On 21 June, the SEDEC commission held its first physical meeting after more than 2 years. During the meeting, members discussed a number of topics including the European Year of Youth, the promotion of European values and citizenship through education and culture, the Conference on the Future of Europe and strengthening of social dialogue at the EU and national levels.
During the debate on youth, EA president Cllr Kieran McCarthy pointed out that, while the narrative around young people is characterised by long-term thinking, they are citizens of today, not tomorrow and we need to involve them now. He strongly supported the proposal for an "EU youth test" put forward by the European Youth Forum, in order to youth-proof EU legislation and added that, in addition to European and national youth policies, local and regional authorities need to have a youth policy of their own.
Meanwhile, Cllr Declan McDonnell from Galway City Council stressed the importance of thinking about the mental health of young people, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. "We need to engage them through sports clubs and volunteering experiences and involve them fully in democratic processes," he said.
Later in the afternoon, together with the vice president of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, Cllr McCarthy addressed a delegation of young elected politicians from across the EU who attended the " Young Leaders of Europe Conference" organised jointly with EU40 - the Network of Young MEPs. He emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue with citizens in order to transpose expectations into structural proposals. "We must strengthen collaboration with people, especially young people who are the future of the European project," Cllr McCarthy said.
