The EU should listen to the voices of its children and young people, a Dubliner, Jason Moore (17), told a conference in the European Parliament on children's rights, writes Patrick Smyth in Brussels
The failure to trust young people with responsibilities and in decisions about their community and political future was one of the reasons why many at the age of 18 many refused to vote, he argued.
The conference, organised by the European Children's Network, wants an article on the rights of children incorporated into the EU treaty and initiatives to combat crimes against children. It launched a charter entitled Children Are European Citizens Too, which criticises the dispersal of responsibilities for children within EU institutions and urges the participation of young people in decision-making.