Last year the EU celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Interreg” with three key priorities that have been promoted during the whole year: neighbours, green and youth. In fact, youth is a key priority for both the European Territorial Cooperation and Macroregional strategies. We are committed to involve young people in the decision-making processes and to help them cooperating and working together across borders and to share their innovative ideas. 

The Youth Manifesto published last year gathers ideas and recommendations of young people so that Interreg and Macro-regional strategies can be more in line with their expectations. 

The Commission welcomes the renovated engagement on Youth in the EUSAIR and we consider the Young PROPRI initiative as an important step to make the involvement of young people in the schools, universities, associations, NGOs, administrations and in the business more embedded in the EUSAIR activities and governance.

Cooperation and co-creation are gaining more and more importance, where each person contributes to the result with the work he is most skilled at. Co-creation is also a skill that needs to be learned and the younger we are, the easier it goes. Through co-creation, goals that address the real needs of time and space are achieved or even exceeded more quickly.

Barbara Zrimšek is a renowned Slovenian journalist and TV editor, dealing with European projects linked with sustainable development,environment, ecology and food. She shared with us some thoughts about the importance of supporting young people in following thier entrepreneurial dreams.