Overview
The Extraordinary General Assembly convened to address several strategic and governance-related matters for the YEE network. During the meeting, members discussed and voted on financial planning, governance updates, and network expansion, while also engaging in a short knowledge-sharing workshop led by one of YEE’s member organisations.
Approval of the draft budget 2026
The General Assembly approved the draft budget for 2026, marking an important step in ensuring the financial sustainability and effective planning of YEE’s activities for the coming year.
YEE extends its sincere thanks to the Finance Team and the Treasurer for their dedication and thorough preparation.
Internal Auditors
The General Assembly welcomed Usman Ali as a new Internal Auditor, bringing the total number of internal auditors to two until summer 2026. This strengthens YEE’s internal accountability and transparency mechanisms.
Membership update
YEE is delighted to welcome Sylvester Rewilding as a new member organisation of the network.
With this addition, the YEE network now brings together 48 member organisations across 23 countries within the Council of Europe.
Workshop and policy updates
The meeting also featured a short knowledge-sharing workshop, facilitated by the member organisation Youth for a Green Future from Bulgaria, which offered participants an opportunity to exchange experiences and insights.
In addition, recommendations stemming from YEE’s newly developed AI & Cybersecurity policies were presented to the General Assembly, showcasing the network’s effort to stay up to date with this rapidly changing landscape.
To a 2026 with more freedom, more justice, and more youth voices shaping the future!
More To Explore
Conclusion of the YEE Extraordinary Annual Meeting 2025
https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/annual-meetings.png 250 250 Eva Kloudová https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/logo-yee-728x1030.png Eva Kloudová2026-01-06 08:34:042026-01-06 08:34:37Conclusion of the YEE Extraordinary Annual Meeting 2025 Overview
The Annual Meeting of the YEE network happened from Thursday, 3rd July to Sunday, 6th July 2025 in Prague and online. Out of 45 member organisations, 25 sent official delegates to discuss, vote and learn about important issues of the network.
Apart from the official delegates, we also welcomed other delegates from the member organisations, candidates to the executive board, internal auditors and the YEE team, including the executive board, staff and volunteers. Overall, the Annual Meeting was attended by 62 people in Prague or remotely.
Changes to YEE Statutes and Rules of Procedure
The general assembly voted in favour of the presented changes to the YEE Statutes and Rules of Procedure. The most significant changes include:
- Removal of the membership fee rates from the YEE Statutes and including them in the membership policy instead
- Formation of Committees by the General Assembly
- Creation of the Supervisory Board
All changes as amended can be found in the updated versions of the YEE Rules of Procedure and YEE Statutes.
Elections
Executive Board 2025-2027
The General Assembly has elected a new executive board for a two-year mandate (the length of the mandate was changed previously during the extraordinary annual meeting in February 2025). Out of 16 candidates, the General Assembly elected the following to represent them in the YEE executive board:
- Enrico Bosters (Studenten Voor Morgen) as chairperson
- Shoghik Ghazaryan (Uniting Bridge) as vice-chairperson
- Alexandra Popescu (Be Teen) as treasurer
- Connah Snape (UKY4N) as board member
- Mariam Svimonishvili (Umbrella) as board member
- Francesc Almendros Viladerrams (Assemblea Euroregional de la Joventut – Euroregió Pirineus Mediterrània) as board member
Internal Auditors
The General Assembly elected one new internal auditor, Ibrahim Tukur, from three candidates, who will play a crucial role in maintaining transparency and accountability within our organisation.
The position of the second internal auditor has not been filled and therefore will be open before and voted on during an extraordinary annual meeting in early 2026.
Membership update
After the Annual Meeting, the YEE network now gathers 47 youth organisations from 23 countries.
New member organisations
We are excited to welcome two new member organisations to our network.
The new members of the YEE network are:
- Maqoor Environmental NGO, based in Armenia
- Youth for a Green Future, based in Bulgaria
The General Assembly did not approve of the new membership of one organisation – Vitality Association based in Moldova.
We look forward to a productive year ahead with our new board members, member organisations, and internal auditors!
More To Explore
Conclusion of the YEE Annual Meeting 2025
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from 3rd to 6th July 2025 in Prague, Czechia
Practical information
This event is funded by the European Union.
Have questions?
Get in touch at yee@yeenet.eu
Youth and Environment Europe would like to announce that the Annual Meeting and the General Assembly of YEE will take place from 4th to 6th July 2025 in Prague, Czechia (with travel on 3rd and 6th July in the afternoon).
Hereby, we would like to ask each YEE member organisation to appoint a delegate to represent and vote on behalf of your organisation during the Annual Meeting.
Food, accommodation, and visa expenses for the duration of the annual meeting will be covered in full. Travel expenses will be reimbursed according to the travel limits for respective countries shared with members’ focal points.
Travel expenses and accommodation for an extra delegate are not covered.
How can you join?
- As a Member Organisation delegate (contact your local organisation)
- Guests and YEE team
News
YEE’s Annual Meeting 2025
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from 12th to 14th July 2024 in Prague, Czechia
Practical information
This event it funded by the European Union.
Share This Event
Youth and Environment Europe would like to announce that the Annual Meeting and the General Assembly of YEE will take place on from 12th to 14th July 2024 in Prague, Czechia.
We are happy to say that it will take place in person with an option to join in remotely. Hereby, we would like to ask each YEE member organisation to appoint a delegate to represent and vote on behalf of your organisation during the General Assembly (GA).
Food, accommodation, and visa expenses or the duration of the annual meeting will be covered in full. Travel expenses will be reimbursed according to the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2024.
How can you join?
- As a Member organisations delegate (contact your local organisation).
- Guests and YEE team (contact the YEE team).
Open calls
Become a board member
Responsibilities
- Making all the executive decisions between the Annual Meetings
- Supervising the implementation of the Work Plan
- Fulfilling their specific position's responsibilities
Become an internal auditor
Responsibilities
- Assessing the quality of YEE project implementation
- Evaluating the work of the Board and Secretariat
- Providing feedback and suggestions for improvement to the network
Have questions? Get in touch!
YEE’s Annual Meeting 2024
https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/annual-meeting.png 1080 1080 YEE https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/logo-yee-728x1030.png YEE2024-06-03 13:05:382024-07-23 10:16:36YEE's Annual Meeting 2024Dive into action with UK Youth4Nature | Members’ Spotlight
Written by
Stina Joanna Gremme
Hanna Træland Rostøl
Contents
About UKY4N
UK Youth 4 Nature (UKY4N) is the leading UK youth movement calling for urgent action on the nature crisis, and they have been cherished members of YEE since 2022. UKY4N’s mission is to mobilise and empower young people to advocate for decisive action on biodiversity in the UK, emphasising the importance of protecting and restoring nature and wildlife to address the consequences and issues of climate change. March 14th marks the International Day of Action for Rivers, and we find this the perfect occasion to put the spotlight on UKY4N and its creative river projects.
Started in 2019 as a simple Whatsapp group with the mission of bringing nature into stronger focus within political discussions, UKY4N has rapidly evolved into an active organisation with a solid volunteer base all across the UK. The organisation has strategically focused its campaigning efforts on nature rather than climate issues and has today successfully positioned itself as a prominent advocate for biodiversity. We have met with co-director Ellen Bradley, to hear more about UKY4N’s creative campaigning and imaginative projects on rivers, hoping to inspire others to take action on this important topic!
Check out UKY4N
How can you help freshwater?
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Making waves for freshwater conservation
Freshwater ecosystems are the lifeblood of our planet. In the UK, around 3% of land is covered by freshwater and with an intricate network of 200,000 km of streams and rivers the freshwater ecosystems in the UK are of international importance. Thousands of lakes, ponds and ditches provide homes for diverse wildlife species, ranging from dragonflies to water voles. And yet, no rivers in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are considered to be in high ecological health, and in Scotland, as much as 92% of rivers do not meet these standards either.
Recently, freshwater systems gained more media focus on regulating sewage and plastic pollution, advancing freshwater protection. However, agricultural pollution, affecting 40% of all freshwater bodies in England, remains overlooked. In addition to that, targets for cleaning up waterways, such as the goal set for 2027, have been pushed back to 2063, giving the protection of freshwater systems in the UK an urgency that cannot be ignored.
With the campaign Not so Freshwater, UKY4N launched an awareness campaign giving agricultural pollution a much-needed spotlight. The goal is to cut the use of pesticides in half by 2023 as well as restore field margins and riverside ecosystems to reduce field run-off. Ellen emphasises creative campaigning to facilitate positive change, celebrating sustainable farmers and advocating for political action.
On the 23rd of May 2023, UKY4N was able to host a successful event, summoning a variety of politicians and NGOs. The Chemical Cocktail Bar was one of the highlights of the event, which received a big positive response and even more importantly, political attention. The concept behind the Chemical Cocktail Bar is simple, creative and yet effective. Cocktails, named after UK rivers like the Mersey and Thames, the bar creatively highlighted freshwater pollution. Presented as beautifully designed cocktail recipes, these cards added a lively touch with real added proof of the urgency of freshwater pollution, proving that campaigning for political change does not have to be boring or dry.
The event successfully brought together young people and politicians in a positive atmosphere, fostering constructive discussions on environmental challenges, as Ellen tells us. UKY4N maintained a balance of fun and passion, ensuring engagement while addressing urgent issues facing our natural world.
UKY4N offers practical guidance for individuals to make a difference in preserving freshwater systems, including a five-step guide for reducing pollution. Additionally, they provide a template for a letter to your regional Member of Parliament to advocate for improved chemical standards and freshwater regulation. Later this year, UKY4N will host The Senedd, an event in Wales, allowing young people to engage with Welsh politicians on nature and freshwater issues.
With its campaign Not So Freshwater and a creative, positive and fun approach UKY4N inspires us to get involved in the movement for cleaner waterways and a more sustainable future. Let yourself be inspired too!
Crafting change with creative campaigning
The fun and creative methods used in the Not So Freshwater project were not a one-off, but rather lie at the very heart of UKY4N’s approach to advocating for nature. Creative campaigning entails using creative and imaginative methods and employs artistic, cultural and interactive strategies to make an impact. Ellen tells us that the main goal of this approach is to get young people excited about an issue and encourage them to make a positive contribution, even if they are not experts on issues such as the environment, sustainability or politics. That way, different people can contribute in different ways, and that makes it more diverse and even more impactful!
Another example of UKY4N’s bold creative campaigning was in their project Nature Loss: Lines in the Sand. On March 23, 2022, a 50-metre drawing depicting biodiversity in Britain was created on Scarborough Beach, featuring four biologically significant species that are declining. This symbolic act aimed to address the alarming depletion of nature in the UK, urging authorities to prioritise conservation efforts. Their creative ways received public recognition and an international audience, and if you look at the pictures of this impactful mural it is easy to understand why!
UKY4N also regularly hosts workshops to introduce young people to creative campaigning, the next one to be held in Brighton on the 23rd of March 2024.
In addition, UKY4N is currently dedicating their time to work relating to the general elections coming up in the UK this year. With the voting turnout among people in the age between 18 to 24-years in the UK in 2019 reaching 47% (compared to over 74% in the group of over 65-year olds), getting young people more enthusiastic and interested in the election is a crucial issue. As Ellen shares with us, only 50% of young people in the UK think they learn sufficiently about politics in school, so another focus of UKY4N lies on knowledge-sharing and capacity-building on the voting system. In order to be able to navigate the different and sometimes confusing party manifestos, UKY4N explains each programme from relevant political parties for everyone to understand. The main reason for that is to underline the importance of casting your vote to support certain policies and causes, as they so aptly put it on their website, “[n]ature cannot vote in elections. But many of us can!” With important elections coming up across Europe this year, not to mention the European Parliament elections, this is something many of us can keep in mind!
And with that being said, it is easy to see the problems that unite us. UKY4N is tackling the problems of the depletion of nature in the UK, but we are seeing similar problems worldwide. Although freshwater ecosystems are so important to nature and human well-being, they are also the most threatened in the world. Since 1970 freshwater species have experienced an 83% decline – twice the rate experienced within terrestrial or marine sources. Let us therefore stand united on this International Day of Action for Rivers, and reflect on the importance each and every one of our actions plays in the protection of our water systems!
More about Biodiversity
The conclusion of the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) marks a pivotal
Despite the law’s importance in combating deforestation, the European Union recently announced a 12-month delay.
While nighttime activities are popular with humans for a few nights a year, some creatures keep it creepy all year round.
With the next conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity (COP 16) right around the corner, let’s look back
Dive into action with UK Youth4Nature | Members’ Spotlight
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Odlar Yurdu | Member of the Month
https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/unnamed.png 512 512 YEE https://yeenet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/logo-yee-728x1030.png YEE2022-01-26 10:15:592025-12-20 14:50:27Odlar Yurdu | Member of the MonthOur mission
YEE aims to unite environmental youth non-profit organisations in Europe in order to enhance international cooperation, increase knowledge about the climate crisis, raise awareness of environmental problems and to strengthen participation of youth in environmental decision-making.
Financially supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Council of Europe.
