Elevating children's voices in EU decision-making

At Eurochild, we believe that children are the experts of their own lives and their voices must shape the policies affecting them. As an advocacy civil society organisation and as a network of 228 organisations across 41 countries, we commit to leading by example - ensuring meaningful, safe, and inclusive child participation in our work while empowering others to do the same.

In recent months, we brought together our Eurochild Children’s Council in Brussels to celebrate World Children’s Day. Through a three-day programme of meetings with key EU decision-makers, the children highlighted the importance of promoting children’s rights not only for children but with children.

Their week began with a meeting with representatives from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. The children presented their achievements, from their advisory role in Eurochild staff recruitment to their previous engagements with key EU decision-makers. This was followed by a discussion on major challenges facing children across Europe, including child participation, child poverty, discrimination, and the implications of the green and digital transitions. 

Later that day, the Eurochild Children’s Council also met with European Commission representatives from the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, as well as with European Parliament Vice-President Ewa Kopacz.

The meeting featured a presentation of the child-friendly version of the European Commission Guidelines on Mental Health and Wellbeing at School, which the Eurochild Children’s Council had developed over several months through in-person and online collaboration. The presentation was followed by an open discussion with other EU representatives, allowing for deeper exchanges and reflections on how EU institutions can promote children’s rights. 

Over the course of the three days, members of the Eurochild Children’s Council also held individual meetings with Members of the European Parliament from their countries. They discussed children’s rights, focusing on important topics for children, ranging from education to climate change and online safety.

These exchanges allowed them to share perspectives and lived experiences, providing valuable input on relevant policy initiatives. At the same time, Members of the European Parliament were able to explain their role in shaping policies that directly affect children, creating a two-way dialogue that strengthened mutual understanding.

Finally, on World Children’s Day, the Children’s Council participated in a fully child-led event with Members of the European Parliament working on children’s rights. The event was organised by the Child Rights Action Group, of which Eurochild is part. Three members of the Eurochild Children’s Council, together with three children from QUEST and SOS Children’s Villages, led discussions they had been preparing for months with support from Eurochild’s team. They decided to focus on two key issues: the inclusion of children with disabilities and bullying, both offline and online. All children from the Eurochild Children’s Council joined the discussions, strengthening the commitment to making 20 November an annual moment for the European Parliament to engage directly with children.

Taken together, these meetings allowed the Eurochild Children’s Council to showcase the achievements they had accomplished in their mandate. At the same time, the meetings provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with key EU decision-makers, demonstrating that children’s rights can be better advanced when children themselves are actively involved in the process.

Links:

• World Children's Day advocacy with children for children
• Photo album from World Children's Day 2025