The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is a unique educational programme which brings together young people from all over Europe to discuss current topics in a parliamentary setting. As a network of independent associations, EYP is present in 38 European countries with almost 600 events taking place every year. The EYP network organises almost 1.500 days of EYP activity every year, involving close to 35.000 participants.
The European Youth Parliament’s mission is to inspire and empower young Europeans to become open-minded, tolerant and active citizens.
The EYP encourages independent thinking and initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since it was conceived in 1987, hundreds of thousands of young people have taken part in regional, national and international sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond borders. The EYP has thus made a vital contribution towards European unity and bridging gaps between cultures.
Today the EYP is one of the largest European platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, European civic education and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The Berlin-based Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organisation of the EYP.
EYP is a programme for young people, run by young people. We are proud to have over 3500 active volunteers all over Europe, running the EYP’s National Committees, organising events, chairing committees, acting as session journalists, in short, being the heart and soul of EYP and the reason for its existence.
The EYP Armenia represents a non‐partisan and independent educational project which is tailored entirely to the needs of young leaders. It attempts to empower the Armenian youth and prepare future leaders through non‐formal education, striving to create a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and democratic values. EYP Armenia offers a platform for young people to bring forward and discuss the socio‐economic, political, environmental issues put on the agenda of the European and Armenian leaders, thus ensuring the best mechanisms for self‐development and youth engagement.
Since the establishment of EYP Armenia in 2012, more than 120 projects have been implemented, which include 20 big‐scale forums and conferences. In March 2019 EYP Armenia hosted the biggest youth conference ever held in Armenia: Yerevan 2019 – 89th International Session of the European Youth Parliament. In the scope of these programs the number of young people participating from Armenia exceeded 10000, as well as more than 1000 young people from various foreign countries have visited Armenia. The most outstanding ideas discussed during the projects are then supported by EYP Armenia for realisaon.
Today the EYP is one of the largest platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The EYP consists of a network of 38 European associations and organisations in which thousands of young people are active in a voluntary capacity. These National Committees, such as EYP Armenia, are the backbone of EYP, introducing thousands of young people to our methodology and sessions every year. They also organise numerous other events of the EYP on a national or international level, such as Regional Sessions, National Sessions, EYP Days and International Forums.
At the international level, the EYP is governed by an international board, the Governing Body (GB). The Governing Body has six members elected by the National Committees and by the alumni of past International Sessions. One representative of the Schwarzkopf Foundation is also a part of it. The Governing Body is responsible for EYP policy making and executive decisions. It facilitates the general development of the EYP, guides its policies, and works on the quality assurance of International Sessions, as well as long term sustainability and protection of the whole organisation.
The National Committees are represented in the Board of National Committees (BNC), which submits policy proposals and advises the GB on all general matters.
The day-to-day business of the organisation is administered by the EYP Office located in Berlin. An Executive Director runs the office and is responsible for the supervision of the International Sessions according to the quality guidelines of the GB as well as for research, the start and fostering of international fundraising, the establishment and fostering of cooperation with other organisations, the contact with National Committees, and all other administrative matters. The current Executive Director of the EYP is Ms Anya Suprunenko.