28 February 2002

The Convention on the Future of Europe will be facing the specific challenge of
bringing Europe closer to its young citizens, as set out in the Laeken Declaration.
However, the average age of the sixty-six full members of the Convention being 54 – and the youngest being already 37 – the Convention members may have a lot of experience but they might be out of touch with the issues that concern younger Europeans.
The European Youth Forum welcomes the Convention and its stated commitment to involve civil society in its work and will be closely following the debates. In order to bring a youth perspective to the debate on Europe’s future, a group of Youth Forum Member Organisations, including the youth organisations of the main European parties, has set up a Contact Group and hopes to establish a close working relationship with the Convention.
The European Youth Forum urges the Convention to seize this opportunity to
involve young people in its work and asks that an article on youth policy be included in the reformed EU Treaties, as a sign of the EU’s commitment to the needs of its young citizens.
In the words of Henrik Söderman, President of the European Youth Forum: ‘The
Convention will allow for a greater involvement of civil society. However, we regret that no one under 35 will be participating. We sincerely hope that the Convention will take into account its mandate to bring Europe closer to its young citizens by involving them in its work.”