Amplifying School Students’ Voices in Europe and Beyond – February 2025

As we move further into 2025, we step up OBESSU’s advocacy work across the different processes led by key stakeholders in the EU and beyond. With a clear mission, we remain committed in representing school students’ needs and demands, forming stronger cooperation and partnerships with other other civil society organisations and maitaining a strong engagement with insitutions at regional and international level. With that said, take a look of our engagement, relevant resources and what is coming up on the policy agenda:

Safety in global education – OBESSU participated in the online consultation on “Safety as an essential element of the right to education and a precondition for its full realization” organised by the Global Student Forum that partnered with the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education to co-organize an expert consultation on safety in global education.

OBESSU Paper on AI – With AI developments and connection to education and everyday life, OBESSU is preparing a paper with our position. Understanding better the current developemts, we took part at a) Shaping the future: AI4Youth conference which focused on preparing youth workers to integrate artificial intelligence into education and employment contexts and also attended b) the “How is AI changing the world of Work in Europe” event. As soon our position is ready, you will be able to access it online or find more about it on our social media. 

Climate Action – We have been very active on several processes focusing on climate action. Along our engagement within the European Climate Pact Communityand theJTP Working Group on Equal Opportunities / Youth Task Force, OBESSU attended the EU Policy Lab – foresight workshop on “Citizen’s support for climate policies” organized by Joint Research Centre.

Remaining on the are of Climate Action, we wish to share Generation Climate Europe‘s Call for Action on Tackling Energy Poverty Among Europe’s Youth.  Young people are disproportionately affected by energy poverty, facing a variety of challenges including struggling to afford rising energy costs, limited control over energy efficiency, restricted access to subsidies & support. We need targeted policies, energy-saving measures, and youth empowerment initiatives to ensure a just and energy-secure future! Want to dive deeper? Read the Energy Poverty Report to understand the full picture and how we can drive change! 

Take a look and engage across Social Media, namely  X: @ClimateEurope , Instagram: @generationclimateeurope , Facebook: Generation Climate Europe , LinkedIn: Generation Climate Europe (GCE) and through the relevant hashtags #EnergyPoverty #JustTransition #EnergyJustice

VET at EU and National level  – As part strong cooperation with CEDEFOP, OBESSU and other stakeholders came together during the online meeting titled “Making learning progression a reality: policy scenarios towards 2040” – exploring different scenarios for lifelong learning and education systems through 2040. The discussions centered on creating more flexible, connected learning pathways across Europe.

EU Programmes and MFF negotiations – OBESSU was amongst the stakeholders attending the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps stakeholders’ conference engaging in discussions on program priorities, including skills development, inclusion, citizenship, and green and digital transitions. We look forward to working closely with insitutions – including the newly established EP Intergroup on Education and Skills, as we follow relevant developments, led by Commission’s Work programme for 2025  or in connection to initiatives like the “Union of Skills” led by Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness. Also worth mentioning, the Commissioner on Youth has announced a EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness that will be presented in 2026. More info are accessible here. 

With the negotiations kicking off already, we are currently drafting our position for the open public consultation on the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We encourage all relevant stakeholders to also share their views – no later than May 7th.

As we close February, it is important to not neglect to join with those sharing expressions of support and solidarity towards students and young people that face ongoing conflicts and threats in their communities. Check Youth Forum’s article on how young people in Ukraine respond to this crisis. 

Add to your Agenda: 

Useful Resources:

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IMPACT: Intersectional Measures Promoting Advocacy, Collaboration, and Transformation
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