International Congress & Youth Eco-Parliament®

PRO EUROPE is also conceived as a forum for exchanging experience and spreading the idea of packaging recycling. Recycling is meanwhile recognized worldwide by politic, industry and society as an important step on the road to a sustainable future. The question how we can conserve and protect the finite resources of our planet for coming generations cannot be answered by individual nations alone but only within the scope of a global partnership of all stakeholders. PRO EUROPE has become the hub of such a network at European level. Promoting an exchange of experience between the national collection and recovery systems as well as with external stakeholders is one of our key tasks.

In consequence, PRO EUROPE organized two international congresses: in Madrid in 2001 and in Berlin in 2004. The Berlin conference entitled "Green Dot 2004 - Recycling Benefits for Future Generations" took place under the patronage of Vaclav Havel, former President of Czech Republic, in the Humboldt-University Berlin; it was attended by more than 600 guests from 37 countries. The event also was the climax of European Recycling Week 2004, which promoted packaging recycling in the Green Dot partner countries with consumer actions.

Similarly, PRO EUROPE is involved in projects aimed at developing a sense of citizenship and environmental awareness. As the idea of sustainability can only be successful if the next generation is also prepared to accept responsibility today for its future, the issue of environmental education is especially important to PRO EUROPE.

Therefore, the Youth Eco-Parliament® (YEP) was created. This environmental education program has the aim of enabling young people to act alongside adults to protect the environment. Youngsters should be taught to put environmental values first and encouraged to become involved both individually and on a group level in the social and political life of their country and planet. The YEP is an educational process helping participants develop skills in observation and finding solutions, and it is an opportunity for them to experience a form of democracy, exercise citizenship and open their minds to environmental issues. There is also a multi-cultural dimension, through exchanges between different countries and recognition of the value of each culture.

In 2004, the result of 3000 young people's collaboration in ten European countries was a White Paper on the Environment. It contains resolutions and proposals for action on five themes: air, food, water, waste and energy related to the 6th Environmental Action Program of the European Commission "Environment 2010, our future, our choice". At the occasion of the Berlin Congress, the White Paper was then presented to Karl-Heinz Florenz, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Environment Committee. Subsequently, MEP Florenz invited a youth ambassador delegation for an official reception in the European Parliament where the White Book was hand over to Commissioner Dimas, EP President Borrell and HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium in 2005.

The projects were that successful that the PRO EUROPE council decided to continue with these actions. Therefore, the 3rd International Congress was organized in Paris on 19 and 20 October 2006 again in conjunction with an international Youth Eco-Parliament.

Below are some archived YEP Newsletters.

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	Youth Eco-Parliament Issue September 2008
	Youth Eco-Parliament Issue May 2008

For further information please visit the following web sites:

• www.eyep.info