Children demand dialogue with EU officials & better processes for participation

Date: 23rd November 2015
Category: Respect for the views of the child

On 18 and 19 November, Eurochild welcomed children from across Europe to Brussels to talk with Members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials about their involvement in decision-making processes.

The children started on Wednesday afternoon with a workshop at the European Parliament, where they shared experiences of their involvement in CATS (Children as Actors for Transforming Society), in research, in Investing in Children schemes in the UK and in a project against violence in Italy.

Children and adults exchanged experiences on children's participation in small groups. They also shared obstacles that prevent the meaningful participation of children and gathered ideas on how decisions made at European level affecting children and young people can be improved.

Children and young people would like to have more of a dialogue with MEPs and adults in general:

"we need more interaction of children with adults".

They raised the question how this could be realised.

"More funding and support is needed to enable their participation at European level."

Several children raised the idea to set up a European children's council or parliament, where children from national children's councils and parliaments would be united and consulted on European issues.

Anna-Maria Corazza Bildt MEP and co-chair of the parliamentary intergroup on children's rights said that the intergroup would place children's participation on its agenda. She also suggested that children and young people use social media to contact MEPs.