Eurodesk held its Spring Network Meeting online from 10 to 12 March 2026, bringing together national coordinators from across 36 countries to discuss youth information, communication trends and working with multipliers.
The meeting was originally planned in Cyprus but moved online due to the situation in the Middle East. Eurodesk President Robert Helm‑Pleuger underlined the network’s resilience and the importance of staying connected to support young people in challenging times. Eurodesk Cyprus National Coordinator, Savvas Gregoriou, and Executive Committee member, Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad, highlighted the value of cooperation, solidarity and youth information as a right.
While I deeply regret the cancellation, it fills me with pride to see how professionally our network reacts. We have the experience and the strength to implement such high-level events digitally, even under significant pressure.
Robert Helm‑Pleuger, Eurodesk President
Eurodesk Brussels Link shared updates on Eurodesk’s work and presented plans for the Eurodesk Volunteering Campaign 2026, stressing volunteering as a core topic linked to empathy, solidarity and community. The meeting also included a session on Eurodesk’s AI strategy, the new Eurodesk AI Guide and Principles, and their impact on the network’s digital communication.
Several countries showcased their outreach work. Eurodesk Hungary presented the revamp of their Instagram channel, Eurodesk Belgium–Flanders shared their user-generated content strategy with student creators, Eurodesk Italy reported on a training course, and a study visit in Madrid on youth policies, and Eurodesk Serbia introduced “Balkan Rail”, a game-based workshop helping young people reflect on barriers to mobility and co-create solutions.
Policy updates from the European Commission covered the European Youth Portal, DiscoverEU, the European Youth Week 2026 and the proposal for the next Erasmus+ programme (2028–2034), giving the network an overview of upcoming policies.
The final day focused on strengthening cooperation with Eurodesk multipliers, in daily contact with young people, especially those with fewer opportunities. A “Living Library” session shared national experiences on starting multipliers’ networks, keeping multipliers engaged and combining planning with storytelling and visibility. Workshops on reaching young people beyond cities and co‑creating joint actions were delivered by our Eurodesk Cyprus multipliers, highlighting diverse local realities.
Even in an online format, the Network Meeting offered rich exchanges and practical ideas to help Eurodesk continue connecting young people with information and opportunities across Europe and beyond.
We would like to thank Eurodesk Cyprus for their tireless work and support in planning the network meeting!
The next Network Meeting will take place in Germany in September 2026, while Eurodesk will host its Spring network meeting in Cyprus in April 2027.
