On Saturday the Swedish Presidency’s conference on the EU's future youth policy opened. Over three days 250 participants will discuss topics including how the EU should work to combat exclusion and youth unemployment, create educational opportunities and utilise young people's knowledge and experience.

Youth representatives, directors-general and officials from all EU Member States, as well as applicant countries and EFTA countries, have been invited to the conference. In addition, numerous experts on youth issues from different parts of Europe are attending the conference at City Conference Centre in Stockholm. Participants to meet for discussions

”It is important to work directly with young people.  Many politicians believe that young people are not interested in politics, but that’s not true”, says Youth Representative Johanna Tradinik from Austria, who arrived at the conference on Saturday afternoon.

During the first day of the conference, 100 youth delegates are meeting at an event jointly arranged by the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations (LSU) and the European Youth Forum. A parallel meeting will take place between directors-general from the EU Member States who are responsible for youth issues. The discussions for all participants in plenary sessions and workshops will begin on Sunday.

The names of the people interviewed in the above video features are, in order of appearance:

Conference participants

• Johanna Tradinik, Austrian Youth Forum
• Julius Pagojus, Lithuanian Youth Council
• Petter Falk, National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations (LSU).
• Kadri Vanem, European Youth Forum
• Petra Mårselius, Chair of the Council Working Party on Youth

Moderators

• Alice Bah Kuhnke, lecturer and head of the Swedish think tank Sektor3 
• Richard Bengtsson, Secretary-General, National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations (LSU)