Young European Federalists (JEF Europe)

The Schengen system, once a cornerstone of EU unity, faces major challenges from border checks, political misuse, and crises, threatening citizens’ rights. Yet progress continues, with EU court rulings, DiscoverEU, and new member accessions renewing hope. Defending Schengen remains essential.

In 2025, 51 years after the Turkish invasion, the Cyprus Youth Council continues advocating for youth rights, peace, and reconciliation, including Turkish Cypriot youth. It envisions a free, reunited Cyprus as a model of coexistence, while the European Youth Forum upholds its principles in addressing the Cyprus Problem.

There is no future without young people, participation, and activism. In times of crisis, we must listen to communities and minorities to build a continent and world where everyone can prosper and live in equal, peaceful societies.

In 2010 the Lifelong Learning Platform and the European Youth Forum set up a stakeholders’ coalition related to the adoption of a new EU programme in the field of education and youth for the period 2013-2020. In a joint coalition, youth and education sectors will have more chances to have an advocacy impact in the negotiations.

Repression in Serbia has intensified since the Novi Sad tragedy in Nov 2024. Over 1600 protests have erupted, with 325,000 marching on Mar 15, 2025. Young people demand accountability, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights. Read the motion to find out what we're calling for.

The EU faces a ‘lack-of-reform fatigue,’ not just ‘enlargement fatigue,’ limiting its capacity to grow. Delayed reforms and politically motivated vetoes have stalled accession talks, harming youth in candidate countries by excluding them from EU opportunities. Read the motion to find out what we are calling for.

As youth organisations, we highly appreciate the Erasmus+ programme. However, currently, many countries in Europe that share these principles do not fully benefit from the opportunities offered by Erasmus+.

We, the European Youth Forum and the undersigned political parties’ youth organisations, strongly condemn the recent attacks on civil society organisations (CSOs) receiving EU funding.

In March 2023, the Government of Georgia initiated work on a legislative proposal on “foreign agents” that would have forced civil society organisations to be registered as being under foreign influence should they be receiving funding from sources outside of the country. As Georgia initiated negotiations for EU membership merely 6 months ago, this underscores how fragile Democracy and the Rule of Law are in our societies and how civic spaces must be protected tirelessly every day, everywhere.