Following an invitation of the Cabinet of Commissioner Margot Wallström, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) Youth Team visited on 1st February 2007 the European Commission headquarters in Brussels to exchange their views of youth involvement in Europe with the assistant of Commissioner Wallström, Mr Lars Falkebäck.

Mr Falkebäck outlined the Commission’s Plan ‘D’ to reach out to European citizens and to involve them actively into the activities of the European Union. In turn, the AER Youth Team presented the AER project of Youth Mainstreaming and its projects such as eco-schools and healthy living between the AER regions.

Both sides agreed that the AER could deliver substantial support to increase the involvement of young people in European discussions and that the AER and the European Commission should intensify their cooperation to bring Europe and European Institutions closer to young adults.

The meeting with the European Commission was part of a two-day meeting programme of the AER Youth Team to further develop in detail its working programme for 2007 among them an eco-school project, events on healthy living as well as the topic of youth and media.

The main aim of the Youth Team is mainstreaming youth within the AER and through that involving them into the decision-making processes on a European level. The AER and the Youth Team find it essential to have young people deciding about the issues concerning them and having an impact on their lives throughout Europe. The Youth Team functions as a link between local, regional and national youth councils/parliaments and the AER.

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