From 7 to 10 October 2026, 20 youth workers from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania and Serbia participated in a study visit to Brussels within the EYES – Empowering Youth for Equal Success project.
One of the main meetings was held with representatives of the European Youth Forum, a platform representing the interests of young people and youth organizations at the European level. The participants discussed youth unemployment, the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, access to quality and paid traineeships, the transition from education to employment and the barriers faced by young people from vulnerable groups. Particular attention was also paid to the role of youth organizations in shaping and improving European policies.
On 8 October, the group visited the European Parliament, where they were welcomed by Kalin Zahariev, an accredited parliamentary assistant in the team of Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Andrey Novakov.
During the meeting, the participants learned more about the work of the European Parliament and how the challenges and proposals of young people can reach the European institutions. The discussion covered European youth employment policies, support for NEET youth and young people from vulnerable groups, skills development, traineeships, entrepreneurship and the role of cohesion policy in creating opportunities in smaller cities and rural areas.
Participants shared concrete challenges from their countries and discussed how the findings and experience of youth organizations could be transformed into realistic recommendations for the European institutions.
As part of the programme, the group also visited the Parlamentarium – the European Parliament’s visitors’ centre. Through its interactive exhibition, the participants learned more about the history of European integration, the role of the European Parliament and how decisions taken at the European level affect the daily lives of citizens.
The study visit formed part of the communication and advocacy activities of the EYES project and contributed to strengthening the knowledge and capacities of youth workers in the fields of employment, social inclusion and equal access to opportunities.