Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (HRVP), met today with young people from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, including members of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board. At the meeting, the youth delegation consisted of 14 young people from different parts of the country, and spheres of life, formally presented the Joint Youth Declaration, a document co-authored by 80 young people through process that kicked off at the Future is the EU Youth Summit, back in May 2026.
The Declaration reflects a generation that no longer takes EU membership for granted, but remains committed to fighting for it. Spanning five thematic areas Democracy, Rule of Law and Public Policies; Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding; Education and Jobs of the Future; Just Energy Transition; and Media and Information Literacy; the document makes clear that political stagnation, corruption, and different divisions along ethnic lines are no longer acceptable to a generation ready to take responsibility for its country’s European future.
“From the very beginning, our goal was to create the space for them to think freely, speak honestly, and challenge us all. This Declaration is powerful because it is entirely their own. The European Union is proud to support a generation that is ready to ask difficult questions, hold institutions accountable, and actively shape Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European future.”, stated Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We drafted this document, together with our peers from all around the country, to show that there is a new generation in BiH that is ready to cooperate, work and jointly build better future for all its citizens, but we can’t do it alone.”, stated Nikolina Bundalo from Banja Luka.
The meeting emphasised the need to put young people at the centre of the enlargement process. Young participants shared personal testimonies of engaging in civic initiatives, watchdog platforms, peacebuilding programmes, and intercommunity projects; concrete examples of how the next generation is already acting where institutions have failed. They called on the EU to ensure a credible, merit-based process that rewards those who advocate for accountability and refuse to normalise corruption, stagnation and divisions.
“The Declaration we presented today is our answer to those who say young people in BiH are apathetic. We are not apathetic, we are exhausted by the constant political turmoil and the EU integration process being stuck. We want that the EU is aware that in this country they have a credible partner in us, young people, but in order to act, we need to be given more prominence and space.”, added Nikola Rozic, the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board member from Mostar.
The Joint Youth Declaration is the result of a collaborative process that brought together 80 young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina to jointly shape a shared vision for the country’s path towards the European Union. Led by members of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board, the drafting process fostered dialogue, cooperation, and consensus-building among young people from different communities, backgrounds, and perspectives.
Throughout the process, thematic experts provided technical support to ensure that the recommendations were aligned with the European Commission Opinion and the key reform priorities, while the ideas, priorities, and final content remained entirely youth-driven.
The Joint Youth Declaration can be found here.
