BACKGround and objectives :
The accelerated decline of pollinators, wild bees, butterflies, bumblebees, bats and more, is one of the clearest signs of the biodiversity crisis. In Europe, almost 40 % of insect-pollinator species are threatened, mainly because of habitat loss, intensive pesticide use and climate change.
Against this backdrop, the Commission (DG Environment) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) are piloting a new participatory mechanism: a Young Citizens’ Assembly. One hundred young people aged 18–29, randomly selected across the 27 Member States, will gather in Brussels to learn, debate and issue concrete recommendations.
The Assembly’s mandate is to answer the following question: What must we do today to reverse the decline of pollinators, and what role should young Europeans play in biodiversity governance to best support these actions?
MISSION arrangements
This Assembly is distinctive because the Commission intends to involve young participants very actively in several facets of the process. Beyond the information and deliberation phases, two goals make this initiative a democratic innovation:
- Recognising and valuing civic skills
Participants may join dedicated groups (communication, artistic expression, evaluation, etc.) throughout the process. Their involvement will be acknowledged with digital certificates (Open Badges), as will their overall participation in the Assembly. - Testing a replicable participatory format
The project will assess whether a permanent youth assembly on biodiversity is feasible. By evaluating the scheme and keeping young people at its centre, the organisers aim to distil lessons that could justify repeating the assembly in future.
Three sessions will take place in Brussels, at the European Commission:
- Session 1 : 26-28 September 2025
- Session 2 : 5-7 December 2025
- Session 3 : 6-8 March 2026
For more information: https://citizens.ec.europa.eu/young-citizens-assembly-pollinators_en