Some 350,000 young people will be voting for the first time in next month's European Parliament elections. And with opinion polls showing widespread apathy among young voters throughout the Community, the European Youth Forum is running an essay competition to raise awareness of the elections and to encourage young people to come out and vote.
The Irish winner gets a free trip to Brussels next month; the overall EU winner gets an expenses-paid holiday in any EU country later in the year.
All applicants must be aged between 18 and 25 years.
The National Youth Council, as the affiliate body of the European Youth Forum, is organising the essay competition in Ireland. "The winning entries from each of the 15 countries will be published in a document that will be presented to the European Commission and Parliament. The purpose is to give some idea of the diversity of opinions of young people right across Europe," Eamonn Waters, information and press officer of the NYC, explains.
The theme of the essay is "Have Your Say on Europe", and you must express your views on Europe today in no more than 700 words. Send it to the NYC, 3 Montague Street, Dublin 2 or email it to info@nyci.ie. The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, May 28th. A decision will be made by the Irish jury over that weekend and the winner will be contacted on May 31st.
The author of the winning essay will be taken to Brussels, all expenses paid, on Tuesday, June 8th; on that date, the overall winner will be chosen. This prize is sponsored by the airline Virgin Express.
