Over 75 delegates from all over Europe met in Zagreb (Croatia) last weekend for the Autumn Executive Committee of the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC).

As is the case with every Autumn Executive Committee, delegates have been discussing membership applications of new organisations waiting to join LYMEC and help spread liberalism. LPYO Moldova and ZARES Aktivni Slovenia are now new applicant member organizations, while L2 from Belgium and European Youth of Ukraine became observers.

Furthermore, the Bureau Members reported about their activities in the last months, the Programme of Action was discussed, and the draft budget for next year was adopted by member organizations and individual member delegates.

Delegates also had the possibility to listen to Vesna Pusic, one of the main speakers of the opposition HNS (Hrvatska narodna stranka – Liberalni Demokrati / Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats) and contender for Croatian Presidential elections on December 27th 2010.

Preceding the Executive Committee, a seminar on Energy Security in Europe took place, a topic that has been in political and public focus in recent years for a variety of reasons: as a an ecological question in the face of climate change, as an economic question in the face of growing fossil fuel prices and as a political question in the face of growing geopolitical tensions. The seminar addressed this important topic from all three perspectives, with the main focus given to the geopolitical considerations for Europe.

This weekend, the Presidents of LYMEC member organizations met in Aachen to discuss about Science, Innovation and Higher Education: The Future of Europe. The European Liberal Youth - LYMEC, every year creates an opportunity for the Presidents of its member organizations to meet, exchange, network and discuss politics. This year’s seminar was held in cooperation with the Federal Association of Liberal Student Groups (LHG) of Germany. Aachen is with its long history as one of the central cities of Europe and has one of the leading European universities, the RWTH Aachen, which is especially known for its global outreach in the field of engineering, provided the perfect place to discuss this important subject.

During the course of the event, also thanks to distinguished speakers such as Dr. Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (Member of the European Parliament), it became clear that more investment in higher education as well as a closer European cooperation in science and research are the best ways towards more economic growth and innovation.

Some follow-up actions will be undertaken by LYMEC's Liberal Students Network (ELSN) in two areas: how EU can promote the competitiveness/excellence of our universities (private/public funding, etc.), and how to approach the social mobility issue in this context (student selection, tuition fees, etc.). The LYMEC bureau will furthermore look into the issue of EU patent policy with a view of proposing a resolution on the topic at the forthcoming LYMEC congress.

The first weekend of October, the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) together with the Movimento Liberal Social (MLS) and the European Liberal Forum (ELF) organised a four-day seminar on the future of individual participation in European politics. About 40 young liberals from all over Europe met in Portugal’s capital Lisbon to discuss issues related to influencing politics on European Union level as an individual. The seminar was funded by the European Parliament.

From the 25th until 30th of July around 150 young liberals gathered at Hove Leir in Arendal, Norway, for the joint LYMEC/NUV summercamp. The summercamp this year was hosted by Norges Unge Venstre (NUV) and gathered about 40 international participants from all over Europe on top of the local participants from Norway. It was the first time that LYMEC organised its summercamp in conjunction with the summercamp of one of its member organisations.

LYMEC participants debated about climate change and developed an open letter to the Swedish EU presidency providing recommendations in preparation for the UN summit to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009.

LYMEC President Aloys Rigaut stated at the summercamp: 'Liberals are in government in Sweden and Denmark, and I am confident that they will do their utmost to make this UN summit a success. Of course this also depends on the good will of our partners throughout the world, but still, the EU can and should play a leadership role', before adding 'I am happy that this event could take place. NUV summercamp did definitely live up to its reputation! By our presence we also wanted to give support to NUV's cause for Norway to join the European Union as well as to their outstanding international work'.

In the beginning of this week, the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) together with the ALDE group organised a two-day event accompanying the inaugural session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Over 20 young liberals from all across Europe not only witnessed the election of Jerzy Buzek (EPP) as the first President of the European Parliament coming from one of the new member states and could visit the hemicycle inside the Strasbourg parliament building, but also had the opportunity to meet both the outgoing as well as the incoming leader of the liberal group.

LYMEC Vice President Alexander Plahr declared: 'It was an excellent opportunity to be present during these first days of the new legislature. Former ALDE group leader Graham Watson provided us with great insight into the current state of European Parliament politics and group negotiations in a truly informal and accessible way. We are very much looking forward to have him handling EU-China relations in the future, an area which clearly is of utmost importance for us Europeans in the world of the 21st century.'

The European Young Liberals (LYMEC) held a seminar on civil liberties in both Bratislava and Vienna. Liberals are viewed by many other political ideologies as only being connected to economic liberalism. However with this seminar LYMEC showed that this is not the case. Our democracy is nothing without the rule of law, something which is essential for a true liberal democracy.

During the seminar a large number of topics were discussed. Dries Holvoet, LYMEC bureau member during the seminar stated: "These values are the bases of our society. Without these fundamental rights our society would not be as developed as it now is: freedom of speech is, as Mill argued, not only there for political issues; in science the freedom of speech can let science be progressed (or we should still live with the idea that the world is flat)."

Last weekend LYMEC - the European Liberal Youth - held its annual Congress and Executive Committee in Rome. Following a seminar on civil liberties (see separate article) the young liberals met to discuss a number of political resolutions, decide the course of the organisation for the coming months and adopt the financial and annual reports. The event also saw the presentation of LYMEC's three thematic campaigns on
free trade, civil liberties and the EU budget.

The participants from all over Europe were addressed by such distinguished speakers as Mrs Annemie Neyts, President of ELDR, Mrs Flo Clucas, President of the ALDE group in the Committee of regions as well as Mr Leoluca Orlando and Niccolo Rinaldi as MEP candidates for Italia dei Valori.

Last week the European Liberal Youth LYMEC met in Tivoli near Rome to discuss about data protection and privacy in 21st century Europe. The four day seminar titled “Choice, Information, Privacy: three great challenges for future decision makers” gathered about 30 young liberals from all across Europe. The event was co-organised with the support of the ALDE Group in the Committee of the Regions and with the assistance of Youth Department of Italia dei Valori.

The seminar addressed the status of civil liberties in the context of today’s fast developing information technology. Seminar participants discussed the freedom of press as well as free access to information. A special focus was put on data protection in the context of internet and new social media.

Last week the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) together with MEP Ramona Manescu and members of European Liberal Student Network (ELSN) held a seminar about student services and the future of the Bologna Process. About 20 young students from several European countries met at the ULB University in Brussels.

Last week the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) together with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) organised a two-day Winter Academy in the European Parliament. About 90 young liberals and democrats from 27 European countries met to discuss issues related to migration, integration and the situation of refugees. The Winter Academy was co-organised with the Young Democrats for Europe (YDE).

Dr. Marlou Schrover of Leiden University provided an overview of the history of migration, while Prof. Gerald Willmann from the University of Leuven and Prof. Dr. Marc de Vos from the Itinera Institute gave an insight into the economics of migration.

The meeting created a significant contact opportunity for young liberals & democrats with Members of the European Parliament, as they had a meeting with the ALDE group where they discussed with Graham Watson MEP, group leader, and many other distinguished MEPs.

Preceding its 2008 EC and extraordinary congress in Brussels, LYMEC together with its member organisation Jeunes MR organised a seminar in Liege entitled “Mobility in the Europe of Regions: A key to integration” from November 18th – 21st. The event was co-organised and sponsored by the ALDE Group in the Committee of the Regions.

What are the added values and future role of the Committee of the Regions in Europe? What is the liberal vision for the Europe of regions and for the Committee of the Regions? What are the obstacles to interregional mobility in Europe? Is local politics only practical politics? Those were among the questions discussed by about 40 young liberals from across Europe present at the seminar.

The Young Leaders Meeting (YLM), which gathers every year the presidents of LYMEC’s member organisations, took place in Varna, Bulgaria, from 9 to 12 October, with the support of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The theme of this year’s YLM was “What future for Europe – with or without the Lisbon Treaty?”.

Young liberal leaders reiterated their support to the Lisbon Treaty and its swift ratification by the remaining Member States, expressing confidence that a pragmatical solution would be found to the Irish no. Going further, they put the Treaty into practice by simulating a European Council meeting on a new (fictional) Georgia crisis, whereby Russia would seek to include Georgia’s separatist Republics into its Federation provoking a new war with Georgia.

From the 25th to the 28th of August, LYMEC together with the European Liberal Forum (ELF) organized a Summer School on Europe in Practice in Brussels. The event was specifically for young people who were not so familiar with the EU yet. Over 30 participants from all across the European Union took part and got an inside view in the Union's decision making process. Using of the recently finished "Television without frontiers" directive as a case study, the Summer School examined the process from the viewpoints of different key players.

Preceding its 2008 election congress in Barcelona, LYMEC together with its member organization Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya (JNC) organized a seminar called "Re-launching a strategic partnership: EU and Northern Africa" from April 29th - May 1st.

What can the EU do to lessen illegal immigration from Africa? How can democracy and the rule of law be advanced in North Africa? What can be done to improve the living conditions in those countries neighboring the Union? What are the economic dimensions of the EU-Maghreb relations? Those were some of the questions discussed by about 40 young liberals from across Europe present at the seminar.

Around 30 young European liberals gathered in Moldovan capital, Chisinau, from 6 to 9 March to discuss the future of Council of Europe in the context of EU enlargement. The seminar was co-organized with our Moldovan member organisation - the Youth of Alliance Moldova Noastra (OT-AMN).

The speakers included representatives from Council of Europe and European Commission to Moldova, as well as the German ambassador. Experts and activists from Moldovan civil society equally contributed to the debates. The young European liberals had an opportunity during the seminar to learn more about the political situation in the country and the positions of their Moldovan counterparts.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, together with LYMEC and the EDP youth organised from 3rd till 5th July the first ALDE summer school in the European Parliament in Brussels. LYMEC president Roger Albinyana addressed the ALDE group meeting to announce that LYMEC would work towards the Intergovernmental Conference with the aim to influence the direction in which the EU is going. LYMEC will propose to hold in public the decisive IGC meetings and will work to strengthen the liberal democratic nature of the final proposed European Reform Treaty in order to make Europe more democratic, more transparent, more accessible to citizens and more effective. LYMEC president Roger Albinyana also demanded the ALDE group to be radical in defense of our core liberal values and opened the doors of EDP youth's organisations to lobby together the IGC.

Young liberals from Europe attended the very first international conference held in Pristina which called for the immediate independence of Kosovo. The conference in Pristina was organised with joint efforts of ISEEL (Initiative of South East European Liberals), and European Liberal Youth - LYMEC. The conference was attended by thirty participants who had the chance to get to know Kosova's social, economic and political situation first hand.

LYMEC delegation of six delegates, lead by Slaven Klobucar and Jeroen Benning, visited capitals of Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. The reason for this trip was the fact finding mission which aimed to meet with the liberal forces in these countries and find out the real political situation in these countries. On the seven day round trip the LYMEC/VVD delegation met up with LDP (Liberal - Democrats Party) in Belgrade, LPCG (Liberal Party of Montenegro) in Podgorica and with representatives of AAK and PLK in Pristina.

LYMEC's conference Europe is Our Home - No visas for Students and Tourists finished today with its main session in the European Parliament in Brussels. The conference attended by more than 70 young liberals from across Europe was addressed by the leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, Graham Watson, and a number of liberal MEPs.

The European Liberal Youth - LYMEC - held its Executive Committee in Oslo, Norway, from Friday 24 November to Sunday 26 November. More than 75 delegates, present at the meeting, discussed and adopted a comprehensive Action Plan aimed at highlighting the political priorities and key issues that will drive the political action of LYMEC in the upcoming year.

More than 30 young European liberals and radicals from all over Europe met in Oslo in order to debate about globalisation and its effects on Europe in a globalised world. Climate change, corporate social responsibility, ownership, knowledge economy and competitiveness were some of the main objects discussed during the four days seminar.

More then 30 presidents and leaders of LYMEC member organisations gathered in Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, this past weekend to discuss Europe’s common energy policy.

The pressing theme could not have been discussed in a more suitable environment, given Lithuania’s and other Baltic states’ unique position in Europe as energy islands – a territory still dependent solely on Russia for energy supplies and disconnected from the rest of Europe’s power networks.

"Identity is a summary of recognition of similarities amongst people based on the perceptions of individuals. Considering the existing difficulty of even just agreeing on universal aspects of a national identity among citizens of long established countries, the finding of a common European Identity seems to be an irresolvable task".

From the 24th May – 28th May 2006 in the Austrian capital of Vienna, the European Liberal Youth - LYMEC - together with LSF Austria held successfully the seminar "European Identity – Where does Europe end?”

The purpose was to explore the term "European Identity" and the different meanings and implications attached to it. More than 25 young liberals from all around Europe gathered to carry out a common proposal for the development of a liberal policy.

This evening LYMEC organized, in the premises of the ELDR Party in Brussels, an exhibition of photos from Belarus presidential elections, taken by Gerald G. Folly, young liberal from Austria.

Gerald Folly was the only member of LYMEC Election Observation Mission who managed to get into Belarus, after other members of the LYMEC Mission saw their visa applications denied by Lukashenko’s regime.

The exhibition features the passion and endurance of the pro-democracy demonstrators in the capital Minsk immediately after the mock elections took place.

Sex, drugs and tolerance were on the agenda for LYMEC’s annual Young Leaders Meeting, gathering presidents of LYMEC member organisations, from 29th September to 2nd October.

Among those present to address the young liberals were Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, President of VLD, Bart Somers, and President of ELDR Party, Annemie Neyts MEP.

The conclusion of this year's LYMEC summer school was very obvious: regardless of some attempts by few neopopulist leaders to stop it, EU enlargement towards south-east Europe must continue.

Almost fifty participants from all over Europe discussed these last days in the impressive Croatian island of Hvar the steps that the countries in that region need to undertake in order to approach the EU.

The summer school was organised in cooperation with the Croatian People's Party Youth, LYMEC full member organisation in Croatia, and Fredrich Naumann Foundation office in Zagreb.

LYMEC together with CTLiberali and IRI is organising a women’s political development seminar that will take place in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova on 28-29 of June 2005. The subject of this seminar is “Strengthening Women’s Political Capacity and Skills”.

The main speaker during the seminar will be MEP Maria Carlshamre from the Liberal Party of Sweden in the European Parliament. The Liberal Party of Sweden is part of ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe).

Political commentator Andrew Heywood may be correct when he asserts that “all people are political thinkers,” but in contrast to this, it is clear that not all people translate these thoughts and ideas into political action. The issue of political inactivity amongst young people was just one of the many issues discussed and analysed as part of a recent LYMEC seminar.

From 25-29th May 2005, Gummersbach was the peaceful setting for a thought-provoking and brain-storming seminar on ‘Strengthening Political Youth Organisations’. Attended by almost 20 people representing liberal youth organisations from across Europe, the seminar brought into light some of the biggest challenges facing such organisations today.

LYMEC held its annual Congress and Executive Committee in Amsterdam, The Netherlands 8-10 April 2005. Around 150 delegates all over Europe gathered in Amsterdam, where event was smoothly organised by JOVD. The political outcome of the Congress is visible – a new political manifesto was adopted, together with several resolutions on new Youth Programme, political situation in Ukraine, European Constitution, software patents, Kyoto-protocol etc.

LYMEC held an Executive Committee and seminar on transatlantic relations in Rome last week (30 Nov-5 Dec 2004), which were organized in co-operation with Gioventù Liberale (FdGLI) and Radicali Italiani. Both events was attended at total for more than 70 participants, including representation from the Young Democrats of America, IFLRY and ISEEL.

LYMEC held last weekend a succesful conference on educational policy in Bucharest, Romania. Venue for the meeting was the world's second largest public building (after Pentagon), the Romania Parliament (also known as "Ceaucescu Palace"), hosted by Romanian Liberal Students Club.

During the last weekend, our annual Young Leaders Meeting (YLM) was held in the beautiful capital of Estonia, Tallinn. The event was organized by Youth Assembly of Estonian Centre Party and LYMEC with help by Estonian Reform Party Youth. Topic of this year’s YLM was EU-Russia relations and it was visited by many great speakers such as Grigory Yablinski, Kristiina Ojuland, Paul Goble, MP Küllo Arjakas, MP Rein Lang, MP Mailis Repš, MEP Alexander Alvaro and others.

FNSt, IFLRY and LYMEC in cooperation with TNL and VVD have the great pleasure of inviting you to this year summer school, which will take place in Costinesti, Romania from 18th until the 25th July.

The topic of this year’s summer school is “Conflicts in Areas of Ethno-political Tension”

You can find the invitation, application form and technical info under the documents section - LYMEC events.

For further information, please contact Charlotte Linvald, Vice President of LYMEC (charlotte.linvald@lymec.org)

The LYMEC seminar “The European Union: a state?” took place successfully from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th in Paris, France. This seminar was organised in co-operation with LYMEC’s Member Organisation in France, Jeunes Radicaux, who did an excellent job by approaching the concepts of state, French republicanism, subsidiarity, federalism and so on. Very basic notions but absolutely necessary in the frame of the current discussion for an EU Constitution.

The seminar gathered participants from many LYMEC Members that discussed and shared opinions about the constitutional path the EU should chose for its future. It was indeed very important for LYMEC to have a seminar on this subject in the context of debate on a European Constitution. Even in our own ranks, and despite our fierce European federalism belief, it is indeed frequent to hear fears about the possible emergence of an EU bureaucratic State that would go against liberal ideals.

Dear liberal friends,

On behalf of the Liberal Youth of Sweden (LUF) it is my pleasure to invite you to the LYMEC seminar Gender Policies in a European and Multicultural Perspective, to be held in November, 26th-28th in Stockholm. In connection to the seminar, in November 29th-30th we will organise a LYMEC Executive Committee.

The LYMEC seminar "European publicity & political marketing, theory and practical means" was held from 29 May to 1 June in the Theodor Heuss Akademie in Gummersbach, the well known German village in the large State of Renania North-Westphalia.

The seminar was sponsored by the German liberal foundation, Fredrich Naumann and it was conducted by Moritz Delbrück, former Vice-President of LYMEC.

The aim of this seminar consisted of gathering a reduced group of twenty-two participants, accurately selected beforehand and responsible for areas like campaigning, marketing, public relations in their respective Member Organisations and giving them the chance to increase their knowledge on all these areas by interacting with high level speakers and spin doctors. In essence, to bring together expert people from the academical, consulting and political side with those who could use all these inputs from their places of political responsibility.

Worried about the outcome of the Convention on the Future of Europe?

Wondering what the top EU leaders will say about it?

Interested in how the EU will address
the problems of South East Europe and enlargements to come?

All this and much more will be discussed during the EU Summit in Thessaloniki 20th - 21st June 2003.

LYMEC invities you to join its LIVE CHAT on the Thessaloniki Summit at www.chat.lymec.org this Sunday, June 15th, at 18h00 CET.

The conclusions of the discussion will be included in the LYMEC's statement on the Summit.

Looking forward to chatting with you

The LYMEC Bureau

Civic Youth Alliance of Serbia (CYA) and The Young Liberals of Norway (NUV) held a four day long seminar on campaigning and good governance in Sabac (Serbia) 18th – 22nd December 2002. Around 30 young people took part in the seminar.

Speech given by Mr. Ole Andreasen, MEP for Venstre, at the LYMEC seminar "Welcoming the new citizens" in Copenhagen" 12th-15th of December 2002.

Dear young liberal friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity of speaking here today, I’m honoured and grateful.

On this day you cannot avoid the word “historic”. These days are historic. The circle from Copenhagen to Copenhagen is about to be closed. Coming from Copenhagen, the delight is naturally that much greater. Nor, then, shall I conceal my pleasure at coming from a country, which, according to the opinion polls, is the country, which is most positive towards enlargement highest on the agenda.

The LYMEC seminar , demonstration and concert in connection with the EU Enlargement Summit in Copenhagen is approaching very soon. It will be a major event, so dont miss it!

Information on the event can be found at the website of the event www.enlargement.dk which will be updated regulary.

We look forward to welcome you in Copenhagen and we look forward to welcoming our new citizens in the Enlarged European Union!

The enlargement of the European Union will mean 75 million young people in the EU. A substantial group that must be heard not least in the debate on the future of Europe.

Therefore this conference “YOUROPA – THE FUTURE OF EUROPE” 5th-8th of December aims at making more young people participate actively in the debates about the future of Europe.

Hopefully there will also be a number of Liberals attending the conference, and I therefore encourage you to let the rest of us know if you will attend.

Marc Forné i Molné, Prime Minister of Andorra, stated during the opening of the LYMEC Extraordinary Congress in Escaldes, Principality of Andorra that "the European Union should respect the differences of those small countries like Andorra with specificities and particularities". Carles Gasòliba i Böhm, Vice-president of the Liberal International and Member of the European Parliament, also addressed a speech to the 65 delegates during the opening of the Congress.

"Violence, pornography, racism, national security interests, advertising" -
are there limits to the freedom of expression? Are those limits mainly in
ourselves or are there limits which shall not be infringed? Who sets those
limits and how are they legimized?

From 19th to 25th of September together with its partners from Lietuvos
Liberalus Jaunimas (LLJ) LYMEC held a seminar on these questions in Vilnius,
Lithaunia. 25 participants from many different countries including three
special guests from Belarus interacted with lectures given for examply by
the deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament, the secret service, NGOs
and GOs as well as the baltic representative of the
Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung. Meeting several representatives of minority
groups in Lithuania and visiting manifold institutions of freedom of
expression like the Grutas Park (where soviet monuments from the soviet
occupation are exposed) and the European Information Centre the seminar was
highly inspiring and diversified.

More than forty young liberal leaders from all over Europe will gather in Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands from the next 22 to 25 August. From Norway to Italy, from UK to Turkey, the liberal young leaders will discuss about the future of Europe with special regard to the Convention on the future of Europe that was launched the last 28 February. Dutch Ministers and Secretaries of State, Members of the European Parliament, Members of the Dutch Parliament, members of the Convention for the future of Europe... will take part on the program for the Young Leaders Meeting. The LYMEC Dutch Organisations, JD and JOVD, have been working hard to organise it.

LYMEC calls this meeting every year in order to gather all the Presidents from its Member Organisations and involve them in the European debate. In the past years, the meeting took place in Barcelona, Tenerife, Gibraltar or Milano, and topics like the institutional reform, the Europe of Regions, the reform on the Common Agricultural Policy were debated. The meeting will also allow the Presidents to know better each other and get closer to the discussion on certain European key issues.

The LYMEC,IFLRY, ISEEL, FNS summercamp in Croatia is approaching fast. All the additional information will be send out to the participants within the next days but if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Srd Kisevic at srd@lymec.org or Emil Kirjas at emil@iflry.org.

The Sinaia congress on the Easter weekend proved in many ways «biblical» for LYMEC. There, after many years of discussions, of deliberations that ended with no-votes, of waiting for the right moment, it finally happened - LYMEC became a European organisation. It was no longer a liberal kid movement of the European Union, following blindly the borders of the 15 member countries and the 12 members-in-waiting. The reasoning behind the change that opened the way to the entire Europe was simple – we believe in a Europe of common values and unity and we are willing to work on it, without delay, on an equal footing with our like-minded friends from across the continent.

OBS Deadline 1st of March for nomination at www.youth2002.dk

Youth 2002 is a European youth event with the intent to gather 1000 young people from all the EU-member states, applicant countries and the Balkans, at thirteen folk high schools in Denmark, in the summer of 2002. Youth 2002 is held in connection with the Danish EU-presidency. For 100EUR you can participate and ensure a liberal touch on the young EU constitution, which will be presented to thee senior EU politicians afterwards.

Deadlines for the LYMEC Congress 2002

The Congress in Sinaia in March 2002 will be an important meeting for LYMEC. Far-reaching proposals for statutory amendments are expected, as a result of the current constitutional process within LYMEC. According to the statutes, proposals for resolutions and statutory amendments must be submitted before a certain deadline to the LYMEC Office, by post, fax or e-mail. Find below all the relevant deadlines for the Executive and the Congress!

Federalist youth convention in Brussels

Like in Nice last year, the Young European Federalists (JEF) are about to hold a European Youth Convention on the Future of Europe after Nice. Under the slogan "Yes to the European federation", some 500 participants from European youth organisations will meet to discuss the challenges of enlargement and globalisation, as well as a democratic Europe for the citizens. The meeting will take place in Brussels on 6 October 2001. The aim of the convention is to outline common views to put forward to European decision-makers. Senior members of the European Parliament as well as Commissioners and leaders of Europe's youth movements will address the Convention.

LYMEC leaders gathered by the Rock

The political leaders of LYMEC's member organisations met in Britain's last colony, Gibraltar, in early September, for the annual Young Leaders Meeting. One of the discussion topics was "regionalism in Europe", a subject connected both to the EU's structural funds and and the future role of regions in Europe.