The sixth edition of European Youth Week (EYW2013) was celebrated across Europe during the week of 26 May – 2 June 2013. EYW2013 consisted of a broad range of events and activities, organised in all 33 countries participating in the EU’s Youth in Action (YiA) programme.

In the context of the European Youth Week and in celebration of 25 years of EU youth programmes, Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth chaired a high level panel debate on 31 May. 

Together with Mrs Doris Pack, Chairwoman of the Culture and education Committee of the European Parliament and Mrs Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in Ireland, Commissioner Vassiliou presented Awards to three outstanding projects from the following categories of the EU Youth in Action programme: Youth Exchanges, Training and Networking Opportunities for youth workers and the European Voluntary Service.


 

Thirty six Youth in Action projects in all competed for the award and the three winning projects were:

- "Youth Ambassadors Summer Institute 2012" funded by the Youth in Action National Agency of the Flemish-speaking community in Belgium,

- "Comics against violence" funded by the Youth in Action National Agency in Spain,

- "EVS for refugees" funded by the Youth in Action National Agency in Poland.

Within the event YO!Fest also other activities were organised, such as the fair, open space debates, workshops and others.


 

Also on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the EU YOUTH programmes (1988-2013), a facebook chat was organised where representatives of the Youth unit of the European Commission's Directorate General Education and Culture and participants in Youth in Action projects answered questions and exchanged on the Programme such as What are the opportunities offered, How to proceed, What are the priorities, What is the future of this Programme, and others.


 

European University Sports Association (EUSA) currently participates in the Youth in Action programme with activities within the scope of European Voluntary Service (EVS), and is also exploring other activities of active involvement in the programme.

More information about the Youth in Action and European Youth Week at ec.europa.eu/youth/ and www.youthweek.eu.