Representatives from the Connecting Youth platform’s partners joined a study visit to Brussels, facilitated and supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation Brussels Office.

The visit was in line with CY strategic objectives for 2022-2024 on strengthening young people’s democratic participation in sectoral policies, enhancing youth connectivity in the region, and advancing the capacities of youth organizations to uphold and represent their position. It aimed at advocating for qualitative youth participation and representation mechanisms in the entire policy cycle and in all policy areas in the WB6. Such an approach guarantees impact on the ground and more focus on human capital and social infrastructure development EU - led initiatives.

A series of important meetings were held with representatives of the European institutions, including the Directorates-General (DGs) of the European Commission for European Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, DG for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion as well as DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Parliament, European External Action Service (EEAS), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and European Youth Forum (EYF).

Alongside the formal meetings, CY partners met with HSS Chairman and EP member, Markus Ferber and discussed how youngsters in the region feel about the Enlargement perspective. To strengthen the inclusivity of EU policies toward the WB6 region, the delegation met with EU Youth Coordinator, Mrs. Biljana Sirakova. They discussed how the youth sector in the region strives to increase dialogue with institutions and how cooperation with line DGs of the Commission can boost youth organizations to build skills and competencies.

This advocacy visit has contributed to strengthening CY advocacy work, but also enhancing knowledge about EU-led policy processes.