Get Involved is proud to announce its participation in the 588th Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. Represented by the co-founders of the organisation, Vasilis Angelopoulos and Anthony Efstathiadis, we participated in important discussions focusing on the crucial role of youth in shaping EU policies. Get Involved is the only youth organisation from Greece, out of 7 in total at European level, that represented the youth in the context of the plenary work.
This invitation came after Get Involved’s participation in the European Youth Test pilot project. The European Youth Test, designed by the EESC to strengthen youth participation in consultative policy-making, making it the first EU institution to commit to this practice. Our previous contributions:
– 16 February: roundtable discussion with civil society representatives on ‘Reform and investment proposals and their implementation in Member States, what is the opinion of organised civil society?
– 17 April: EESC online debate on ‘The involvement of youth in the work of the ECO section – Recent experience and way forward‘.
As the home of EU civil society, the EESC not only opens its doors to the youth, but also gives them an important voice in decision-making.
“We are delighted to represent Get Involved at the 588th Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee”, said Antonis Efstathiadis. “Our aim was to discuss structured youth participation and representation in EU policies and to present our experiences from participating in the EU Youth Test”. Vasilis Angelopoulos added: “It was a great honour and a real privilege to participate in this dialogue. The plenary session highlighted the importance of youth not only as listeners, but also as active members contributing with their ideas and proposals for the present and the future.”
Get Involved, would like to thank the EESC as the Youth Test is the first project by a European institution to include the youth and how it allowed the voices of young people from all over Europe to be heard.