Young people discuss social media with Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen, on the right, with Paula Gehrs onher left

European Union, 2025

Ursula von der Leyen, rechts, mit Paula Gehrs zu ihrer Linken

On 3 December, the President's Youth Advisory Board met with Ursula von der Leyen for the first time. The topic of discussion was the youth-orientated design of social media platforms. The young people's demands were then summarised in a policy paper, which forms the basis for an expert committee of the European Commission.

During the one and a half hour meeting in the Berlaymont building in Brussels, the representatives of the national youth councils had the opportunity to address their opinions and demands on the positive and negative aspects of social media, current trends and a possible age restriction to Mrs Ursula von der Leyen. The European Youth Forum coordinated the preparation of the content. Paula Gehrs took part on behalf of the German National Committee for International Youth Work (DNK) and spoke out in favour of the Federal Youth Council's demands for fair digital participation for young people and the structural expansion of media literacy support.

The members of the Youth Advisory Council are one representative from each of the national youth organisations and representatives of the European Youth Forum aged between 18 and 28. Young people from candidate countries such as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine also take part in Youth Council meetings as observers. The DNK is represented by Paula Gehrs and Isabel Rutowski.

The Youth Advisory Council, initiated by President von der Leyen, was set up as an expert group by a Commission decision on 25 June 2025. The aim of the Youth Advisory Council is to advise the European Commission at the highest political level on issues that affect young people throughout Europe. As the Commission President announced in her State of the Union address, a committee of experts will be looking into social media and possible legal regulations in the coming months. The demands of the Youth Advisory Council will form the basis for this.

Themen: DNK - News European politics