About the European Youth Conference (EUYC) in Lublin
The EU Youth Conference took place in Lublin from March 2 to 5, 2025. Organized under Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the event brought together 330 participants, including 127 youth delegates and 49 ministerial delegates from EU member states and candidate countries. It was a key meeting within the EU Youth Dialogue, aiming to discuss issues related to engaging youth in decision-making processes at the European level.
During the conference, participants focused on implementing the first EU Youth Goal: "Connecting the EU with Youth." Through numerous workshops, plenary sessions, and panel discussions, young people developed recommendations for increasing their involvement in the political and social life of the European Union. Topics included European values, European identity, and ways to promote active citizenship among young people.
EUYC agenda
The event's program encompassed both official working sessions and informal meetings that fostered participant integration. The conference commenced with a ceremonial plenary session at the Lublin Philharmonic, attended by representatives of the Polish government, the European Commission, and youth organizations. This session emphasized the importance of youth dialogue in shaping the future of the European Union and the role of young people in decision-making processes. In the following days, plenary sessions were dedicated to presenting the outcomes of thematic group work and summarizing conclusions drawn during the workshops. Participants had the opportunity to listen to experts, representatives of European institutions, and youth activists who shared their experiences and provided guidance on effectively influencing EU policy.
Workshop sessions played a crucial role in the conference, focusing on specific aspects of youth engagement in social and political life. The topics included youth safety in the European Union, challenges related to young people’s presence in the digital space, and ways to enhance their influence on decision-making at national and European levels. Participants also debated EU values and their significance in young citizens' daily lives, analyzed best practices concerning youth dialogue at local, regional, and national levels, and shared experiences from their countries. The workshop sessions facilitated the exchange of opinions and the development of concrete recommendations, presented later during the final session.
The European Youth Conference in Lublin was a highly important event that not only enabled young people to voice their opinions on matters concerning their future but also provided decision-makers with valuable insights on how to more effectively involve youth in public life at the European level.
Objectives and expected outcomes
The EU Youth Conference in Lublin was the first one in the 11th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue, focused on EU Youth Goal #1—Connecting the EU with Youth.
Objectives
- To find solutions to improve the youth dialogue process within the EU, ensuring that young people are meaningfully involved at all decision-making stages.
- To foster a sense of community among young Europeans by creating platforms for collaboration, dialogue, and shared experiences across different EU member states.
- To address the democratic deficit, transparency issues, and visibility concerns within EU institutions to rebuild young people's trust in the EU and its ability to represent their interests.
- To promote a deeper understanding of core EU values, such as democracy, solidarity, and human rights, and discuss how these principles can be more effectively communicated and integrated into youth engagement efforts.
- To explore how the EU can improve its transparency and visibility in engaging youth, ensuring that young people are informed and actively involved in shaping EU decisions that impact their future.
Additional objectives
The trio of Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus (PL-DK-CY) wants to ensure that their EUYCs and other presidency events are as sustainable, safe, inclusive, and accessible as possible.
Expected outcomes
- Conference report: a comprehensive, final conference report summarising the proceedings, debates, and outcomes, done by the European Researchers with an editing team. This report will assist countries in assessing and evaluating the implementation period of the 11th cycle of the EUYD.
- Recommendations: outcomes of the EUYD: concise (maximum 2 paragraphs long) summary of the recommendations of the delegates on the outcomes of the working groups that will be included in the conclusions of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on a community of young Europeans based on universal values for a common and secure Europe – the document which the Presidency aims to submit for approval at the Youth session of the Education, Youth, Culture, and Sport Council on 12 May, 2025.
During the EUYC the representatives of the European Commission led 2 consultative workshops referring to the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity programmes and the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027.
Meeting of Directors-General for Youth, 4-6 March, Lublin
From March 4 to 6, 2025, the Meeting of Directors-General for Youth took place in Lublin as part of Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event gathered 69 participants, with sessions held at the Lublin Conference Centre.
The meeting aimed to discuss key issues related to the development of youth policy in the European Union. Topics included incorporating the youth perspective into all policy areas at local, regional, national, and EU levels. Discussions also covered the future of EU youth programs such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, as well as the EU Youth Strategy post-2027. Additionally, potential new European Commission initiatives in the youth field were analyzed, aiming to increase young people's engagement in decision-making processes and strengthen their role in shaping public policies.
Since 1993, the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) has managed programmes, projects and initiatives aimed at broadening basic and specialist knowledge and acquisition of new skills and competencies in formal, non-formal and informal education settings. FRSE is the only institution in Poland that possesses such a broad experience in managing education programmes, especially EU programmes: Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps. The range of other programmes and initiatives that the Foundation manages includes: eTwinning, Eurodesk, Europass, Euroguidance, Eurydice, EPALE. 
