AEGEE-Europe represented at the Youth Convention

AEGEE-Europe welcomes the results of the Youth Convention and sees its relevance for voicing the visions and ideas of young people. AEGEE hopes that the Youth Convention will be followed up and that youth’s involvement into the debate about the Future of Europe will be continued. However AEGEE-Europe questions the high politicisation of the Youth Convention and its legitimacy to represent the European youth.

AEGEE-Europe had the pleasure to be represented at the Youth Convention and sees the strong need of voicing the concerns of young people in the debate on the Future of Europe. It appreciates the support of this concept by the Convention Secretariat, European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Youth Forum.

AEGEE-Europe welcomes the final statement of the Youth Convention – a clear vision of a united, federalist and constitutional Europe. The working format of the Convention – voting by simple majority - enabled efficient and transparent work. Also the equal involvement of delegates from candidate countries reflects the open attitude of young people towards an enlarged of the European Union. However more time would have been needed for a fruitful discussion.

AEGEE, being a politically independent student association, questions the strong presence of political parties at the Convention, which often blocked the voice of young people without political background. We also question the representativeness of the delegates since most of them were appointed by respective members of the Convention and were politically attached to them. The working method of the Convention also raised doubts – especially during the elections of the Presidium and Working Group Rapporteurs of the Convention.

AEGEE-Europe hopes that the Youth Convention will be followed up and the Youth Convention members will disseminate the discussion further on, on their national and local levels. AEGEE supports the future involvement of youth in the Debate (a possible sequel to the Youth Convention) and further involvement of youth as well as civil society in the discussion.

Matina Magkou, Vice President of AEGEE Europe and member of the European Parliament delegation of the Youth Convention said: “We strongly support involvement of youth in the Debate on the Future of Europe. Initiatives like the Youth Convention should be repeated and the voice of youth needs to be heard – also of the politically independent youth. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t forget that if it wasn’t for the Youth Forum, representatives of International Youth Organisations like AEGEE would not be able to make their voice heard in the Debate on the Future of Europe.”

Currently AEGEE, in cooperation with ESN, ESIB and JADE, is coordinating the Debate on the Future of Europe amongst the European Students. The project includes 100 debates at European universities and a Student Convention in Brussels in December 2002.

For more information contact:
Megi Chudzik – megi.chudzik@aegee.org or call +32-2- 245.23.00
Information about AEGEE-Europe: http://www.aegee.org
Information about UniDebate contact: karolina.pomorska@aegee.org

AEGEE is a student organisation promoting the idea of a unified Europe. It’s main field of action cover peace and stability, higher education, active citizenship and cultural exchange. AEGEE is a non-governmental, politically independent and non-profit organisation open to students of all faculties. AEGEE was founded in 1985 in Paris as the "Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe", but has moved its seat to Brussels in 1992. Today, AEGEE has about 17,000 members in 261 cities and 43 countries in Europe.