Across Europe, democratic participation and trust in institutions are facing growing challenges. At the same time, debates about the future of the European Union, enlargement, democratic governance, and citizen participation are becoming increasingly important, particularly in the context of geopolitical shifts and the EU’s engagement with neighbouring and candidate countries. 

In this context, the project “Mobilising Citizens for the Future of European Democracy through Data-driven Advocacy, Engagement, and Mobility” – ENGAGEUROPE – brings together civil society organisations and academic partners from across Europe to foster dialogue, civic engagement, and participation in democratic processes related to the future of the European Union. 

The project is led by SCiDEV and funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme and implemented from 1 February 2026 to 30 September 2027 with partners across Albania, Spain, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Serbia. 

Overall aim 

The overall aim of ENGAGEUROPE is to promote meaningful exchanges and structured dialogues among young citizens and stakeholders across Europe, empowering them to articulate their long-term vision for the European Union and fostering deeper understanding of key EU democratic priorities and policy challenges, thus enhancing their active engagement, sense of European identity, and direct contribution to shaping future EU integration processes and democratic governance. 

Specific Objectives 

  1. To facilitate structured transnational exchanges among young citizens and stakeholders enabling them to actively articulate their long-term vision for the future of the European Union, particularly regarding democratic governance, enlargement, and digital policy challenges. 
  1. To enhance citizen understanding of EU democratic processes, institutions, and key policy priorities, empowering youth and local stakeholders to meaningfully engage in shaping responses to democratic challenges facing the EU. 
  1. To foster active civic participation and European belonging, by clearly connecting citizen-generated insights and recommendations directly with EU-level policy discussions, thus promoting democratic engagement, EU identity, and shared EU values. 

ENGAGEUROPE builds on successful experiences and methodologies previously implemented by the consortium members, particularly the Regional Youth Leadership Mobility Programme (RYLMP) implemented by SCiDEV (Albania), Youth Educational Forum – YEF (North Macedonia), and Youth Initiative for Human Rights – YIHR (Serbia). The RYLMP programme demonstrated strong results in structured youth advocacy training, cross-border engagement, and regional cooperation among young people from the Western Balkans. Drawing on these experiences, ENGAGEUROPE further develops and scales these methodologies through innovative formats that support structured dialogue, collaborative learning, and evidence-based policy development. The project introduces advanced participatory approaches, including policy co-creation exercises, advocacy labs, and transnational youth exchanges, designed to enable young citizens and civil society actors to engage meaningfully in discussions on European democratic governance, EU enlargement, and digital transformation.  

At the same time, the project ensures complementarity with existing European initiatives by aligning its activities with key EU strategic frameworks. By connecting civil society organisations, young citizens, and policy stakeholders from both EU Member States and Western Balkan candidate countries, ENGAGEUROPE contributes to strengthening civic participation and fostering a more inclusive dialogue on the future of Europe. 

The project includes nine work packages:  

WP1 – ENGAGEUROPE Youth & Democracy Forum 
WP2 – Online Capacity Building – EU Policies and Democratic Engagement 
WP3 – Engagement Lab – Data-driven Mobilisation and Citizen Consultation 
WP4 – European Youth Summit (Mentoring and Capacity-Building) 
WP5 – Transnational Youth Mobilities and Structured Citizen Consultations 
WP6 – Citizen Policy Roadshows – Local Dialogues 
WP7 – From Participation to Engagement Summit 
WP8 – Transnational Youth Mentoring and Fishbowl Dialogues – “The Europe I Want to See” 
WP9 – Future Europe Forum – Final Results and Impact Sustainability Dialogue 

The project “Mobilising Citizens for the Future of European Democracy through Data-driven Advocacy, Engagement, and Mobility” (ENGAGEUROPE, Project No. 101253265) is led by the Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV), Albania, and implemented in partnership with University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi” (Albania), Youropía Cultural Association (Spain), Center for Comparative and International Studies – CCIS (Albania), Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro – AYDM (Montenegro), Balkan Center for Constructive Policies – SOLUTION (North Macedonia), Youth Initiative for Human Rights – YIHR Croatia, Youth Educational Forum – YEF (North Macedonia), and Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia.  

The project is funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme.