The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) announced the launch of 2026 Call for Applications for the Young Elected Politician (YEP) Programme. The programme is open to elected politicians aged 18 to 35 who hold a regional or local mandate in an EU member state. Since 2023, young leaders from all EU candidate countries have also become eligible to apply, making their participation one of the main priorities of the initiative.
The YEP programme was launched by the CoR at the 8th European Summit of Regions and Cities in 2019 as a way to give young locally and regionally elected representatives a first-hand look into the EU. The programme has grown both in size and scope since its inception. With a network of almost 1000 young representatives from the EU and its neighbourhood, the YEP programme has become an integral part of the CoR. As such, YEPs get the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with CoR members, take part in tailored trainings and participate in the CoR’s flagship events.
More information: https://cor.europa.eu/en/our-work/cooperations-and-networks/young-elected-politicians-programme