What is YEE

Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is a platform of many European youth organisations that study nature or are active in environmental protection. These member organisations come together from 25 countries. The aim of YEE is to encourage youth to be involved in environmental protection and to provide a platform where these organisations can work together.

YEE gives an opportunity to contact other European organisations, to exchange experiences and ideas and to work together.

All our activities are organised and carried out by young people under 30. YEE organises and encourages all activities that can increase the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of nature and the awareness of environmental problems among young people in Europe. Our aim is to promote the commitment of youth to the principles of environmental conservation. Therefore, young people's voluntary actions have to be stimulated for the protection and the rational use of the Earth's resources. Since environmental problems have no borders, we act together within YEE in order to address these problems in local communities and joint activities. Within international actions, we intend to raise public awareness about environmental problems.

YEE's mission

YEE aims to unite environmental youth non-profit organisations in Europe in order to enhance international cooperation, increase knowledge about nature, raise awareness of environmental problems and to strengthen participation of youth in environmental decision-making.

Check YEE promotional materials

YEE's main activities are:

• Supporting the work of member organisations
• Promoting the widest possible exchange of information, ideas and experience among members
• European and local projects (such as training courses, youth exchanges, etc.)
• Environmental educational campaigns
• Publications
• European working groups on various topics

Youth and Environment Europe is a member organisation of:

• European Environmental Bureau
• European Youth Forum
• UNEP

YEE History

Youth and Environment Europe was founded as the European regional branch of the International Youth Federation for Environmental Studies and Conservation (IYF) on the 3rd of August 1983 in Stockholm. The first YEE office was based in Copenhagen.

YEE was established by IYF with the cooperation of 15 organisations. Three original organisations are still members of YEE: Faltbiologerna (Sweden), DJN (Germany), JNM (Belgium).

In 1986 as a consequence of work of the research group on the forest, a new organisation was born from YEE - the European Youth Forest Action (EYFA) that remains active today.

In 1990 the YEE office was moved to Utrecht in the Netherlands to locate it more centrally to the member organisations being united in the federation that time.

In 1991, as a further subgroup from EYFA, A SEED started to work as a separate network.

For some years in the 1990s there was a second YEE office hosted by a member organisation from Malta in order to deal with the Mediterranean issues closely.

In 1998, the third change of the location of the office occurred. This time for the residence of YEE's office a medieval stronghold Toulcuv Dvur based in Prague was chosen. The ecological center established there unites a range of ecological, educational and cultural activities. The area consists of eight hectares of land including wetlands around a little stream. YEE's office is still located here today.

Currently YEE unites 43 member organisations from 25 countries.

From 2003 YEE started to host EVS volunteers who help as members of the office team in daily work of the organisation.

Today the office team consists of the General Secretary, Main Coordinator, Networking Coordinator and 2 EVS volunteers. They are joined by the office cat Knedlík.