the latest from the youth forum
What's new? Check out the latest news, statements and more from the Youth Forum.
Beyond a single capital: how Tromsø is building a community across Northern Norway
In Honningsvåg, Norway’s northernmost city, the local rock band Hekla Stålspiker takes the stage. A crowd of young people gathers, marking the start of European Youth Capital 2026 far from Tromsø itself. This is just one out of 14 opening ceremonies organised across Northern Norway.
More ambition for Europe’s future, but not as much for Erasmus+
Yesterday the European Parliament adopted a Resolution laying down its negotiating position on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the years 2028 to 2034, following the proposals by the European Commission from last year. Read our statement to find out why the Resolution offers more ambition for Europe’s future, but not as much for Erasmus+.
European Youth Capital 2029: we know the 5 finalist cities
2026 belongs to Tromsø, it's the year where Northern Norway puts youth participation and creativity in centre stage. The spotlight will then move south to Parma in 2027, before landing in Podgorica in 2028. But what about 2029? The shortlisted cities are in and the race is officially on.
New strategy to build a fairer future across generations
On March 4, 2026, the European Commission adopted its Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, and for the first time, named all of this as a single, structural problem. We have been fighting for this for years and the fact that the Commission is now naming all these issues is not a small thing.
Youth participation in towns and cities: The Council of Europe's updated Charter
Young people are, as the Council of Europe's updated Charter on youth participation puts it plainly, "the generation that will be most affected by today's decisions." They have a right to participate in those decisions. But rights on paper mean little without the conditions to exercise them. That is exactly what the newly revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life sets out to define.
The housing crisis is at boiling point but the European Parliament doesn’t seem to know
On 10 March, the European Parliament adopted its final report on tackling the housing crisis in the European Union. Young people are living through a housing disaster, and its impact goes far beyond the four walls of a home. If you read the final report, however, you might be excused for thinking that the housing crisis isn’t that much of a crisis at all.