Le The Council of the European Union recently adopted the conclusions from the 11th EU Youth Dialogue Campaign, dedicated to the theme " Connecting the European Union with young people This step marks the culmination of several months of consultation and dialogue conducted across Europe with young people.
Nearly 40,000 young people participated in this campaign across the various Member States.This has led to recommendations concerning democratic participation, inclusion, access to European opportunities, and a sense of belonging to the European Union. These issues directly echo the work carried out in recent months by young people involved in the Erasmus+ project. CONNECT-R, gathered at the European Parliament to make their own case for rural areas.
The recommendations adopted by the Council reiterate the importance of to strengthen youth participation in democratic processes, to facilitate their access to European information and to create more spaces for dialogue between citizens and decision-makersThe objective is clear: to enable young people to better understand the European Union, but also to contribute more to the decisions that influence their future.
This ambition directly aligns with the findings of the Provox campaign. Consultations conducted in France highlighted a genuine attachment to Europe, coupled with a sense of distance from its institutions and unequal access to European opportunities across different regions.
This reality is also expressed by young rural Europeans.
As European youth ministers adopted these conclusions, more than 120 young rural Europeans were gathered at the European Parliament to develop their own A plea for the future of rural areasBased on their local realities, they developed a joint plea around nine priority recommendations concerning, in particular, mobility, mental health, inclusion, access to housing and the environment.
Beyond the topics discussed, the exchanges highlighted a recurring message: young people want to be more involved in decisions that affect them and have genuine opportunities to engage in dialogue with public officials. This expectation resonates with the current priorities of the Council of the European Union.
One of the key lessons learned from both the EU Youth Dialogue and CONNECT-R is that participation cannot be limited to a one-off consultation. Young people expect their proposals to be heard, acted upon, and integrated into public policies. They also want to be able to monitor the progress of their recommendations and to understand how their contributions inform decisions made at different levels. From this perspective, participatory approaches led by educational networks, youth associations, and local authorities play a crucial role in building bridges between local realities and European decision-making spaces.
The adoption of the conclusions of the 11th EU Youth Dialogue campaign is not an end point but a new step. While the work on the future European youth strategy post-2027 As these efforts continue, the experiences gained through projects such as CONNECT-R demonstrate that young people in rural areas have a vital role to play in European debates. Their ability to formulate concrete proposals, to debate collectively, and to engage in dialogue with decision-makers underscores a fundamental truth: building the Europe of tomorrow also requires listening to rural areas and their youth.
