On 20 May 2026, during the 11th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) held in Skopje under the Presidency of the Republic of North Macedonia, the EUSAIR Youth Council (EYC) officially presented its Position Paper on Meaningful Youth Participation.
The Position Paper reflects the experiences, perspectives, and recommendations of young representatives engaged within the governance structures of EUSAIR and explores how youth participation can move beyond symbolic consultation toward more meaningful influence in decision-making processes.
Grounded in the three pillars of the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 — Engage, Connect, and Empower — the document analyses the current state of youth participation within EUSAIR, while addressing broader regional challenges affecting young people across the Adriatic-Ionian region, including democratic disengagement, brain drain, socio-economic inequalities, and limited awareness of macro-regional cooperation mechanisms.
Presented during the Youth Council plenary session titled “Youth at the Helm: Navigating Meaningful Participation in Macro-Regions”, the paper served as the basis for discussion among representatives of the EUSAIR Youth Council and youth representatives from other EU macro-regional strategies.
The Position Paper also puts forward a set of practical recommendations aimed at strengthening youth engagement, improving cooperation between governance structures and young people, and reinforcing the role of youth as active stakeholders in shaping the future of the Adriatic-Ionian region.
You can read the EYC Position paper here.