Parliament is launching its European Youth Event 2014, where it will open its doors to thousands of young Europeans to exchange ideas for a better and more youth-oriented Europe shortly before the European elections in May next year.

Inviting young Europeans to have their say

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16400528/n001-131008-003-en.srt

in the months running up  to the European elections,

the EP has officially launched  the European Youth Event 2014.

The goal is  to invite 5000 young people

from the 28 EU Member States  and its neighbours

to go behind the scenes  of the European Parliament.

This will include  an informative guided tour.

It’s no easy task  to get young people interested.

In 2009, just 29% of people  aged 18-24 cast their vote.

These figures are bad -  we must do something about it.

together with Vote Watch,  set up the League of Young Voters

with the aim of informing and encouraging  young people to vote in the next elections.

Will these efforts be enough to make a real  difference to voter turnout?

We asked one MEP  who has been leading the project.

We will never be able to solve the problems  through disparate actions

but rather we all have to be  politically sound

-by ensuring our politics are transparent -  and by taking responsibility for the future.

Among the topics  that will be grappled with

will be youth unemployment,  the digital revolution

and the future of the European Union itself.

These discussions may well provide  much food for thought for MEPs.

We as MEPs want to listen  to these young people.

We depend on young people dealing with  the ideas and suggested solutions

for the development  and present state of Europe.

A page on Parliament's website  dedicated to the event

has been set up for  young people aged between 16 and 30,

and is eagerly awaiting you  to sign up in groups of 10 at a time.