EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
“The European Youth Parliament has been a forum for discussion and reflection for European youth on European policies for more than 20 years. In this way they contribute to building tomorrow’s Europe. I wish them all continued success.” Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council
The European Youth Parliament - Schwarzkopf Foundation Sophienstrasse 28-29 – 10178 Berlin – Germany
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
CONTENTS GENERAL
YEAR 2012
NATIONAL ACTIVITIES
3 Contents 4 Greetings from the Chairman 5 Aims and Objectives 6 Executive Director’s Greetings 41 Who is EYP? 42 Our Partners 43 People and Bodies
7 My EYP Year 2012 8 210 Times EYP 10 Facts and Figures 13 International Sessions 21 Other International Activities 22 European Youth Polls 23 Trainings 24 Outreach Activities 24 Inclusive EYP 25 EYP in the Media
27 National Committees 38 EYP Initiatives
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
“None of the success of the EYP could be achieved without the hundreds of young volunteers working actively for the European Youth Parliament in 41 countries.” André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf
25 YEARS OF EYP! ANDRÉ SCHMITZ-SCHWARZKOPF CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHWARZKOPF FOUNDATION TAKES A LOOK AT THE EYP YEAR 2012
Since 1987, for more than 25 years, the European Youth Parliament has engaged young Europeans in dialogue, discussion and debate. After another very successful year in 2012, we can say that the EYP is now the largest programme for non-formal political education of the youth on our continent. This is an outstanding achievement! Last year the EYP celebrated its 25th Anniversary by once again reaching a record number of young people in a record number of countries. We even grew by one more member when EYP Armenia was recognised late in 2012. One of the most important aims of the work of the European Youth Parliament and the Schwarzkopf Foundation is to offer young people from all parts of Europe a possibility to learn and experience what it means to be European. I’m very proud of the fact that we are not only present in almost all EU countries, but also very active in Ukraine, Turkey, Norway, Georgia, Switzerland and many other countries. EYP is for all European youth – it is the perfect project for the borderless Europe we can enjoy today. It is a great European success that EYP exists and young Europeans from all corners of the continent can come together to peacefully debate
their visions for the future. When the Schwarzkopf Foundation was established more than 40 years ago, Europe was still divided. It still seems like a miracle how much Europe has changed in these years. I believe it is important to always keep in mind that Europe is not a mere technicality – Europe lives from its common history, its culture and tradition and our shared values. Of course, we also know Europe is not always easy to comprehend. But this is what makes it exciting to discover. I’m very happy to know that EYP can play such a big part in this discovery for tens of thousands of young people every year. None of the success of the EYP could be achieved without the hundreds of young volunteers working actively for the European Youth Parliament in 41 countries. I am proud of the fact that the EYP is a project organised by young people for young people and is based on their own initiative. It is with great pleasure that I can conclude that we will continue our efforts to bring the idea of Europe to the hearts and minds of the young and thank all our partners for their encouragement and financial support in the past year to meet these aims.
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THE AIMS OF EYP Raising awareness of European issues
Contributing to personal development
Fostering intercultural dialogue
One of the overall aims of the European Youth Parliament is to raise awareness of European issues and to motivate young people to become active citizens engaged in European politics. The EYP enables students to experience directly the different perspectives of young people in Europe and allows them to explore the European and global dimension of several contemporary political issues.
By offering a challenging international learning experience, the EYP contributes essentially to its participants personal development. Thanks to its activities the EYP allows the young participants to acquire long-term competences, such as communication and participation skills, teamwork, multitasking, foreign languages and being at ease in a multicultural environment.
The EYP promotes international understanding and the diversity of ideas and cultural expression. The participants experience true intercultural dialogue and learn to appreciate diversity rather than being afraid of it.
Promoting active European citizenship The EYP involves young people in a democratic decision making process with all its challenges and rewarding experiences. Young people acquire knowledge on a topic, clarify their own opinions, discuss with their peers and finally debate and reach an agreement. This process contributes to the development of an active democratic citizenship.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
BETTER THAN EVER BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VILLE VASARAMÄKI
The European Youth Parliament turned 25 years in 2012. Where are we today as an organisation and where are we going? The EYP is the largest European programme for non-formal political education of young people, but in many ways we are still a young organisation. In fact, we are only now starting to expand EYP activities beyond our traditional formats and to define longer term strategic aims for the network as a whole. Last year, the governing institutions of the EYP decided on three main aims for our long-term strategy. We want EYP to be more inclusive: an organisation accessible to all young Europeans regardless of background. We want to maintain and further develop EYP’s academic quality in all our activities – being a volunteer-based organisation does not mean we should be unprofessional. And we want to see EYP develop further, to strengthen our organisational structure, develop new formats and to realise the full potential that our network has. I am very proud of the development of the EYP over the past years: more than 20 000 participants, more than 120 sessions per year, presence in
more than 40 European countries, and we are still growing. As before, I find it important to draw attention to both types of development in EYP: to the quantitative growth in terms of our activities, as well as to the qualitative development of our formats, methods and capacities as an organisation. EYP is developing more rapidly than ever before. EYP lives and grows because of its alumni. Without our volunteers, EYP would be nothing. It is extremely important to recognise the crucial role of our young volunteers and thus I wish to thank all who are today active in EYP and pushing our organisation forward. Besides our volunteers, we of course rely on our partners and supporters to be able to offer the EYP experience again and again to new young people. I am grateful to all our supporters for believing in the mission and the work of the European Youth Parliament. With these words, I look back to a very successful EYP year in 2012 and look ahead to even a more successful one in 2013!
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“When really considering how far EYP has come, we realise what a colossal organisation we are nowadays and how many people are involved and inspired.” Sophie Debrunner Hall, Switzerland
MY EYP YEAR 2012 “My third year in EYP has probably been the most remarkable with some great individual session experiences for me. But what really shaped the year were the larger changes and developments in the organisation. This year I travelled to Finland, returned to the Netherlands twice, saw Istanbul in the Spring and was warmly welcomed by the new Committee in Kosovo. Working with such a new and enthusiastic branch of the organisation was particularly special. Also, I have rarely felt more serious about what we do in EYP than when we were addressed by the President of the Parliament in Pristina and he spoke about the value of European History. Another highlight was visiting Fontainebleau for the 25th Anniversary celebration which went hand in hand with the most productive and successful meeting of National Committees I have ever attended. With new proposals and discussions about future strategy and governance of the organisation, the Board of National Commitees showed an awareness that with growth must come change and a willingness to look for new ways of running the organisation.”
Sophie Debrunner Hall
(Switzerland)
At the end of spring 2012, my friend - right now my second hand in EYP Lithuania Paulius Dovidavicius - introduced me to the EYP. Since then we promised ourselves to rehabilitate this organisation in Lithuania. We made a plan full of huge ambitious. We want this organisation to be strong in Lithuania and step by step we are achieving this goal. My experience in EYP is not so spectacular and I did not have yet participate in many EYP events. However I was not afraid to become the president of EYP Lithuania. I knew where to go further and the team was happy to move with me. First of all, we organised an election of the Board of EYP Lithuania. Secondly, we established a legal association. And thirdly, with the help of EYP Belarus we managed to have our first EYP Vilnius Regional Session. My first real EYP experience was thus to be one of the head organisers in Vilnius Regional Session. My determination led me to the EYP!”
Matas Pajarskas (Lithuania)
Chelles, France EYP Day Chelles of EYP France Utrecht, The Netherlands Preliminary Round of EYP the Netherlands Santo Tirso, Portugal 3rd Interscholastic Session Tampere, Finland 18th National Session, EYP Finland Valencia, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Lund, Gothenburg and Stockholm, Sweden Regional Sessions of EYP Sweden Zaragoza, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Huesca, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Matosinhos, Portugal 1st Senior School Session of EYP Portugal Vannes, France 3rd Inter-Schools session of EYP France
1st National Selection Conference Chisinau, Republic of Moldova 1st Local Session of EYP Moldova Amsterdam, The Netherlands 12th Dutch National Selection Conference Granada, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Brussels, Belgium Europolis I of EYP Belgium Pisa, Italy 4th Training Weekend of EYP Italy Sumy, Ukraine 1st EYP-UA Weekend in Sumy Jambville, France Journalist and Editors Training Traustein, Germany Regional Session of EYP Germany Tarragona, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Copenhagen, Denmark
Wroclaw, Poland 19th Regional Session of EYP Poland Brussels, Belgium 18th Belgian Selection Conference Volterra, Italy 28th Italian Selection Conference Hamburg, Germany Regional Session of EYP Germany North East, United Kingdom North East Regional Selection of EYP UK Paris, France 10th Training Week-End of EYP France Seville, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Malaga, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain West Scot, United Kingdom West Scot Regional Forum of EYP UK
TALLINN, ESTON 70th International Session 27 July - 5 August 2012
210 TIMES EYP IN 2012 THE ENTIRE EYP NETWORK ORGANISED MORE THAN 210 EVENTS IN 41 COUNTRIES
European Parliament Simulation @ CBS Subotica, Serbia 7th Preliminary Session of EYP Serbia
Brussels, Belgium Europolis II of EYP Belgium Cesis, Latvia
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Graz, Austria EYP Day Graz of EYP Austria Saint-Nazaire, France EYP Day Saint-Nazaire of EYP France Madrid, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Prague, Czech Republic Preliminary Session of EYP Czech Republic Bakuriani, Georgia 2nd Training on Session Management Vilnius, Lithuania 3rd Vilnius Regional Session , EYP Belarus Villach, Austria EYP School Day of EYP Austria Lens, France
71st International Session 2 - 11 November 2012 Yorkshire, United Kingdom Yorkshire Regional Forum of EYP UK
NANTES, FRANCE 33rd French Selection Conference 7 - 9 December 2012 Vinnytsya, Ukraine Ukrainian Selection Conference Otterloo, The Netherlands 5th Alumni Weekend of EYP NL
LAMEGO, PORTUGAL 26th Portuguese Selection Conference 25 - 29 April 2012 2nd RSn of Nord-Pas-de-Calais Aix-en-Provence, France 6th Regional Session of EYP-Paca Dublin, Ireland Leinster Regional Conference, EYP Ireland Stockholm, Sweden 8th Swedish Selection Conference Girona, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Durham, United Kingdom North East Regional Selection of EYP UK North West, United Kingdom North West Regional Selection of EYP UK Prishtina, Kosovo
11th Regional Session of EYP Latvia East Cost, United Kingdom East Cost Regional Forum of EYP UK Grenoble, France
Dublin, Ireland Irish NationalSelection Conference South Wales, United Kingdom South Wales Regional Forum of EYP UK Barcelona, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Sant Cugat, Spain Regional Session of EYP Spain Midlands, United Kingdom Midlands Regional Forum of EYP UK South East, United Kingdom South East Regional Forum of EYP UK Meaux, France EYP Day Meaux of EYP France
6th Regional Session of EYP-Rhône-Alpes / France Vienna, Austria Chairs’ Training of EYP Austria Paris, France EYP Day Paris of EYP France Thames Valley, United Kingdom Thames Valley Regional Forum of EYP UK East Anglia, United Kingdom East Anglia Regional Forum of EYP UK Carlsbad, Czech Republic 14th National Selection Conference of EYP Czech Republic Batumi, Georgia City Session of EYP Georgia Istanbul, Turkey 69th International Session of the EYP Cherkazy, Ukraine 2nd EYP-UA Weekend in Cherkasy South West, United Kingdom South West Regional Forum of EYP UK Clichy-sous-Bois, France EYP Day Clichy-sous-Bois of EYP France Oglinzi, Romania Regional Selection Session
Sèvres, France 32nd French Selection Conference Kyiv, Ukraine Regional Session of EYP Ukraine Belfast, United Kingdom Northern Ireland Regional Nicosia, Cyprus EYP Cyprus Preselection Days 2012 Belgrade, Serbia 8th Preliminary Session of EYP Serbia Athens, Greece 25th Greek Selection Conference Eaubonne, France EYP Day Eaubonne of EYP France Saint-Germain en Laye, France
Mangualde, Portugal 1st School Session of MaNgualde’s School Prishtina, Kosovo 1st International Forum of EYP Kosova Santo Tirso, Portugal 1st School Session of Intituto Nun’Alvres London, United Kingdom EurVoice Outreach Event of EYP UK Paris, France EYP Day Paris of EYP France Novi Sad, Serbia Danube Youth Forum
Berlin, Germany European Youth Polls Training Dijon, France EYP Day Dijon of EYP France Stockholm, Sweden Head Organiser Training of EYP Sweden Chazelles-sur-Lyon, France EYP Day Chazelles-sur-Lyon La-Roche-sur-Yon, France EYP Day La-Roche-sur-Yon Bialystok, Poland 27th Day of EYP Poland Villard-de-Lans, France EYP Day Villard-de-Lans of EYP France Berlin, Germany 22nd German National Session Velden am Wörthersee, Austria Alumni Weekend of EYP Austria Charbonnières les Bains, France EYP Day Charbonnières les Bains Lyon, France EYP Day Lyon of EYP France Colombes, France EYP Day Colombes of EYP France Bazaleti / Tbilisi, Georgia 6th National Selection Conference of EYP Georgia Simferopol, Ukraine 4th EYP-UA Weekend in Simferopol Novi Sad, Serbia 10th Preliminary Session of EYP Serbia
TAMPERE, FINLAND
18th Finnish Selection Conference 13 - 16 January 2012
NIA EYP Day Saint-Germain en Laye Piacenza, Italy 29th ITalian National Selection Conference Dijon, France 1st Regional Session of EYP-Bourgogne
BERLIN, GERMANY Baltic Sea Youth Forum 22 - 25 April 2012 Leipzig, Germany International Spring Training Matosinhos, Portugal 6th EYP at School Session Kyiv, Ukraine 1st General Assembly of EYP Ukraine Berlin, Germany Baltic Sea Youth Session of EYP Sitges, Spain 7th Spanish Selection Conference Lamego, Portugal
ISTANBUL TURKEY 69th International Session 23 March - 1 April 2012 26th Portuguese Selection Conference Edinburgh, United Kingdom EurVoice Outreach Event of EYP UK Tirana, Albania 5th Albanian Selection Conference Istanbul, Turkey 11th Turkish Selection Conference Ternopil, Ukraine 3rd EYP-UA Weekend in Ternopil Vienna, Austria 13th Austrian Selection Conference Tbilisi, Georgia Regional Session of EYP Georgia Belgrade, Serbia 9th Preliminary Session of EYP Serbia
Kerpen, Germany EYP School Forum of EYP Germany Stolberg, Germany EYP School Forum of EYP Germany Nürnberg, Germany EYP School Forum of EYP Germany Berlin, Germany EYP School Forum of EYP Germany Sillé le Guillaume, France EYP Day Sillé-le-Guillaume of EYP France Yssingeaux, France
VINNYTSYA, UKRAINE Ukranian Selection Conference 2 - 5 March 2012 EYP Day Yssingeaux of EYP France Berlin, Germany BNC Spring Meeting Vannes, France EYP Day Vannes of EYP France Villefranches-sur-Saone, France
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova 2nd Local Session of EYP Moldova Turku, Finland Journalists’ Training of EYP Finland Riga, Latvia 10th Latvian Selection Conference
TBILISI, GEORGIA 6th Georgian Selection Conference 13 January - 16 January 2012
EYP Day Villefranches-sur-Saone Le Puy en Velay, France EYP Day Le Puy-en-Velay of EYP France Istanbul, Turkey 7th International Youth Forum, EYP Turkey
Liverpool, United Kingdom Summer National Selection Conference of EYP UK Menden, Germany International Summer Forum of EYP
LIMASSOL, CYPRUS National Selection Conference of EYP Cyprus 30 August - 2 September 2012 Strasbourg, France EYP Day Strasbourg of EYP France Cardiff, United Kingdom EurVoice Outreach Event of EYP UK Kutaisi, Georgia Kutaisi 2nd Regional Session
Cracow, Poland 1st International Youth Forum, EYP Poland Yablunytsya, Ukraine 3rd Training of EYP Trainers ... and many many more!
FACTS AND FIGURES WHAT DID EYP ACHIEVE IN 2012? A LOOK AT INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES
2012
210
In , the whole network organised more than events organised using the methods and format of the European Youth Parliament. These events were organised in Approximately
1700
41
European countries.
volunteers were involved in EYP and our work
reached and involved more than
1800
schools all over Europe.
20 000
young people experienced democratic decision-making processes within the framework of our events and activities as more
than
1300
resolutions were taken forward by young Europeans.
1200
Around hours of parliamentary discussions, eloquent speeches and heated debates we organised during one year. All our activities were under the patronage of the Secretary General of the
Council of Europe
120
and over European and national parlamentarians attended our events and supported our work.
We listened to inspiring speeches by notable speakers such as
Connie Hedegaard Siim Kallas
, European Commis-
sioner for Climate Action as well as President of the European Commission.
Vice
4
In total, European Youth Polls were organised in 2012 around topics as diverse as Internet Policy, the Way ouf of the Financial Crisis, Gay Rights and the Future of Europe, with a total number of pondants.
15 863
res-
25
In 2012, EYP turned years - a fact that highlights our long experience in organising events that are dedicated to political education, empowering the youth and offering intercultural encounters. All in all, at the end of 2012 the European Youth Parliament is proud
the largest European organisation
to be
tion of young people.
focused on non-formal political educa-
“I have noted with interest the work of the European Youth Parliament to promote dialogue and sharpen democratic awareness among young Europeans.“ José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
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EYP SESSIONS by Committee Work. Here the young delegates discuss current European OF THE EYP ARE ORGANISED issues within the committees. In the course of their work, they also interTHREE TIMES EVERY YEAR view experts on the topics who can be political decision-makers, policy Three times a year, the European experts or scientists. The product of Youth Parliament invites 250 young- their intensive work is a motion for a sters from the 36 member commit- resolution. Finally, the resolutions tees of the EYP to a different Europe- are debated in the General Assembly an city for 10 days where a simulation in English and French, following parof the European Parliament is held liamentary procedure. - the International Session. The participants have gone through national Cultural Programme competitions which qualify them to take part in the event. The Interna- The International Session is accomtional Sessions are organised by a panied by a very rich cultural proteam of volunteers in the host coun- gramme which includes the prestry which often spends more than a entation of specialities from the year preparing the event. participating countries and a “Euroconcert�. Hence, the International THE INTERNATIONAL SESSIONS
Programme
The programme of each International Session is unique but there are some substantial common elements. Upon arrival, the participants, all aged between 16 and 20, are split into 15 international committees and spend two days of teambuilding to create a real team. The different indoor and outdoor activities allow them to create the spirit and atmosphere for fair and objective political discussion in the upcoming days. The Teambuilding is followed
Sessions seek to provide a space for the expression of creativity and culture. The participants are able to experience what they have in common and what unites them despite differences. They learn to appreciate, rather than be apprehensive of diversity.
Sessions in 2012 The International Sessions that took place in 2012 are described in detail on the following pages. The first was held in Istanbul in March and followed by our Summer Session organised this year in Tallinn in Estonia. In autumn we organised the third International Session of the year in the capital of the Netherlands, in Amsterdam.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
”The aim has been reached cultural diversity was at its best! Delegate, 18, Latvia
ISTANBUL 2012 THE 69TH INTERNATIONAL SESSION WAS ORGANISED IN ISTANBUL TURKEY, FROM MARCH 23 TO APRIL 1, 2012.
Bridging the Cultural Divides of Europe
bul Special Provincial Administration EU Foreign Affairs Committee. Furthermore we were happy to welcome Petra Pisulla, Director of the Dräger Gathering 277 young people from Foundation and Christel Kaufmann31 European countries, the InternaHocker, Board Member of the Mertional Session aimed at encouraging cator Foundation to visit the Session. young Europeans to actively participate in shaping Europe’s future. The young delegates were encouraged to discuss delicate topics that were on the European agenda at the very mo- Delegates’ perception: ment, reaching from the Arab spring over the legal equality of same-sex marriages to the accession process of Turkey to the European Union. The participants were challenged with diverse views and opinions on Europe and tried to analyse what the new and remaining challenges demand from it.
General Assembly General Assembly (GA) was held on March 30th and 31st at the Istanbul Special Provincial Administration. At the opening of the General Assembly the participants were greeted by several distinguished guests. These included Alexandra Thein, German Member of the European Parliament, Heinrich Haasis, President of the Sparkasse Finance Group and Dr. Hande Bozatli, President of the Istan-
“My participation in this session made me aware of the diversity of cultures, thoughts, opinions and orientations in Europe.”
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“BRIDGING THE GAP” Cultural Programme
The Media
tanbul Ögrenci Kulüpleri Platformu, NTV, Turkish Airlines, Feyziye The 69th International Session in The media paid remarkable attention Mektepleri Vakfi, Isik Üniversitesi, Istanbul was enriched by a special to the event. Many national, regional Bilgi Üniversitesi, Coca Cola Comcultural programme. The general and local newspapers in Turkey cov- pany, ETI, Çinar Tur, and Pelit aim of the diverse activities was to ered the event in either print or ongive the students the possibility to line. Also, TV channels NTV Türkiye The session was also supported by become creative and to share cul- and CNN Türk reported on the In- Deutsche Telekom AG, the Deutscher tural traditions of each of the partici- ternational Session of the European Sparkassen- und Giroverband, Europants and, in particular, of the host Youth Parliament. The press review pean Savings Banks Group, Sapinda, GfK Group, Stiftung Mercator, Dräger country. On March 24th EuroVillage can be found at www.eyp.org. Foundation and Hertie Foundation.. took place where traditional food and drinks of each participating country The Session Partners were presented in a market-place atmosphere at the Doga Holiday Re- The session partners were sort. This event was hailed enthusi- T.C. Basbakanlik Tanitma Fonu, astically and helped the participants Lifelong Learning Programme, Veto get to know each other better and hbi Koç Vakfi, Istanbul Ticaret Odafind out about other countries’ cui- si, Istanbul Büyüksehir Belediyesi, sine and customs. Tuesday evening, Bahçesehir Üniversitesi, VKV Koç March 27th, was reserved for Com- School, Istanbul Il Özel Idaresi, Tekmittee Dinners. After the prepara- fen Holding, Istanbul BüyükSehir tion for the General Assembly on Belediyesi Gençlik Meclisi, Is Thursday evening, the Euroconcert, held at assembly hall of the VKV Koç School, gave skilled participants of the session the opportunity to present varied and enjoyable music and artistic performances.
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TALLINN 2012 THE 70TH INTERNATIONAL SESSION WAS ORGANISED IN TALLINN ESTONIA, FROM JULY 27 TO AUGUST 5, 2012
Breaking Waves - Young Europeans on the Waterfront
Delegates’ perception:
Gathering 252 young people from 35 European countries, the International Session aimed at encouraging young Europeans to actively participate in shaping the future of Europe. Under the motto ‘Breaking WavesYoung Europeans on the Waterfront’, referring to the session’s focus on the environmental and climate crises that are currently shaping the future of Europe, the young delegates were encourages to debate current European issues, ranging from energy security to the mitigation of water stress as a catalyst for armed conflicts.
General Assembly General Assembly (GA) took place on August 3rd and 4th at the Meriton Conference and SPA Hotel in Tallinn. Following some of the procedures of the European Parliament, each committee proposed their resolution to the Assembly during the two days. Attack and defence speeches were followed by lively and intense open debates and ultimately, voting.
“My participation in this session helped me to improve my ability to work in an international team”.
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“BREAKING WAVES” Cultural Programme
The Media
The Session Partners
The 70th International Session in Tallinn was enriched by a special cultural programme. The general aim of the diverse activities was to give the students the possibility to become creative and to share cultural traditions of each of the participants and, in particular, of the host country. On July 28th EuroVillage took place where traditional food and drinks of each participating country were presented in a marketplace atmosphere. This event helped the participants to get to know each other better and discover different countries’ cuisines and customs. On Sunday evening all session participants had the opportunity to take part in the Estonian Modern Culture Evening, whilst Tuesday evening was dedicated to Committee Dinners.
The media paid remarkable attention to the event. Estonia’s biggest national newspaper - Postimees dedicated an article to the 70th International Session of the European Youth Parliament. Moreover, many national, regional and local news outlets in Estonia covered the event in print and online.
The 70th International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Tallinn was carried out with substantial support of the Sparkasse Finanzgroup, Nortal, Ströker, Euroopa Noored and the Riigikantselei.
On Thursday, August 1st, the formal occasion of Euroconcert, held at the Guild of the Black Heads, gave skilled participants of the session the opportunity to show their musical or artistic talent on stage. After the first day of General Assembly on Friday evening, all participants were invited to explore Tallinn’s city center and Old Town.
“Europe is more about people than politics, the diversity of all participants is what brought me closer to Europe”.
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“This session has been one of the best experiences of my life” Delegate, 18, Germany
AMSTERDAM 2012 THE 71ST INTERNATIONAL SESSION WAS ORGANISED IN AMSTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS FROM 2 TO 11 NOVEMBER 2012
Ending the crisis
the opportunity to voice their opinions in front of such a large audience. The Gereral Assembly was broadcasted Under the theme of ‘Ending the crisis’, the 71st International Session via an online live stream to a wider of the European Youth Parliament in audience and reached more than a Amsterdam presented the delegates thousand viewers. with the task to come up with comprehensive resolutions on contentious topics, such as the future of the Cultural Programme Eurozone, climate change and Europe’s response to the humanitarian Like the other International Sessions, crisis in the wake of the relentless Amsterdam was enriched by a specivil war raging in Syria. The partici- cial cultural programme. On Novempants were confronted with diverse ber 3rd Eurovillage took place where views and opinions on Europe and traditional food and drinks of each analysed current and future chal- participating country were presented lenges. The delegates were to come in a market-place atmosphere. On up with solutions to current Euro- November 7th, all participants of the pean challenges, taking into account session were invited to experience social, environmental and economic the famous Rijksmuseum during a factors as well as global perspectives. Gala Night, hosted by AkzoNobel. On Thursday night, Euroconcert - an event dedicated to showcasing the skills and talents of session particiGeneral Assembly pants, was held at the Royal Institute of the Tropics. The first day of General Assembly (GA) was held on November 9th at Podium Mozaiek, whilst for the second day of the General Assembly on November 10th delegates gathered at the Amsterdam School of the Arts. The General Assembly allowed the participants to experience public speaking and debate. For many of them this was the first time that they have had
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“ENDING THE CRISIS” Delegates’ perception:
The Media
The Session Partners
“My participation helped me to improve my knowledge and understanding of different cultures”
The media paid remarkable attention to the session. Amongst, others Euronews broadcasted coverage of the General Assembly along with interviews of participants of the event. Furthermore, local and international news platforms such as Het Parool, NRC Next and Europe Business Review published articles on the 71st International Session of the EYP. A complete press review can be found on our website at www.eyp.org.
The 71st International Session of the European Youth Parliament was carried out with the substantial support of the ‘Youth in Action’ Programme of the European Commission. Additionally, the International Session in Amsterdam would not have been realised without the support of international, national, regional and private supporters and partners. The contribution of the following institutions made the session a huge success: the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation of the Netherlands, Vfonds, the City of Amsterdam, ING, AkzoNobel, ABN AMBRO, APG, Sparkassen Finanzgruppe, the European Savings Banks Group and Vodafone Foundation Germany.
“EYP is for all European youth – it is the perfect project for the borderless Europe we can enjoy today.” André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf Chairman of the Schwarzkopf Foundation
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INTERNATIONAL EYP THE EYP WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1987 IN FONTAINEBLEAU. FRANCE.
In 2004, the National Committees gave the Schwarzkopf Foundation the mandate for the international management of the European Youth Parliament. Since then the international office of the EYP has been located in Berlin and coordinated by the Executive Director. The EYP has developed into the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s largest programme. The foundation has the aim to encourage young people to engage in the process of European integration. Apart from the EYP, the foundation also carries out discussion events, seminars and conferences mostly in Berlin, Germany. See www.schwarzkopf-stiftung.de for more information.
Today the European Youth Parliament has more than 1700 volunteers and reaches more than 20 000 pupils and hence forms one of the largest platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political education and the exchange of ideas within the whole of Europe. Participating countries range from Portugal to Russia and from Ireland to Cyprus. In 2012 Moldova, Armenia and Lithuania joined the network as new members. The EYP is a non-partisan and non-governmental organisation.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
All four European Youth Polls had a combined number of participants of 15 863.
YOUTH POLLS 2012 WAS THE SECOND YEAR OF EYP’S NEW PROJECT, THE EUROPEAN YOUTH POLLS
Young people’s opinions do not make it into the public debate very often. This often leads to the assertion that they do not have one at all, and are not interested in the big political debates of the day. We at the EYP know this is not true. The European Youth Polls, established in co-operation with the Stiftung Mercator foundation in 2011, are a project designed to help change this notion. Regularly, we ask young people all across Europe for their views on pressing European issues. The surveys are spread through social media, the results compiled at the EYP International Office and provided to the media and political decision makers.
Polls on diverse issues This year, we held four Polls on very diverse issues:
ACTA agreement
means of making EYP more visible towards politicians and the media. They also serve the purpose of getThe first Poll in February dealt with the ACTA agreement and Internet ting thousands of young people in Policy in general – a topic that proved touch with EYP who had never parvery hot: For the first time, more ticipated in our activities before. than 3000 people participated in our Poll, and Members of the European The Future of Europe Parliament took great interest, even inviting us to send a representative to a hearing in Brussels. It was also Finally, we held a Poll on the EU winfeatured in the media, for example ning the Nobel Peace Prize and genby Portugal’s principle news agen- eral questions of European integracy, and in one of the major German tion. Its results were published on the day the European Union received newspapers. the Nobel Peace Prize, and they received a lot of attention in Brussels: The way out of the Crisis EP President Martin Schulz himself wrote a comment, along with many The second Poll was held in June, other European politicians, among on the topic of “The Way out of the them also the Chairman of the EPP Crisis”. The results were once more group in the European Parliament, commented on by many politicians Joseph Daul. – most notably by the President of the European Parliament himself, Martin Schulz. Mr Schulz gave us his comments in person in a video “The European Youth Polls interview.
Gay Rights
are a great source of information on the thoughts and interests of young Europeans.”
The third European Youth Poll on Gay Rights saw over 5600 participants, of which 61% had never attended an Hans-Gert Poettering, former PresiEYP event themselves. This means dent of the European Parliament that the Polls do not only work as a
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TRAINING ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP ITS ACTIVITIES EVEN FURTHER, EYP IS PUTTING MORE FOCUS ON TRAININGS
EYP Academy On the international level, the Governing Body of the EYP has established a permanent working group, the EYP Academy. Its aim is to drive EYP’s transformation into a trainingbased organisation, as well as to give assistance and support to trainings organised on a multitude of issues. The EYP Academy is run by experienced EYP Alumni who have been educated as trainers, have plenty of training experience themselves and are passionate about the issue.
Support from Mercator Foundation Through the framework of our partnership with the Mercator Foundation, the EYP has been able to organise a number of trainings in 2012 to address special priority areas in developing the EYP: project management, reaching out to new target groups, developing effective communication.
By co-funding trainings proposed by the National Committees, we ensured a grassroots approach to the trainings and were able to fund several major trainings in 2012: A training on Session and Event Management was held in Bakumi, Georgia; a training on the European Youth Polls project including media relations was held in Berlin; a training on outreach to new target groups was held in London, and finally, a training on the Management of National Committees in Jambville, France.
Additionally, the International Office of the EYP organised the EYP Entrepreneurship Summit in Berlin, which brought together EYP Alumni and trainers from the Entrepreneurship Foundation to develop business models for EYP. This training was held in cooperation with the BMW Foundation.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
REACHING OUT THE EYP AIMS TO REACH OUT TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN ALL PARTS OF EUROPE
We strongly believe that our educational programme is of great value to young people across Europe. However, we know that not everybody finds their way to the European Youth Parliament by themselves. Many National Committees of the European Youth Parliament have therefore taken up EYP Outreach Events.
These are short events using the EYP format, ranging from a few hours to three days – usually organised directly in a school that has not taken part in EYP activities before. Often, these events are held in the country’s native language. Like all our events, they offer a platform and a framework for young people to debate current political questions with a European dimension. These events are also an offer to teachers who wish to teach about Europe in an innovative way. The outreach events have been successful in broadening the base of EYP participants in many countries.
INCLUSIVE EYP One aim of the EYP is to make our activities accessible to a great number of young people. Unfortunately, the cost of travelling around Europe to participate in EYP events poses a difficulty for many young people. This is especially true for young people from disadvantaged groups, such as those young people with a migration background, potentially lowering their participation in EYP. In 2011, we therefore introduced a new tool to lower the financial
threshold of participation in the EYP. The EYP Diversity Fund, run in cooperation with the Mercator Foundation, has supported eleven young people since 2011 and thereby enabled them to participate in EYP sessions. While the support is currently only available for German citizens with a migration background, the EYP is currently taking steps to set up a fund available for all young Europeans.
We are glad to see this initiative spread to more and more countries, and proud to have regular outreach activities in France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Finland, Germany, to just name a few countries. In 2012, we have also started working on new concepts and methodologies in this field. With special trainings organised in the framework of our partnership with the Mercator foundation, we aim to spread them further in 2013.
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IN MEDIA great presence on their websites. Also, a camera team from the EuACTIVITIES OF THE EYP IN ropean TV network Euronews was present at the Session, interviewing INCREASING NUMBERS several participants and producing a TV report about the European Youth The Session in Istanbul in Spring Parliament. 2012 was covered by many regional In partnership with the Euroneand local newspapers in Turkey in ws show Utalk, we have additioneither print or online. Among them ally added the voices of many EYP were Heberler, Sabah, and Hür- alumni to the European discourse. riyet. Furthermore TV channels as In this show, EYPers have sent in NTV Türkiye and CNN Türk reported video questions which were then on the 69th International Session of answered by politicians and experts the European Youth Parliament. Additionally, the Session was followed by a film team aiming at shooting a documentary about young people in Europe. MEDIA IS COVERING DIFFERENT
At the International Session in Tallinn in the summer of 2012, the media was very present. Journalists from the main Estonian media outlets, including the main evening news and the biggest national newspaper, Postimees, visited the Session and reported extensively. The final International Session of the year in Amsterdam was widely covered by local and national newspapers in the Netherlands. Additionally, the Session gained a lot of attention through a media partnership with the Euractiv network and thereby a
from Brussels.
Another major push to EYP’s media presence was provided by the European Youth Polls. Our opinion surveys attracted attention from media outlets in, among others, major news outlets in Germany and Portugal, as well as other media in several European countries, giving visibility to the voices of young people in Europe.
“The European Youth Parliament is officially established in 41 European countries.�
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NATIONAL COMMITTEES THE EYP IS OFFICIALLY PRESENT IN 41 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE
The National Committees (NCs) are at the heart of the EYP as they organise the bulk of all events and select all participants to sessions. An important part of their work is to select the delegations that will represent their country at the autumn/ winter and spring International EYP Sessions. To this end, most National Committees organise a selection process, often including regional and national conferences, a resolution/ essay-writing competition, and an interview process, all judged by an independent jury. The exact method used varies from country to country. Apart from the national selections,
several committees also organise other activities within the EYP framework, often including short one day EYP events, with the aim of reaching out to the widest possible range of students and teachers. All those involved in the running of the National Committees do so voluntarily, with EYP alumni, teachers, and other interested people working without recompense to give a new generation the chance to discover what the European Youth Parliament is all about.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Albania
www.eyp.al, offin.eypalbania@gmail.com
The project of EYP Albania started as an idea of a group of youngsters, who gathered to establish an official initiative in our country, aiming to make their age-companions an active part of the process of sharing European values and the support of European Integration. EYP Albania has been working to provide the necessary
Armenia
link between the Albanian youth and the European Integration. Like every year, we organised a very successful National Selection Conference in Tirana under the motto:” Dynamic Cultures walking the way of Globalisation!” and are looking forward to the challenges of the next year.
armenia.eyp@gmail.com In the dynamic year of 2012, a group of 20 youngsters launched the EYP Initiative in Armenia. Furthermore, the first open call for the membership to EYP Armenia turned out to receive more than 200 applications. In October, our delegate participated in the EYP 25th Anniversary and presented the aspirations of our Initia-
Austria
www.eypaustria.org, info@eypaustria.org
In 2012, EYP Austria not only held their 13th National Conference in Vienna, but we also expanded our regional outreach programme. This entailed organising several EYP Day sessions all across the country, having monthly Jour Fixes take place in various cities besides Vienna, and organising the Tulln Youth Forum in
Belarus
tive after which the question of our recognition was put for an online voting in December. In the meantime, our delegates were actively participating in different projects. In December 2012, the majority of NCs voted in favor of EYP Armenia’s recognition as a NC thus settling a new motivated and energetic NC in East-
August, which was a great success. Our semi-academic events included our 6th EYP on Ski event in April, where we hit the slopes in our fiery red EYP Austria Hoodies, and an Alumni Weekend in June.
www.eypby.org, eypbelarus@gmail.com The National Committee of the EYP in Belarus is the executive body running the national branch of the European Youth Parliament. Since it was funded its main task is to promote active citizenship, democracy as well as the European idea in challenging conditions. Our main goal is to give as many young people from
Belarus the opportunity to take part in EYP, which we strongly believe is a life-changing experience. We seek to empower youth, to question the world around them and come up with innovative solutions to global problems, while emphasizing the concepts of cooperation and respect.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
www.eyp-eguropolis.be, info@eyp-europolis.be 2012 was a year of preparations for in our National Commitee. For EYPEYP Belgium in March. Our annual Europolis Belgium, 2012 was a year National Selection Conference and of planning, the outcome of which two Europolis Sessions took place will only become visible in 2013. In in Brussels - the venue for General 2013 we will among other things host Assembly for these sessions was the a renewed 4-day National Selection European Parliament. In May 2012, a Conference, our second Internationnew board was elected by our alumni al Forum – Ghent2013 and our first and continued a process of change Preselection Sessions!
Belgium
www.eyp.hr, info@eyp.hr After the great 68th International Session in Zagreb in 2011, EYP Croatia continued its development in 2012. We keep believing in the importance of our organisation which contributes to raising awareness among youngsters about European issues, encourage active citizenship in addition to develop a great young
Croatia
forum. Our alumni have been involved on the international stage and we have been delighted to see many of them taking great strides forward. For instance, one of our alumni was a journalist at the International Session in Amsterdam.
www.eypcyprus.com, info@eypcyprus.com www.eypcyprus.com, info@eypcyprus.com In 2012, EYP Cyprus organised two Pre-Selection events, one Organisers Training and its 4-day long annual National Session, which together gathered more than 300 new participants. EYP Cyprus has also launched a new initiative called ‘EYP Project in Schools’ which aims to introduce more young people to EYP. This pro-
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Cyprus
ject focused on three main topics: the Priorities of the Cyprus Presidency ‘Towards a Better Europe’, Euro crisis: The meaning of solidarity in the eurozone and the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. More events will be organised under this initiative in 2013.
www.eyp.cz, eyp@eyp.cz
Czech Republic
In 2012, EYP Czech Republic organised two major events, the 15th National Selection Conference in Rakovník and the 9th Czech Forum in Litomyšl. We kept promoting EYP CZ via EYP Days which are one-day events held in different high schools for one or two classes. With those events, we want to give the chance
to many young people to live this incredible EYP experience. Lastly, our National Committee organised some trainings for the alumni such as an organisers training in summer 2012.
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Estonia
http://ten.ee/d/, info@ten.ee 2012 was an exceptional year for EYP Estonia. Not only did our National Session have an amazing turnout of foreign applications, 5 foreign delegations and over 120 first-time delegates, but we also hosted the jubilee International Session of the EYP in Tallinn. This brought together many senior EYPers who showed their ap-
Finland
www.eypfinland.org, eyp@eypfinland.org
2012 was all about polishing what we have, and preparing for further expansion. EYP Finland kicked off the year with a national session in Tampere, followed by three autumn regional sessions. We managed to recruit new members from the more distant parts of Finland, such as Oulu; this is also where our aims have
France
preciation for how the NC has been run so far. 2012 was also the year that the umbrella organisation for EYP Estonia –TEN (Active Estonian Youth) – reached 500 members and qualified for an annual government grant. TEN was even invited to the President’s annual reception to celebrate our Indenpendence Day.
been - regional expansion. Strategic thinking was the key phrase for the board of EYP Finland throughout the year. A 5-year strategy was set, and during our annual general meeting our constitution was changed – the board now consists of 6 instead of 10 board members, in hope to make the work more efficient.
www.pejfrance.org, info@pejfrance.org
In 2012, EYP France organised its 32nd and 33rd National Sessions as well as 6 regional Sessions, 6 national trainings and more than 60 events all over France to celebrate Europe Day (9th of May). In addition, we organised more than 20 one-day sessions gathering young people with different socioeconomic, geographic
Germany
or academic backgrounds. Thiswww.pejfrance.org, is a info@pejfrance.org crucial aspect of EYP’s France action : our goal is to offer a chance to all the youngsters to live the EYP’s experience. Lastly EYP France had the honour of hosting the 25th Anniversary of EYP in October in Fontainebleau. More than 300 EYP members attended this historical event.
www.eyp.de, info@eyp.de 2012 was an insightful and exciting year for EYP Germany. Two Regional Sessions were added as parts of our National Selection process. Innovative Session concepts enabled committees to cooperate with experts and local companies on diverse topics, sparking the interest of patrons and sponsors. On the occasion of the
German Presidency of the Baltic Sea Council, a session was held in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry. EYP Germany further developed its outreach program of EYP@school sessions, holding four forums simultaneously on the 9th of May and expanded its training activities with international and regional trainings.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
www.eyp.org.ge, info@eyp.org.ge EYP Georgia had an active year in 2012 with 573 Georgians in total attended the EYP events. The most remarkable achievement was the permission to host the 74th International Session of EYP in Tbilisi, Georgia. Moreover, for the first time in the history of EYP Georgia, we organised a training on Session Management
in Bakuriani. We also organized three 3-day sessions in major Georgian cities, where we have already built reliable human capital. In June the Parliament of Georgia hosted the 6th National Selection Conference of EYP Georgia, where we selected 16 distinguished delegates for International Sessions.
www.eypgreece.org, eyp.greece@gmail.com In 2012, EYP Greece organized 3 sessions. 350 participants in total were involved in our two annual National Selection Conferences held in Athens and Thessaloniki with delegates coming from 135 High Schools and international participants in officials’ positions. All the more schools get informed about EYP Greece and
Georgia
Greece
want to participate in our activities, a fact that encourages us to improve and expand our actions. In August 2012, EYP Greece also organized the Ionian International Forum which proved to be a very successful session with 150 international participants.
www.eyp.pillar-europe.eu, president@eyp.pillar-europe.eu EYP Hungary could be described with the word of cooperation in 2012. First of all we have been doing a project with the Pillar Foundation since 2012 called, „EU in the timetable”. We had been trying to reach as many high school students as possible. We had been contacting schools and offered them our information service
Parliament office in Ireland, Francis Jacobs. We held two more sessions after the summer in Cork (where the Minster for Agriculture gave the keynote speech). We have also continued to streamline and overhaul the organisation; launching an ambitious fundraising strategy and introduced a new child protection policy,
Hungary
about the possibilities in the European Union and a small debate about an essential and everyday EU related topic. Fortunately the project is getting more and more popular.EYP Hungary had the possibility to send a full delegation to the Tallinn IS in cooperation with „Szóval!?”, a wellknow, debate competition.
www.eypireland.com, info@eypireland.com 2012 has been a transformative year for EYP Ireland. We held our Leinster regional session in February and this was followed by the National session which was attended by the Irish Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD and also a representative from the Department of the Taoiseach and the head of the European
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Ireland
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Italy
www.eypitaly.org, peg@eypitaly.org
In 2012 EYP Italy, with 7 events, reached more than 300 students and alumni, following a well-estabilished growing trend. The quality of these two five-day-long National Sessions, two Regional Sessions, two GA days and one Chairs’ Training, financially supported by both public and private institutions, was highly satisfactory
Kosovo
and helped us gain the interest of more and more schools. The two main goals set for the next years are to organise an International Forum and to increase the number of regional and local events, introducing low budget concepts, in order to extend our presence throughout the entire national territory.
www.eypkosova.com, saranda.h@eypkosova.com In 2012, EYP Kosovo held its 1st National Selection Conference in Prishtina in February. In May, our Initiative became officially a National Committee. By creating a National Committee of the EYP in our country we want to promote wider European engagement to Kosovo’s youth. After our full recognition, we organised a
Latvia
few successful sessions and trainings. EYP Kosovo also held its General Assembly in July and elected a new motivated board. We really look forward to 2013.
www.tellus.lv, info@tellus.lv
2012 was a special year for EYP Latvia because it hosted its 10th anniversary National Session, which was one of our NC’s biggest and best sessions to date. Besides that we organised special trainings, changed the regional session system and thus hosted three bigger regional sessions instead of five smaller
Lithuania
ones, as well as further developed the process of selecting delegates to future sessions. Our goals stayed the same – popularise the Europeqn Youth Parliament to Latvian youngsters in rural areas, gain more active members and increase the quality of our sessions.
lithuaniaeyp@gmail.com
The main activity of this year for the EYP Lithuania was the establishment of our association. We also have been performing a lot of internal training which we believe let us improve team management. Thanks to many weekly meetings and responsible work, we managed to make plans for our activities for the upcoming year.
In addition to this, we have elected our Board and officially legalised our statutes. Even though we did not manage to organise any sessions yet, we have huge plans for the comingyear and we are looking forward to fulfilling them with as high a level of quality as possible.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
eyp.macedonia@gmail.com EYP Macedonia during 2012 organised one training course and two youth exchanges. All three activities involved participants from different countries and were very successful. The training „Bridging the Gap“ was about active youth participation in the decision making process on local level. The youth exchange „Nature Calls“
Macedonia
dealt with youth and the protection of environment, and the second one, „Working Together“, aimed at raising the awareness about youth volunteerism. In 2012 the MCEYP started with the implementation of the project „The equitable representation of the non-majority communities in the public administration“.
http://eyp.md/ EYP Moldova has become a unique, non-formal educational platform in Moldova which contributes to raising awareness among youngsters about European issues, encourages active citizenship in addition to developing a great youth forum. In 2012, EYP Moldova held its 1st Local Session in Chisinau and a few month later its
The Netherlands
organising two alumni weekends per year (March and September), with a special focus on Teambuilding and chairs’ training, and hosted 3 Preliminary Rounds. Next to that, many of our alumni attended sessions all over Europe in all different roles.
www.eyp.no, nc@eyp.no 2012 was for EYP Norway the year of the 10th National Session. The year gave us our first official training, where we gathered our members for workshops and socialising It was a great success, and we plan to continue the practice of having trainings during the time between national sessions. The National Session was
Moldova
2nd Local Session under the theme: “Together for Solutions”; both of them were a real success and helped the Committee grow even further.
www.eyp.nl, info@eyp.nl 2012 was an outstanding year for EYP the Netherlands. We had the honour of hosting the 71st International Session of the European Youth Parliament, which was a great success with more than 200 pupils attending. Moreover, we held our 12th National Selection Conference in Amsterdam, we continued the tradition of
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Norway
held in Oslo this year where we gathered 160 participants for three days. We had the great pleasure of having officials from 10 different nationalities. In addition we are happy to have been selected as on of the buddies to EYP-Denmark, and we are very excited about this cooperation in the year to come.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Poland
www.eyppoland.com, info@eyppoland.com
The year 2012 brought changes to the governance of EYP Poland, making it more proactive than ever before. We have extended the number of our Members through successful organisation of three Sessions and additional smaller events. 19th Regional Session in Wroclaw, under the motto Culture Yourself!, followed
Portugal
the innovative concept of previous Wroclaw Sessions, enriched with cultural workshops. Our first International Forum in Krakow was under the motto “Innovative Youth innovating future”, and gathered around 150 participants from all over Europe. The 9th National Session gathered 80 delegates from Poland.
www.pejportugal.com, appejovens@gmail.com In 2012, EYP Portugal fortified the foundation set in previous years whilst making groundbreaking changes: with two amazing National Selection Conferences, presided by two International EYPers, we found it was time to update our selection process to a more realistic one and began to select individually the del-
Romania
www.eypromania.eu, office@eypromania.eu
2012 has been a fruitful year for EYP Romania. During this year, EYP Romania has organised six regional sessions, with the participation of over 600 youngsters, representing all historical regions of the country and one National Selection Session. The two International Summer Forums were held in Tomis (Constanta
Russia
egates who represent us at International Sessions. Along with the end of our Regional Sessions and the continuous emphasis on EYP at School events, 2012 has proven to be a fruitful year, setting the tone for what might come next.
city), the historic sea-port town at Black Sea. Moreover, in February 2012, EYP Romania organised the annual training for our future officials, and thus we achieved to considerably increase the quality of our NC events.
eyp.russia@gmail.com The year 2012 was remarkable for EYP Russia as we did the first series of membership cards and enlarged the board. The beginning of the year was marked by the Second Selection School Session that brought us many outstanding delegates to represent Russia at the International Events. Furthermore several school
sessions and trainings took place, not mentioning Annual Picnic and a reunion that helped to revive the EYP spirit and to meet old friends. The second part of the year was dedicated to the preparation of a significant event – the Second National Selection Session that we were looking forward to holding at the beginning
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Serbia
www.eyp.rs, office@eyp.rs EYP Serbia organized its first International forum - The Danube Youth Forum in Novi Sad with 100 participants from 14 countries. Alongside this, 8 Preliminary Sessions were held in Serbia and delegates from these events gathered in Subotica in August for the 5th National Conference. Alumni weekend that included
training for Chairs, Journalists and Organizers was held in autumn in Belgrade gathering 45 participants. EYP RS worked together with EYP NL and EYP CH on creating a guide for new EYP organisations. In addition, a new, young Board of EYP Serbia came to office in August implementing a number of innovations.
www.eyp.sk, info@eyp.sk In 2012, EYP Slovakia organised its 3rd National Session in Bratislava/ Papiernicka under the Motto “Setting directions for the future of Europe”. We also dedicated this year to the improvement of the communication with high schools by making EYP presentations all across the country – by this time we cooperate with 22
high schools. And we prepared the very first round of EYP Days in some of them. EYP Slovakia is from 2012 organising its events under the official patronage of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Lastly, 2012 gave us a lot talking about the human resources of our Committee. So we are looking forward 2013.
Slovakia
www.eype.es, info@eype.eu EYP Spain is growing year after year very rapidly. In 2012 we organised 14 GA Days, which are one-day regional sessions. With an average of 5 schools participating to each GA Day, we have reached more than 350 youngsters in 2012. Our national selection conference was held in Sitges and it was a huge success, being the
the year has been mainly dedicated to adapting to the new possibilities and challenges that follows with the government grant we received for our organisation at the beginning of 2012. The grant comes with a huge suit that we need to grow into and we will continue doing so in 2013.
Spain
first time we received Youth in Action Funding for our national selection. The most important even of the year was the Iberian Forum, a summer session which was held for the 3rd time in EYPE’s history and exceeded all expectations once again. The year concluded with the EYPE weekend, with the participation of 30 alumni.
www.eup.se, info@eup.se After organising three successful regional sessions at the beginning of the year, EYP Sweden decided to continue with the concept and played host to four regional sessions in November. The new selection process enable us to reach out to more young Swedes and to spread the spirit of EYP even further. Other than that,
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Sweden
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Switzerland
www.eyp.ch, info@eyp.ch
2012 has been a year both of innovation and continuity for EYP Switzerland. For the first time in its history, we held Regional Sessions in four regions of Switzerland, thus reaching out to an even greater number of schools and students from diverse backgrounds. Successful event concepts such as the 5-day National
Turkey
Session and trainings were continued. In addition, a two-day training on chairing was organised for the members of the NC. Throughout the entire year, the organising team of the International Session Zurich 2013 raised funds and started putting together the 73rd IS of the EYP, the NC’s next big project.
www.eypturkey.org, info@eypturkey.org 2012 has been a landmark year for EYP Turkey, especially since the 69th International Session of the EYP took place in the city of Istanbul. We also organised two National Selection Conferences, each becoming a big success, and the 7th International Istanbul Youth Forum that lived up to the reputation of previous
Ukraine
years. The National Committee has also opened up a new office to be the center of EYP activities in Istanbul and expanded to more than a hundred alumni by December. EYP Turkey finally said goodbye to 2012 with the annual New Year’s Dinner and Alumni Gathering and celebrated the end of a fruitful year.
http://eyp-ua.org, info@eyp-ua.org
All in all, EYP Ukraine has managed in 2012 to involve more than 1000 young people in its projects. Thanks to our members and partners, EYPUkraine has hosted 2 large-scale sessions. Also, we have successfully organised a Training for EYP Trainers and a unique annual project – Inter-Rail Tour of EYP Ukraine, which
involved more than 550 young people into 2-day sessions in 15 cities of the country. EYP Weekends, General Assemblies, and meetings of EYP English Speaking Club took also place all over the country. In addition, EYP Ukraine has strengthened its status of an active actor in the process of civil society development in Ukraine.
United Kingdom This year has been an exciting year for EYPUK. We organised two national sessions and a few regional sessions which consequently increased the number of participants in our organisation. Our outreach Eurvoice, has been relaunched and means we will be able to reach even more young people in the future. Our new
www.eypuk.co.uk, info@eypuk.co.uk
challenge for 2012 was EurVoice Live. As a partner organisation in Parliament Week 2012, we ran the event on 21 November. It aimed to give young people all across the UK and beyond a chance to express their views on the issues that really matter to them. Lastly, our alumni have been very involved on the international stage.
“The European Youth Parliament is the largest European programme for non-formal political education of young people.” Ville Vasaramäki, Executive Director
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
EYP INITIATIVES Azerbaijan
www.eyp.az, eypazerbaijan@yahoo.com 2012 brought us both happiness and sorrow. For the first time, an official delegation from Azerbaijan attended an Internation Session. Then, we sent delegations to a few sessions in Georgia, Poland, Greece and Spain. In September, we organised our 1st National Session in Baku, gathering more than 50 persons. In total, 80
youngsters were involved in EYP in Azerbaijan! Unfortunatly, EYP Azerbaijan was de-recognised in October. But, we didn’t give up and we solved our problems and in November we established a new Initiative in Azerbaijan. So, we hope that 2013 will bring to EYP in Azerbaijan just happiness, success and more sessions!
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2012 was an awesome year for EYP Initiative Bosnia-Herzegovina. We were officially recognised as an EYP Initiative at the beginning of the year. Then, we organised our 1st National Session which took place in Sarajevo in September 2012 and gathered lots of young people to debate crucial political issue in Europe.This suc-
cessful session helped us to grow and we are more than glad that new youngests had the opportunity to get to know EYP. Our Initiative also sent delegates in a few sessions abroad; for instance, five youngsters represented our country to the Danube Youth Forum in April 2012.
Bulgaria The EYP Initiative Bulgaria did not organise a lot of events in 2012 but we have sent delegates in some international events. For instance, a Bulgarian delegation composed of three delegates represented Bulgaria in the International Session in Amsterdam in autumn 2012.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
http://eypdenmark.org/ In 2012, EYP Denmark requested it’s own de-recognition. While this is usually seen as a bad thing, this was extremely happy news for us. It meant that we could start from scratch, and establish a new National Committee in the way it should be done. We also hosted an event purely for university students which was
a great success. and made us gain attention among an older crowd. Several Danish alumni were abroad as Officials, and three delegations were sent of to Germany, France and Estonia. EYP Denmark might have lost its official status in 2012, but we were more active than ever, and we expect this to continue in 2013.
eyp.montenegro@gmail.com The EYP initiative in Montenegro was only recently recognised by the GB. In 2012 we worked towards gaining support from governing and nongovernemntal bodies as well from other National Committees. We want to promote the ideas of interculturalism and a democratic society and thus briging Europe closer to Montenegro.
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Denmark
Montenegro
“The International Session of the EYP provides a good opportunity for young people to exchange views and to improve their capabilities to articulate and represent their interest.� Jerzy Buzek, former President of the European Parliament
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
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WHO IS EYP? Who is EYP? All EYP events are organised and run by young volunteers – mostly former participants of the EYP sessions. Hence, the EYP is an extraordinary place for young people to take the initiative and to practise European citizenship.
The National Committees The National EYP Committees exist to promote the objectives of the EYP in their country. This is often achieved by organising various European events. An important part of their work is to select the delegations that will represent their country abroad. To this end, many National Committees organise a selection process, often including regional and national conferences. .
The Board of National Committees (BNC) On the international level the National Committees are represented through the Board of National Committees (BNC), where the representatives gather to discuss issues related to the management and development of the entire EYP and take decisions such as recognising EYP
committees in new countries.
international EYP and its activities.
The Governing Body (GB)
The Schwarzkopf Foundation
The GB sets general rules and overall aims in cooperation with the National Committees. The Governing On the international level, EYP is Body has been elected by the Na- a programme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation. The Schwarzkopf Fountional Committees and EYP alumni. dation is thus the legal entity of the international EYP and it is one of The International Office its programmes. The Schwarzkopf Foundation was established in 1971 The Executive Director of EYP, ap- and its aim is to support the developpointed by the Schwarzkopf Foun- ment of young people into politicallydation, coordinates the activities of aware and responsible citizens by the European Youth Parliament on focussing on the strengthening of the international level. Besides the the European Idea and pan-EuropeExecutive Director, the International an understanding. people. Office of the EYP in Berlin includes Project Managers and Interns, who take care of the daily running of the
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ANNUAL REPORT 2012
OUR PARTNERS Without the support of our partners, the European Youth Parliament would not be able to realise its aims. We thank them all and express our gratitude for their support.
The European Youth Parliament receives support from the European Commission’s Youth in Action for its continuous activities.
International Partner:
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
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PEOPLE AND BODIES PERMANENT PATRONS
GOVERNING BODY
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Current formation (March 2013):
Current formation (March 2013):
Alan Flowers, UK
Ville Vasaramäki, FI, Executive Director
COMITE D HONNEUR Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission Maroš Šefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission
Dmytro Honcharenko, UA Joanna Kulpa, PL
Jacob Düringer, DE, Project Manager
Hilpi Luukkonen, FI
Stefan Vandenhende, BE, Project Manager
Andris Šuvajevs, LV
Maria Manolescu, RO, HR Manager
Robert Torvelainen, FI
Heiko Seiser, DE, Assistant
André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf, DE
Petya Koleva, BG, Intern Elise Lévy, FR, Intern
“I rest convinced that initiatives like the European Youth Parliament are essential to bridge the gaps between our nations and to foster a new generation of true Europeans.� Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for Environment