RYEurope represents rural voices at YFJ COMEM

On 27-28 April, Rural Youth Europe attended the European Youth Forum’s Council of Members (COMEM) meeting in Brussels, bringing together over 150 youth organisation representatives from across Europe. This COMEM saw a packed agenda reflecting the range of issues affecting young people. We are proud to announce that as a result of in-depth discussion and debate, European youth voices have come together to present two new policy papers calling for investment in youth in the European Union’s next long-term budget and for ensuring a sustainable future.

Member organisations were also invited to feed into key conversations which ranged from the impact of climate change, to gender equality and the role of youth in the future of Europe. The impact of Brexit on youth also featured as a priority, with delegates demonstrating solidarity with young people in the negotiations and voting to support a motion on the topic.

Speaking following the event, Rural Youth Europe’s chairman Russell Carrington commented, “I can’t stress enough how important it is that young people from rural areas aren’t left behind by EU policies. Given the breadth of concerns raised, it could be easy for people in the countryside to be overlooked and forgotten. For this reason, it is vital that we continue to attend these events in order to robustly advocate on behalf of our members.”

In the featured picture: Left to right – Kevin Daly (Ceja), Anja Fortuna, Russel Carrington, and Geoff Thompson (Rural Youth Europe) representing rural youth at the YFJ COMEM