EU Citigen'Z aimed to give 16-23 year olds and first-time voters the keys to understanding the EU and becoming active citizens. The project was based on three innovative areas: - INFORMING about the EU via social media, with content tailored to young people, and two campaigns, one before the European elections and the other based on a competition to approach the EU in a fun way. - UNDERSTANDING and clarifying the impact of the EU, its values, challenges and opportunities, through a platform offering videos, infographics, thematic dossiers and learning pathways, accessible to young people and youth workers. - ACTING, training youth professionals to relay these topics and, above all, involving young people in citizenship pathways, with a final Ideathon to imagine the Europe of tomorrow. EU Citigen'Z wanted to have an impact on several levels: – young people and youth workers: providing them with tools to engage as European citizens; – partner organisations: strengthening their legitimacy to train and inform about the EU; – national and European decision-makers: encouraging them to further integrate EU education into youth policies.
The EU Citigen'Z project was born out of an observation: despite a slight increase in youth participation in the 2019 European elections, their engagement remains low, especially among 18-24 year olds. According to the European Parliament's Youth Survey 2024, 46% of young people are truly familiar with the EU; the DGEAC's Learning Europe at School report shows that 35% of those over 14 know who elects MEPs. This lack of knowledge fuels mistrust of the EU, even though studies show that citizenship education increases civic participation. However, according to Eurobarometer 455, young people are calling for more education about the EU, which is virtually absent from the youth sector, and the European Youth Strategy 2019-2027 highlights the urgent need to strengthen their sense of belonging to Europe. To meet these needs, EU Citigen'Z took action before and after the 2024 elections to mobilise young people and strengthen their connection with the EU, advocating for better integration of the education about EU into youth policies. Carried out in five countries (France, Ireland, Portugal, Germany and Slovenia), the project offers education on active European citizenship for young people and youth workers.