EuroPeers Annual Meeting 2026 in Bucharest: From Young People to Young People – Turning Experience into Impact

From 5-8 February, 2026, the annual meeting of the pan-European EuroPeers network took place in Bucharest, bringing together representatives from 13 countries: both the national coordinators and nearly 80 EuroPeers youth from across Europe.

The strength of the EuroPeers network lies in its simple yet powerful principle: young people reach other young people the best. EuroPeers are young people who have themselves taken part in Erasmus+ mobility and/or European Solidarity Corps (formerly European Voluntary Service) projects, and who now share their experiences back home. This way, international opportunities become „real”: as one young person speaks to another young person honestly, clearly, and trustworthily about what to expect, where to start, what to prepare for, and how the experience will benefit them later on in life.

The annual meeting focused both on the practical as well as forward-looking. On the one hand, we reviewed the current state of the network and its achievements so far, shared good practices from different countries, and discussed how to maintain EuroPeers’ common identity and quality while respecting each country-specific context. On the other hand, we looked at how to improve EuroPeers’ visibility at the European level and reach more young people for whom mobility or volunteering might not initially seem accessible.

The thematic sessions of the meeting covered, among other:

• EuroPeers’ role and value proposition in youth information and engagement;
• Cooperation and organizational models at the European level — how to keep the network functional, clear, and supportive;
• Impact and sustainability — how to set realistic goals, collect feedback, and demonstrate impact from the perspectives of youth, partners, and funders alike;
• Communication and visibility — how to build a unified message that effectively reaches target groups while staying consistent with the principles of the programs;
• Planning activities for 2026–2027, including joint sessions with EuroPeers youth to ensure the next steps are developed with young people, not just for them.

A vital part of the meeting was the active involvement of young people themselves. In joint discussions and workshops, EuroPeers youth shared what works best in their countries, what kinds of messages resonate with their peers, and what support they need to be reliable ambassadors of experience in their communities. This approach—the meaningful involvement of youth as equal contributors—is one of the central hallmarks of EuroPeers’ quality. Young people are not just “participants” but true partners and drivers of direction.

The year 2026 gives EuroPeers’ work special significance as we mark the 20th anniversary of the EuroPeers international pan-European network—a journey that has helped shape the skills, attitudes, and life paths of thousands of young people across Europe. The Bucharest meeting served as a strong starting point for this anniversary year, with a shared vision and concrete agreements that will help guide EuroPeers’ development purposefully over the next two years.

Participating in international cooperation as a young person builds essential lifelong skills: collaboration, intercultural communication, self-management, argumentation, and finding a “common language.” Through the EuroPeers network, such experiences have a multiplying effect — the mobility or volunteering experience of one young person can inspire and support many others in their local community.

On behalf of the Smartopedia team, we are delighted to support and coordinate the development of this Europe-wide, youth-to-youth network —  by keeping the network cooperation unified and meaningful both from the perspective of national partners and young people.

We extend our sincere thanks to the organizers and our Romanian colleagues for their warm welcome and thoughtfully tailored programme.

We will remain dedicated to ensure that the EuroPeers’  peer-to-peer approach reaches an ever-growing number of young people, and that the network’s impact becomes even more visible both nationally and across Europe.

Coordination team of the EuroPeers International Network:
Peeter Lusmägi and Kai-Ines Nelson (Smartopedia)