Closing the gap on EU Competitiveness - Kick-Off Conference of the COMPASS Project

Location: Online

Date: 15/04/2026

Guest speakers: Jessika Roswall, Susi Dennison, Joanna Drake, Nils Behrndt, Dana Adriana Puia More

Project: Compass

The event launched the project and brought together more than 120 young people, policymakers, experts, and civil society representatives from across Europe. The conference explored how the European Union can remain competitive in an increasingly unstable global environment while ensuring sustainability, innovation, strategic autonomy, and democratic participation remain at the heart of its economic future.

The event featured high-level interventions on the major challenges shaping Europe’s competitiveness, from AI and technological sovereignty to defence, sustainability, healthcare, and trade. Through panel discussions and thematic breakout sessions, participants exchanged ideas on reducing strategic dependencies, strengthening innovation, supporting SMEs, advancing the green transition, and empowering young people to contribute directly to EU policymaking. By creating a space for dialogue between youth and decision-makers, the project highlighted the importance of collaborative and future-oriented solutions to build a more resilient, competitive, and inclusive EU.

Europe Get Ready - Youth Citizens’ Dialogue on EU Crisis Preparedness

Location: Stam Europa

Date: 18/03/2026

Project: CitiDem

Guest speakers: Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul, MEP Tobias Cremer, MEP Lukas Sieper

Bringing together more than 100 young participants, European policymakers, and experts, the event created a space for dialogue on one of the European Union’s most pressing challenges: crisis preparedness. Held ahead of the 8th European Citizens’ Panel on preparedness and resilience, the initiative aimed to encourage citizens - particularly young people aged 18 to 30 - to actively contribute to the debate on the future of Europe through the Citizens’ Engagement Platform and other participatory mechanisms.

The event featured interventions and discussions from high-level speakers who exchanged directly with participants on how the EU can better anticipate and respond to crises ranging from natural disasters to geopolitical tensions and disinformation. Through interactive workshops and citizens’ dialogues, participants explored concrete solutions to strengthen Europe’s resilience, including proposals on cybersecurity training, democratic participation, social cohesion, and combating misinformation. By connecting young citizens with European institutions and ensuring that participants’ recommendations were published directly on the Citizens’ Engagement Platform, “Europe Get Ready” highlighted the importance of inclusive democratic engagement in shaping a more resilient, united, and prepared Europe.

Have Your Say in EU Decision-Making Workshops 

Location: Brussels School of Governance and KU Leuven Brussels Campus

Date: 22/10/2025, 29/10/2025

Project: ParticipEU

The workshops brought together students and young citizens in Brussels to explore how individuals can actively influence European policymaking through participatory democracy tools such as the ECI and the Citizens’ Engagement Platform. The workshops combined practical learning with interactive group activities, enabling participants to better understand how EU competences, Treaty provisions, and legislative mechanisms function in practice. By focusing on real-life issues identified by participants themselves, the initiative encouraged young people to reflect on how citizens can contribute directly to shaping Europe’s political future.

Through hands-on exercises and an ECI simulation, participants worked in small groups to design their own ECIs, identify relevant EU competences, and formulate concrete policy proposals linked to existing Treaty articles. The workshops highlighted the practical dimensions of citizen participation and offered participants a clearer understanding of how democratic engagement at the European level can move from ideas to actionable proposals. Beyond strengthening knowledge of EU policymaking processes, the events also encouraged participants to further develop their initiatives and continue engaging with European democratic tools beyond the workshops themselves.

Europe’s Defence Moment with MEP Petras Auštrevičius

Location: Stam Europa

Date: 30/09/2025

Project: ParticipEU

Guests: MEP Petras Austrevicius; Michael Merker; Christelle Savall

The event brought together policymakers, experts, and young citizens to discuss the future of European defence and security in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment. Focusing on the historical foundations of European defence, the current strategic landscape, and the prospects for a more integrated European approach, the event explored key questions surrounding security cooperation, defence policy, and the financial realities shaping Europe’s strategic autonomy. By creating a space for direct dialogue between citizens and decision-makers, the initiative aimed to make complex defence and security debates more accessible to young audiences and encourage greater civic engagement on European strategic issues.

The event featured high-level exchanges with representatives from the European Parliament and the European External Action Service, offering participants a unique opportunity to engage directly with experts involved in shaping Europe’s defence agenda. Discussions highlighted the growing importance of EU defence cooperation, the challenges posed by global instability, and the role of democratic participation in shaping Europe’s strategic future. Through audience interaction, open debate, and exchanges between policymakers and participants, the event demonstrated the strong interest of young Europeans in defence and security issues and highlighted the importance of inclusive civic dialogue in strengthening European democracy and resilience.

Location: Stam Europa

Date: 14/07/2025

Organized in partnership with ALDA and JEF Belgium

The event brought together more than 50 citizens for an open discussion with MEP Wouter Beke. The event aimed to strengthen the connection between European institutions and citizens by creating a direct space for dialogue on some of the EU’s most pressing geopolitical challenges.

The discussion focused on the EU’s evolving role in the global landscape, with particular attention to foreign policy, defence preparedness, and international partnerships. Participants had the opportunity to engage directly with MEP Wouter Beke through questions and exchanges on Europe’s security ambitions and the future of EU cooperation in an increasingly uncertain international context. By encouraging open debate between citizens and elected representatives, the event highlighted the importance of democratic participation and civic dialogue in shaping Europe’s strategic future.

Europe’s Digital Renaissance

Location: Stam Europa

Date: 01/07/2025

Guests: MEP Brando Benifei, Constantin Griesler, Ferdinand Casier

The event brought together policymakers, digital industry representatives, and young citizens to discuss how Europe is shaping the future of AI and digital innovation. Focusing on the opportunities and challenges linked to the AI-driven transformation of European societies, the event explored key topics such as the AI Act, the digital single market, digital governance, and responsible innovation. By creating a dialogue between European institutions, industry leaders, and citizens, the initiative aimed to strengthen understanding of how emerging technologies are transforming Europe’s economic, social, and democratic landscape.

The event featured contributions from leading voices in European digital policy and innovation, including MEP Brando Benifei, co-rapporteur of the AI Act, Ferdinand Casier from Agoria, and Constantin Gissler from DOT Europe. Participants had the opportunity to engage in discussions on ethical AI, technological sovereignty, and the importance of future-oriented digital regulation, while also reflecting on how innovation intersects with democratic participation and youth engagement. Through debates, audience interaction, and networking exchanges, the event highlighted the need for an inclusive and responsible digital transformation capable of strengthening Europe’s democratic and technological resilience.

European Picnics

Location: Parc du Cinquantenaire and Leopold Park

Dates: 15/06/2025, 09/07/2025, 30/07/2025

Guest: MEP Frank Schwalba 

During the summer of 2026, Stand Up for Europe organized three editions of the “ParticipEU European Picnics” in Brussels, transforming Parc du Cinquantenaire and Leopold Park, in front of the House of European History, into informal spaces for democratic participation and civic exchange. Designed as accessible and interactive outdoor events, the picnics brought together young people, trainees of the EU institutions, exchange students, and local residents to explore participatory democracy in a relaxed and multilingual setting. The first picnic focused on the ECI and the Citizens’ Platform through interactive games such as “AI or ECI”, where participants learned how to identify and pitch real citizen initiatives. The second picnic centred on citizen participation in EU policymaking and encouraged participants to share their ideas on Europe’s future through discussions and collaborative activities. The third picnic explored EU priorities and public spending through playful activities such as the “EU Budget Sack Race” and “Cards Against Eurocracy: The New European Budget Edition”, introducing participants to debates surrounding the European budget and democratic decision-making.

Across the three events, participants had the opportunity to engage with European democratic tools in a creative and accessible way while building connections with other young Europeans. The informal open-air format encouraged spontaneous conversations, peer-to-peer participation, and repeated attendance, with many participants returning for later editions and inviting friends and colleagues to join. By bringing democratic discussions into symbolic public spaces close to the EU institutions, the European Picnics demonstrated how creative and community-driven approaches can lower barriers to engagement and foster greater participation in European democratic life.

Youthwell Project EU Parliament Virtual Simulation

Location: Stam Europa

Date: 08/05/2025

Around 40 young participants and youth workers from seven European countries gathered in Brussels for the Youthwell Training Exchange, an international mobility programme focused on resilience, inclusion, participation, and mental health and wellbeing among young people. The initiative aimed to empower underrepresented groups and promote key European Youth Goals through interactive learning activities, exchanges of experiences, and collaborative workshops. The programme combined indoor sessions with outdoor activities designed to encourage intercultural dialogue, active participation, and community-building among participants.

As part of the project, Stand Up For Europe led a half-day workshop on “Forms & Tools of Youth Participation in the EU Decision-Making Process”. Through a dynamic simulation of the EU legislative process, participants stepped into the role of MEPs, negotiating amendments and building consensus while learning about the respective roles of the European Commission, Parliament, and Council. The second part of the workshop focused on citizen participation tools, particularly the ECI, allowing participants to explore successful campaigns, discover ongoing initiatives, and better understand how citizens can directly influence EU policymaking. By combining democratic education with youth empowerment and wellbeing-focused activities, the event highlighted the importance of inclusive participation and active citizenship in building a more resilient and engaged generation of young Europeans.

Youth priorities for the future of the eu

15 October 2024 17H00 - 20H00 STAM Europa Rue d’Arlon 104, Brussels

Youth priorities for the future of the eu

European Commission’s Plans for the Future of the EU

🇪🇺 Join us for an engaging session led by KMOP Policy Centre, where you can experience the EU's Cohesion Policy in action through the virtual simulation, "Cohesion Island." As decision-makers in this interactive game, you'll navigate key challenges and opportunities, showcasing how EU funds foster sustainable and inclusive development across Europe. 

World Cafe ‘Youth Perspective on EU Priorities 2024-2029’

🗣️🇪🇺Participatory session designed to foster meaningful discussions on four critical legislative areas. Organized in a World Café format, participants will rotate between thematic tables: Youth Engagement & Education, Environment & Climate, Security & Defence, Gender, Inclusion & Human Rights.

Dialogue with Young MEPS