EU Youth Conference takes place in Copenhagen under the Danish Presidency

Last updated on Friday, 19/09/2025

The EU Youth Conference under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (21–23 Sept 2025, Copenhagen) will gather youth delegates and policymakers to discuss the next generation of Erasmus+.

From 21 to 23 September 2025, the EU Youth Conference will take place in Copenhagen under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This key event forms part of the 11th Cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue and follows on from the Lublin conference held in last March under the Polish Presidency.

Youth delegates, policymakers and institutional representatives from across Europe will come together to discuss the future direction of the EU youth programmes, including the new Erasmus+ beyond 2027. Through 8 thematic working groups, participants will co-create proposals on areas such as inclusion, citizenship skills, volunteering and youth organisations. These recommendations will be consolidated into a joint policy paper, which will be presented to relevant EU institutions at the close of the conference.

The conference will be attended by several senior decision-makers, including Executive Vice President Mînzatu, Commissioner Micallef and Mattias Tesfaye, Danish Minister for Children and Education as well as Marie Bjerre, Danish Minister of European Affairs. 

Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, added :

“Investing in our young people – whether it be in education, training or skills development – is an investment in Europe’s resilience. Europe needs its youth to be informed and engaged about the societies and democracies in which they live. The EU Youth Conference in Copenhagen is an opportunity to meet and listen to young people, to help inform policies that best prepare them for the future – including through skills for active citizenship. An enhanced Erasmus+ programme is crucial for connecting young people across communities and across borders.”  

Speaking ahead of the conference, Commissioner Micallef, emphasised the importance of youth involvement :

“The EU Youth Dialogue is one of our strongest tools to promote young people’s engagement and the EU Youth Conferences are important milestones in this respect. The conference will allow us to build on the structures we have established to ensure that young people are part of the policy formulation process.” 

What’s next

The joint policy paper will be shared with the Youth Working Party, the European Commission and the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee (CULT), ensuring that young people voices continue to shape decisions at the highest levels.

Background

The EU Youth Dialogue is the EU’s most important mechanism for consulting young people. During the current 11th cycle, 38 000 young people have been consulted on topics related to how to strengthen the connection between the EU and young people. The consultations will result in concrete policy proposals which are intended to be implemented both a the local, regional, national and European levels.