Giving youth a real say at the Council of Europe

The meeting formed part of the preparations for the upcoming Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, which will take place in Monaco, from 3 to 4 November 2026, ensuring that young people’s perspectives are included in discussions and decision-making processes related to the future of European sport policy.

Throughout the event, participants exchanged experiences and reflections on the current challenges affecting safe and healthy sport. Together, they developed a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening accessibility, wellbeing, safeguarding, and participation in sport at local, national, and European levels. These recommendations were later presented during the Plenary Meeting of the EPAS Governing Board and Consultative Committee, where young participants had the opportunity to directly contribute to the discussions.

As part of the programme, Siiri Turunen and EUSA representative Milia facilitated a workshop focused on the EUYOUSPORT project and mechanisms for youth participation in sport governance and decision-making. During the session, participants were introduced to findings from the EUYOUSPORT survey examining the current state of youth participation in sport structures across Europe.

The workshop also created space for participants to exchange best practices and discuss existing models for strengthening youth engagement within sport organisations. A recurring point raised during the discussions was that young people remain significantly underrepresented in sport governance and decision-making processes. Participants emphasised the importance of promoting meaningful youth participation through stronger intergenerational cooperation and shared decision-making structures.

ENGSO Youth’s participation in the event reinforced the organisation’s commitment to advocating for safer, healthier, and more inclusive sport environments, while continuing to strengthen the role of young people in shaping the future of sport governance across Europe and particularly advancing with the inclusion of the youth perspective within the sport division of the Council of Europe. 

We would like to thank the Sport Division of the Council of Europe, EPAS members and all the youth participants for the fruitful discussions. ENGSO Youth looks forward to continue to cooperate together ahead of the Ministerial Conference in Monaco.