After an extensive selection process, the first EYCA Youth Panel is ready to begin its work. The Panel consists of 10 young people from 9 countries in the EYCA network:

• Aleksa Zivkovic | Serbia
• Alexandra Sipos | Hungary
• Ali Khaled Ali NOOR | France
• Huw Sherrard | Scotland, United Kingdom
• Judit Iván | Hungary
• Julia Fernández Arribas | Spain
• Luka Keserič | Slovenia
• Mark Anthony Borg | Malta
• Markos Chionos | Greece
• Serena Boukelmoun | Luxembourg

The idea of the EYCA Youth Panel was proposed by a group of cardholders attending the EYCA Conference in Belgrade in 2017. The aim of the Youth Panel is to be the voice of European Youth Cardholders when EYCA projects and programmes are designed, in order to maximise their positive impact on young people’s lives. In addition, the Panel will work to offer the EYCA Board insights into the challenges young people face and will also receive support from EYCA to champion the causes they are passionate about.

Their two-year mandate will start in March with an initial meeting in Prague where the Panel will work to define their priorities, objectives and strategies to achieve them. The Panel will also attend the EYCA Conference in June in Slovenia, meeting directly with the EYCA Board and all member organisations.