Dear readers,

As we are heading for another busy plenary session with many opinions on numerous important issues, there is one topic in particular that I wanted to bring to your attention: youth. Engaging young people in our democratic processes is not something that is simply "nice to have" – it is a "must have", because the future of Europe is their future. This is why transforming the EESC into a true new generation forum, where young people can speak up and, more importantly, where their voices are heard, is one of my key political priorities. And this week, we will have an opportunity to discuss and decide on some of the first building blocks of this new generation forum.

Firstly, we will decide on a new EESC Youth Group. Building on the European Year of Youth and the fantastic track record this house already has, we have a solid ground to take this initiative a step further. The idea is for the group to concentrate on understanding the diverse challenges faced by young people today and formulating effective solutions for their participation in EESC activities. The group will look into the different options for setting up a permanent youth body within the EESC. By creating the group, I want to ensure that youth-related issues are addressed comprehensively with the utmost dedication, and most importantly, that they stay at the top of the EESC's agenda.

Secondly, in the coming weeks we will look into a pilot project to implement the EU Youth Test in EESC opinions. The idea is to make sure that our opinions pass the test from the perspective of young people. This will help us fully incorporate their perspectives, needs and aspirations into our decision-making process, fostering a truly participatory and inclusive approach in shaping EU policies.

In the coming days, I will count on our members' support and commitment to push through these decisions. This will be our testimony to young EU citizens, that we can turn words into action, promises into reality and this forum into their forum.

Oliver Röpke

EESC President