The debate about the future of Europe continues. The process has also brought youth organisations together to work for a better future. In addition to traditional political organisations, also non-political organisations around Europe have actively discussed about and started to promote a stronger youth dimension in the future union. So far, the process has been revolutionary. Many different organisations have come together to work for the common goals in a way that I have never seen before in the world of youth politics.
There is a need for a youth article in the next constitutional treaty. It would continue the recognition of the youth policy, that the union already started with the White Paper for youth policy. The recognition would also recognise the work of European wide youth organisations. In addition, it would further put a special priority on the development of an active European youth citizenship.

Despite of active common lobbying, the youth article is far from reality yet. Hard work is still required to convince the members in the convention of the need of a specific youth article. For me personally it has been even more interesting to participate in different discussions with young people about the future of the EU.
The Laeken declaration states that the discussion has to reach as many citizens and especially young citizens in Europe as possible. However, still the union does little to achieve this goal. The discussion continues and reaches more and more young people, but mostly because of the active youth organisations, which have devoted themselves for the issue. The views about the future of the EU, which come from the young people, have been much more visionary than any of what I have ever heard from any adult politician.
The Laeken declaration has in many ways achieved it goals in bringing young people together to discuss and many good events have been held around Europe. However, there is no tool to bring the views forward, especially when the work of the convention is so intensive. There is a risk that the ideas will not have any impact, as there is no official channel to put them forward.
Last summer the convention arranged a youth convention in Brussels in order to get the opinion of "young people in Europe" and in this way to wipe the whole idea presented in the Laeken declaration under the carpet. However, the event showed that there is a youth opinion and it was decided that there is a need for a second youth convention before the convention ends its work.
The second convention is desperately needed as a tool to get the ideas from the different youth events forward to the convention. The youth organisations are committed to work for a strong youth participation in the debate. The remaining question is whether the "adult" convention is ready to listen to the results. This could be achieved by arranging the second youth convention and there is not much time left to do that.

By: Simon-Erik Ollus Bureau member of the European Youth Forum Jeunesse (YFJ)