We Were There: Bringing Eastern European Youth Voices to the Council of Europe

The Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) was represented by its Secretary-General, Filip Janković, at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, during the debate on “Europe, the fastest-warming continent: accelerating climate action with young people”.

In his address, Filip highlighted the growing challenges to habitability across Eastern Europe, drawing attention to illegal waste dumping in Croatia, threats to rare species in Albania and the environmental concerns surrounding lithium mining in Serbia. He stressed the crucial role of young people in demanding accountability and advocating for environmental protection in their communities.

Building on CDN’s work on biodiversity, climate protection and environmental preservation, Filip called for the adoption and implementation of the report, while emphasising the need for further action. Young people must be recognised as meaningful actors in shaping environmental policy, and their voices must be heard in decisions that affect their present and future.

You can read his speech below:

Honourable chair, esteemed members of the Parliamentary Assembly, distinguished guests,

My name is Filip Janković, Secretary-General of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe, an international umbrella organisation empowering progressive changemakers and advocating for the Eastern perspective in European discourse.

Habitability is an ever-present reality in Eastern Europe. Look no further than Croatia, Albania and Serbia: the illegal dumping of 37,000 tonnes of waste in Croatia, the endangerment of rare species in Albania, and the EU’s strategic commitment to lithium mining in Serbia, a non-EU state, despite strong opposition from Serbian youth.

These issues directly affect young people, who have taken matters into their own hands, demanding accountability from the governments of countries they love.

As the report highlights, recent fires and droughts have severely affected habitability across Europe. The Danube’s low water levels threatened the operation of the Hungarian nuclear power plant, exposing the risks that climate change poses to critical infrastructure and public safety.

This is no longer our future; it is our present, affecting people of all generations.

Habitability amid climate crisis and war has been central to our work across Eastern Europe. Last year, with the support of the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation, we facilitated an event in Ukraine exploring the environmental consequences of Russian aggression. This year, we dedicated our work to biodiversity, climate protection and environmental preservation, empowering young people to raise awareness of the links between biodiversity, climate and human rights in their communities.

We recommend the adoption and implementation of this report as a necessary step forward, but we must demand further action. We demand to be heard, not dismissed as immature, unserious or destructive. Political power can no longer be an excuse for inaction; it must be used for the benefit of all people, regardless of age.