About us

Since 1987, the European Youth Parliament (EYP) has inspired and empowered hundreds of thousands of young people to be open-minded, tolerant and active citizens. The European Youth Parliament United Kingdom (EYPUK) is a non-partisan and independent educational charity (no. 1029243), and the UK's National Committee of the EYP.

We engage young people aged 11-25 from all backgrounds with UK and European political issues, providing them with a platform to express their opinions whilst building new skills, confidence, and friendships. Thousands of young people are actively involved as volunteers all over Europe, making the EYP a genuinely youth-driven programme – run by young people, for young people. The entire network, made up of more than 30,000 young people, organises hundreds of events every year.

What makes us unique:

  • Non-Formal Education: Our programmes allow participants to learn and develop a diverse set of skills through a fully immersive social, cultural and educational programme.

  • Peer-Led: All our activities as well as the organisation and governance of the EYP network are organised for and by young Europeans.

  • Voluntary: The EYP is shaped by young volunteers with the primary purpose to create a much-needed platform for youth.

  • Diverse and Inclusive: Our programmes actively seek out young people from all social backgrounds to ensure a diverse mix of participants. In EYPUK, our EurVoice outreach programme aims to engage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

  • Active Alumni network: Through friendships and connections we create in the network, the network initiates bonds that can last for decades and have a lasting impact.

“Getting involved in EYPUK completely changed my future trajectory! The experiences gave me not only a greater understanding of current political issues, but a huge amount of confidence and real-world experience in organising events, resolving conflicts, leading teams, and managing budgets which has proved helpful in both university and job applications, and my career now. The opportunities EYPUK offers to young people, in the UK and across Europe are incredible and its impact has been momentous.”

-Feedback from a long term participant

Our Impact

Large-scale evaluations of the EYP experience and societal impact of the programme, based on five International Sessions, our flagship events, in 2018 and 2019, have shown that the EYP:

Raises awareness of European issues and encourages active European citizenship

  • Almost all respondents agreed that by taking part in the event, their understanding of European decision-making improved, leaving them motivated to learn more about European topics.

  • 90% of respondents felt that their participation increased their willingness to get involved in society and/or politics

  • 99% of participants felt that they were motivated to address issues that affect the people and environment around them.

Promotes international understanding, intercultural dialogue and diversity of ideas and practices

  • 94% of respondents felt that their participation taught them to better recognise and respect different perspectives.

Contributes to the personal skills development of European youth

  • 72% of participants felt that participating in an EYP session helped improve their English.

  • 75% of participants felt that participating in EYP offered them insights into areas they could potentially work in in the future.

Provides a forum in which young people of Europe can express their own opinions, without reverting to role play

  • There is a strong sentiment amongst all participants that taking part in an EYP session helps them become more confident in expressing their views in front of others.