Opinion: No more jargon at European Union events

But herein lies a problem. The young people who come to these events are a mixture of organised and experienced individuals and those who are less organised and less experienced. When it comes to the whys and wherefores of European youth policy, the latter group is often left bemused, overwhelmed by their counterparts who are already familiar with the jargon. Yet when it comes to supporting and advancing participation at a European level, such involvement is essential if a diverse constituency of young people is to gain useful experience at this level - young people from all kinds of backgrounds.

The latest EU presidency youth event was held in Finland at the beginning of July. In many respects it was a great success, but the tension between the participation and policy development agendas could not be concealed.