Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) is the annual youth event of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), held in Brussels since 2010.
Secondary school students aged 16–18, each with a teacher, and young adults aged 18–25 spend two days in English-language workshops and plenaries, drafting proposals the EESC passes to the EU institutions. The 2026 edition ran on 19–20 March; no call for 2027 had been posted when this was checked.
Benefits & funding
- Return economy flight or train/bus journey between the country of residence and Brussels, booked and paid by the EESC.
- Hotel in Brussels, sharing a room with a participant of the same gender.
- Not covered: travel to the departure airport or station, and transfers within Brussels.
- Participants need their own travel insurance; visas are their own responsibility.
Eligibility
- Residence in an EU Member State (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), a candidate country (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine) or the UK.
- School route: a recognised secondary or vocational school applies for one student aged 16–18 in their penultimate year plus an accompanying teacher; the school must not have attended an EU-level youth event in Brussels, Strasbourg or Luxembourg in the last two years.
- Individual route: aged 18–25 at the time of travel, with some involvement in a local, regional or national civil society organisation.
- Good spoken English for every participant; attendance is in person only.
- Individuals should ideally not have attended such an event in the last two years.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Residence required
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece
+ 25 more
Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Albania · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Georgia · Moldova · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Serbia · Türkiye · Ukraine · UK
Age requirement
16–25 yrs
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Application process
- 1Schools submit one online form for their student and teacher, with parental consent obtained first; individuals submit their own form.
- 2Answer the two motivation questions — on the school route, the student alone answers.
- 3Submit by the deadline (30 November 2025 for the 2026 edition).
- 4Selected applicants register online by the stated date (10 January 2026 last time), or a reserve takes the place.
- 5Selected schools host a visit from an EESC member before the event and share the experience afterwards.
Program timeline
30 November 2025
Application deadline (2026 edition)
Selection results
15 December 2025
Registration deadline
10 January 2026
Event in Brussels
19–20 March 2026