Annual Report 2008 - European Youth Parliament

Institutional Partnerships and Patrons
Networking philosophy
Institutional partnerships amd patronage
Comité d’Honneur
Co-operation is the credo of the European Youth Parliament. As a network of 32 National Committees,
the EYP is convinced of the efficiency of partnerships and cooperation. Therefore, the EYP has always
been eager to establish partnerships all over Europe: with other NGOs, with public institutions, the media
and with private institutions. Together with its partners, the European Youth Parliament has been able to
create synergies in the fields of education, youth, Europe and intercultural dialogue.
The European Youth Parliament has been developing good relationships with the European Parliament:
The President of the parliament, Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, is the permanent patron of the EYP. Additionally,
the EYP has set up links with “liaison parliamentarians”, who suggest topics for the International
Sessions and feed the results back to their committees. Moreover, the European Parliament financially
supported the International Sessions in Liverpool and Rennes in 2008. Finally, it was a great honour that
a number of MEPs visited the sessions and sought the debate with the young delegates.
The Council of Europe is very engaged and active in the youth field in particular through its Directorate
for Youth and Sports, a partner of the European Youth Parliament since 2005. The International Session
in Liverpool in 2008 was supported by a grant from the Council of Europe through the European Youth
Foundation which also covers part of the EYP’s administrative costs. The Secretary General of the Council
of Europe, Terry Davis, is patron of the European Youth Parliament. The Council of Europe (Directorate
for Youth and Sports) has helped to find experts for the sessions, provided information material for the
participants and support with an administration grant. Besides, topics are regularly suggested by the
Council of Europe and representatives of the institution have attended International Sessions in the past
year.
The European Commission has also been a very important supporter of the International Sessions of
the European Youth Parliament in the previous year. The International Session in Prague was financially
supported by the Commission in the framework of the Lifelong Learning Programme. In addition, the EYP
is since 2008 a partner of the Youth Programme and supported with a grant to cover its administrative
costs.
Moreover, the EYP was honoured by the presence of European Commissioner Barrot at its International
Session in Rennes and is proud to announce that since 2008 the EYP is also guided by a Comité d’Honneur
which has been joined by the Commissioners Barroso, Barrot, Kovács and Wallström.
European Youth Parliament - Annual Report 2008 - Website: www.eypej.org
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