discussions and networking. The most recent edition took place on 9–10 October 2021, with several follow-up events taking place in the following months.[3]

EYE2023, the fifth in-person edition of the event, will take place on 9–10 June 2023.[4]

The EYE also provides year-round online activities that create opportunities for wider public discussions on the most pressing issues facing Europe today.[5]

Objective of the EYE

The EYE allows 16 to 30 year olds to exchange their views with experts, activists, influencers and decision-makers. [6]

EYE Report

Following the EYE the ideas of the young people attending are collected in the EYE Report and distributed to all Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

In order to collect and highlight the ideas and suggestions of the participants, a team of young journalists - coordinated by the European Youth Press and with a political commentary from the European Youth Forum - have written these reports in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

In 2021, the European Parliament collected over 1,500 ideas and proposals from young citizens on the website youthideas.eu. The most popular ideas from consultations with young people, chosen by the EYE editorial team, were taken to EYE2021 and further developed by participants during brainstorming sessions. From these, 20 ideas were selected and all EYE participants, both onsite and online, voted for the top 5 ideas which were presented at the EYE’s closing session. The report was presented to the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Members of the European Parliament to serve as inspiration for the political debate and future policy proposals.

EYE Hearings

After the event, some participants can further develop the most popular ideas and present these directly to MEPs during the EYE Hearings.

During the Hearings, MEPs give feedback to former EYE participants on which ideas they endorse, plan to implement in the future or disagree with.[7]

Yo!Fest

During the first three EYE editions, the Yo!Fest was organised by the European Youth Forum alongside the main event. The content of Yo!Fest was designed and delivered by youth organisations and youth groups from across Europe.[8]

Sustainability and accessibility

The EYE works to promote equality, inclusiveness and sustainability with a strong commitment to accessibility for everyone. The event aims to implement solutions that make it sustainable and environmentally friendly and to accommodate the needs of the participants. In 2021, the EYE obtained the ISO 20121 certification for sustainable event management.[9]

Editions

EYE2014: Ideas for a better Europe

The first edition, the European Youth Event 2014 (#EYE2014) saw the participation of 5,000 young Europeans, 400 speakers and many supporting partners and youth associations who came to the Parliament's premises in Strasbourg on 9–11 May 2014 to share their ideas and thoughts on a multitude of youth-related topics.[10][11]

The EYE2014's five main themes included youth unemployment, the digital revolution, sustainability, European values and the future of the European Union. [12]

EYE2016: Together we can make a change

The second edition (#EYE2016) took place on 20–21 May 2016 and was an occasion for Europe's youth to make their opinions heard on many issues, offering political debates and workshops with decision-makers.[13]

This edition saw 7,500 young people from across Europe debating topics ranging from space and innovation to climate change, migration and democracy.[14]

The EYE2016's five main themes were: War and Peace: Perspectives for a peaceful planet; Apathy or Participation: Agenda for a vibrant democracy; Exclusion or Access: Crackdown on youth unemployment; Stagnation or Innovation: Tomorrow's world of work and Collapse or Success: New ways for a sustainable Europe.[15]

EYE2018: The plan is to fan this spark into a flame

The third edition (#EYE2018) took place on 1–2 June 2018.[16]

At EYE2018, 8000 young Europeans engaged in various activities, revolving around the event’s five main themes: Young and old: Keeping up with the digital revolution; Rich and poor: Calling for a fair share; Apart and together: Working out for a stronger Europe; Safe and dangerous: Staying alive in turbulent times; Local and global: Protecting our planet.[17]

Young Europeans also had the opportunity to participate online by sharing their ideas about the future of Europe via the European Youth Ideas website.[18]

EYE2020: online edition

The European Parliament decided to postpone EYE2020, originally planned for May 2020, in view of the exceptional measures taken in relation with the COVID-19 outbreak. To compensate for the postponement, the European Parliament presented a special online edition of the event.

The first series of EYE Online events took place between early April and end of May 2020, and offered a variety of activities focusing on topics including mental health, future of education, food of tomorrow and rural renewal, fake news, slow shopping, future of work, mass surveillance and vaccination.

During this period more than 60 live activities were streamed online. Speakers included, Christine Lagarde, David Maria Sassoli and numerous Members of the European Parliament.[19]

Following the success of this virtual event, it was decided that EYE Online events would take place regularly.

EYE2021: The future is ours

The fourth edition (#EYE2021) took place on 8–9 October 2021 and brought together 5,000 young people at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and another 5,000 online in order to discuss over 2,000 ideas to shape the future of Europe.[20]

EYE2021 was the culmination of the European Parliament’s youth consultation process for the Conference on the Future of Europe. Started in May 2021, in collaboration with pan-European youth organisations, young people’s ideas on the future of Europe were collected on youthideas.eu.[21]

The most popular 20 ideas from EYE2021 were presented to the Members of the Conference and input into the political debate within the European Parliament.[22][23]

References
  1. "#WHAT IS EYE2023". EYE website. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  2. "#EYE2016: Parliament to open its doors to 7,500 young Europeans". EYE website. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  3. "Previous editions". EYE website. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  4. "What is EYE2023". EYE website. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  5. "EYE Online". EYE website. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  6. "What is EYE2023?". European Youth Event. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  7. "EYE hearings: empowering young people | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  8. "Our Themes - Yo!Fest @ the EYE 2018". European Youth Forum's Youtube channel. European Youth Forum. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  9. "Sustainability". Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  10. "Young people voice their opinions on Europe's future". Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  11. "eyIF: The leading foundation for Youth innovation in Europe". Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  12. "EYE2014: the full programme | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  13. "European Youth Event: "Together we can make a change"". Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  14. "#EYE2016: Parliament to open its doors to 7,500 young Europeans | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  15. "#EYE2016: Parliament to open its doors to 7,500 young Europeans | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. "Previous editions". European Youth Event. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  17. "European Youth Event | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  18. "EYE2018: Europe needs your ideas!". Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  19. "EYE Online - European Youth Event | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  20. "EYE2021 online: take part and shape the future". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  21. "Conference on the Future of Europe". European Youth Event. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  22. "European Youth Event 2021: proposals for the future of Europe". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  23. "Conference on the Future of Europe: second Plenary session concludes". www.youthideas.eu. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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