Young people are shaping the EU’s priorities through high-level dialogue with Commissioners, offering ideas on climate, security and digital transformation.
The first 100 days of the new College of Commissioners is traditionally a time for setting objectives and outlining strategic priorities within the European Commission (EC). During the initial 100 days of President Ursula von der Leyen’s second mandate, the focus shifted from previous priorities to place greater emphasis on defence, security and competitiveness, but this period also saw the youth perspective being brought to the forefront of the policy agenda at the highest level of EU decision-making. In her Political Guidelines for 2024-2029, Ursula von der Leyen asked each Commissioner to organise and host Youth Policy Dialogues within the first 100 days, engaging young people from across the EU in political discussions. These dialogues are planned to be held on an annual basis in the future, giving young citizens the opportunity to directly interact with EU Commissioners. About 400 young people between 16 and 30 years old were able to participate in discussions taking place in 12 different Member States, strengthening democratic ties between the EU and its future generation. The EC published a report summarising the outcomes of these dialogues, highlighting the main points of concern, but also of hope, raised by young people.
Five main topics emerged at the heart of the discussions. The first was defence and security. Young people voiced concerns about the European Union’s (EU) capability and readiness to address both external threats, such as geopolitical instability, but also internal threats, including the rise of extremism and drug-related crime. They also called on the EU to take measures to prevent hate speech and divisions, and to address migration by upholding human rights along migratory routes, enhancing solidarity among Member States, and improving integration strategies. A second key theme was the desire for a competitive and sustainable Union, based on sustainable economic policies. Participants expressed deep concerns over climate change and socioeconomic challenges facing future generations. While acknowledging the importance of competitiveness, participants called for increased funding for sustainability-focused research and innovation. Overall, participants showed a strong awareness of environmental issues, with calls to hold polluting sectors accountable and to promote more sustainable transportation. Democratic engagement and digital skills were also central to the discussion. Young people want their democratic involvement to be better supported and more measurable. They also urged the EU to tackle the challenges related to the digital sphere, especially in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), while also recognising the potential of digital tools to support positive change, for example the use of AI in monitoring and protecting oceans by better predicting variations.
Economic and social challenges were a major concern for young people. They highlighted the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing as pressing issues. Concerns also extended to working conditions, with a call to adapt the labour environment to make Europe more attractive to both internal and external talent. They highlighted the importance of creating an environment enabling skills transferability and careers to be adaptable, objectives aligned with the goals of the Union of Skills initiative (see SwissCore article). The EU’s international role, particularly in supporting human rights and democracy worldwide, was also reflected upon. The Global Gateway strategy and the importance of climate diplomacy were all tools that were mentioned with which the EU has a role to play in shaping norms and asserting leadership on the world stage.
Young people did not only raise concerns but also proposed concrete recommendations and solutions to their concerns. Among the many suggestions were the creation of a user-friendly, digital pan-European finance app to give young people better access to integrated financial and savings tools, the establishment of a Global Gateway Youth Ambassadors Programme to empower young leaders around the world, and the integration of ecological and climate resilience into vocational training curricula to better prepare future workers for sustainability challenges.
All these reflections and insights are helping the Commission to adapt policies for the future of the younger generation. The outcomes of the dialogues will be considered for concrete policy actions such as the Cultural Compass, the European Democracy Shield and the Vision for Agriculture and Food, among others. Several Commissioners are also planning to hold other dialogues throughout 2025. The month of June also featured the European Youth Event (EYE) which brought together thousands of participants from across the EU together in Strasbourg to share ideas, debate and engage with policymakers, further informing the shape of the future European policy landscape.
The detailed reports from each Directorate-General are available on the European Youth Portal and the dialogue continues on the Citizens’ Engagement Platform.