LONDON STATEMENT ON YOUTH EXCHANGES AND UK-EU TWINNING

Representatives of youth organisations, twinning associations, educational bodies, local government and grassroots activists met under the auspices of the European Local Partnerships and Twinning Group, ELPTG, in London, 26-27 June. The event was held at Europe House, Westminster, hosted by the European Parliament Liaison Office to the UK and in association with London4Europe.
Those addressing the meeting included HE Miguel Berger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UK, Sandro Gozi MEP, Co-Chair, EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, Wera Hobhouse MP, Vice Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Europe, Cllr David Gardner, Deputy Mayor, London Borough of Greenwich, Cllr Connie Nolan, Canterbury City Council/Kent County Council, Lucy Slack, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Sir Nick Harvey, CEO European Movement-UK, Maurizio Cuttin, UK Young Ambassador to Europe, British Youth Council and Alfred Quantrill, President Young European Movement. The Rt Hon The Lord Kinnock, former Vice President, European Commission, sent a message of support.
The meeting discussed successful local partnership and twinning experiences between the UK, notably London, and partners in the EU and looked at UK-EU Local Government Cooperation, Horizon Europe and new partnership funding opportunities, as well as local action taken in support of Ukraine. It also received the Chair’s report for 2024-25 and agreed its work programme for 2025-26.
Particular attention was devoted considering the next steps for UK-EU Youth Experience and Mobility including the possibility of the UK’s return to the Erasmus Plus scheme in the light of the decisions taken at the UK-EU London Summit held in May 2025; the European Parliament’s Ambassador School Programme was also discussed. The meeting was chaired by Dr Carl Wright.
The 2025 Meeting of the European Local Partnerships and Twinning Group, ELPTG, calls for:
1.
Early agreement on a comprehensive youth exchange/mobility scheme between the UK and the EU to allow young people the ability to travel, study and take part in work, cultural and other experience and exchange programmes freely without restriction, including school and student exchanges.
2.
The UK to rejoin the Erasmus Plus scheme forthwith, to provide the necessary financial means for all young people, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, to benefit from European exchanges.
3.
Ensuring that these provisions apply to young musicians, artists and other professions.
4.
The UK Government to provide active support, resources and encouragement to UK-EU twinning and local partnerships, aimed at promoting European awareness, economic, educational and cultural links, building on the initiatives by the French, German and other EU Governments and the European institutions; this should entail support for organisations like the British Youth Council, the UK Global Learning Association for Schools and the ELPTG, as well as for the promotion of foreign language teaching.
5.
The UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Europe to debate and promote the role of local and regional government and twinning/local partnerships as a way of strengthening UK-EU people-to people relations.
6.
Strategic engagement with Local Government, City Mayors and Devolved Governments to strengthen twinning /partnerships with European counterpart/support of new ones.
7.
Conclusion of official partnership agreements to support Ukrainian cities and partners.
The ELPTG expressed warm appreciation to the European Parliament Liaison Office to the UK, the European Movement-UK, London4Europe and all who had contributed to the success of the event.
Europe House, London, 27 June 2025 Further information: [email protected]