In mid-April I received fantastic news - I was selected for the role of a Youth4Cooperation Cross-Border Ambassador! This was an exciting opportunity and right away I wanted to share it on my social media. And then I realized - I have worked in cross-border programmes for over 5 years and yet my friends still don’t understand what my work is about.

I have met other Ambassadors – all proactive, ready to contribute our ideas, knowledge and energy. But how do we reach the rest of the young people that cross-border issues and cooperation are affecting? 

Interact, supporting other Interreg programmes, tackled the engagement of EU citizens topic at the Interreg Knowledge Fair. According to the findings of the workshop, it is important to engage with citizens due to: long term impact of project activities; presenting a concrete idea of what the EU is providing to citizens; raising awareness of Interreg and the importance of the EU; making sure we act in the interest of the citizens and to achieve change; democratic legitimacy; and more.

The EU barometer report, “Youth and Democracy in the European Year of Youth”, shows that a majority (58%) of young people have participated in youth organizations, but 39% have not participated in any. On the other hand, another report, “Citizens' awareness and perception of EU regional policy”, shows that awareness of the different funds tends to increase with age. Overall, knowledge about Interreg seems to be very low – only 11% of survey participants answered that they have heard of these Programmes. It seems, then, that there is room for improvement. Young people are in general active, however are largely unfamiliar with Interreg, which – among other initiatives – is a key driver of cross-border cooperation.

So, what can be done to hear more from young people and involve them in shaping and implementing EU cross-border cooperation? In-depth analysis should be performed to answer this question, but here are some initial ideas:

1. Recognise the benefits that involving youth might bring – not only on EU level, but also on the levels of Programmes and projects. Young people in cross-border areas are keen to take action and are currently a largely untapped resource.
2. Go local – young people living in cross-border areas can provide reliable information on local issues. 
3. Know the importance of social media – and not only the Facebook page of the Programme. Involve regional bloggers or influencers, that can be your Ambassadors and have a broad reach to young people. Do not underestimate the strength of social media as a tool that allows you to interact with your audience.
4. Local consultations on the project ideas – there are already Interreg Programmes that promote such initiatives. The experiences of local people and youth can be crucial to develop the tool further.
5. Reach out to organizations that are gathering youth - sport clubs, art institutions, civil society organizations with a focus on young people, etc..
6. Invest in people-to-people actions to strengthen a sense of belonging to the community and understand the needs of youth.