On 2 July 2026, a delegation of 14 young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina formally presented the Joint Youth Declaration to EU High Representative Kaja Kallas during a meeting in Sarajevo. The document, co-authored by 80 young people through a process launched at the Future is the EU Youth Summit in May 2026, outlines their vision for the country's European future across five thematic areas: Democracy, Rule of Law and Public Policies; Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding; Education and Jobs of the Future; Just Energy Transition; and Media and Information Literacy.
The declaration reflects a generation that no longer takes EU membership for granted but remains committed to fighting for it, making clear that political stagnation, corruption, and ethnic divisions are no longer acceptable. Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated: "From the very beginning, our goal was to create the space for them to think freely, speak honestly, and challenge us all. This Declaration is powerful because it is entirely their own."
Young participants shared personal testimonies of engaging in civic initiatives, watchdog platforms, peacebuilding programmes, and intercommunity projects, calling on the EU to ensure a credible, merit-based process that rewards accountability. Nikolina Bundalo from Banja Luka said: "We drafted this document, together with our peers from all around the country, to show that there is a new generation in BiH that is ready to cooperate, work and jointly build better future for all its citizens, but we can't do it alone."
Nikola Rozic, a member of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board from Mostar, added: "The Declaration we presented today is our answer to those who say young people in BiH are apathetic. We are not apathetic, we are exhausted by the constant political turmoil and the EU integration process being stuck."
The drafting process was led by members of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board, with thematic experts providing technical support to align recommendations with the European Commission Opinion and key reform priorities, while the ideas and final content remained entirely youth-driven. The meeting underscored the need to put young people at the centre of the enlargement process.