Exchange between the Euregios and the SPD parliamentary group

Earlier this year, EUREGIO Youth member Timo Dinkelborg completed a one-week work placement with the SPD parliamentary group in the Nordrhein-Westfalen state parliament. During this week, he had the opportunity to present EUREGIO Youth. Following this, on behalf of the SPD parliamentary group, EUREGIO welcomed state parliament members Inge Blask, spokesperson for European affairs and spokesperson for the Committee on Europe and International Affairs, and Nina Andrieshen, a member of the Committee on Family, Children and Youth.

Later in the week, an online discussion took place with the other Euregios active in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Andreas Kochs, Managing Director of Euregio Rhein-Waal, also took part in this discussion: “Every Euregio shapes its cooperation with and for young people in its own way – and it is precisely this diversity that is our strength. I am delighted that these insights are now being taken up at parliamentary level in the federal state. A targeted initiative at state level offers the opportunity to embed Euregional youth participation structurally – so that young people on both sides of the border have a permanent voice.”

It became clear that each Euregio pursues its own approach to working with and for young people. The discussion focused on existing initiatives, their benefits for young people, and successful approaches that can complement and reinforce one another. This provided a comprehensive overview of the various forms of Euregional youth participation in Nordrhein-Westfalen.

The findings from both discussions are now being incorporated into the preparation of a motion by the SPD parliamentary group. The aim is to embed strategies for Euregional youth participation within the institutional framework in the long term and to ensure their sustainability. This will not only create better conditions for new initiatives, but also establish stable structures that enable young people to have a say and play an active role on a permanent basis.