As part of the CAP a l’Europa Inclusiva project, and following an extensive cycle of local dialogues held across multiple municipalities in Catalonia, our group undertook the journey to Brussels with a clear objective: to situate the reflections and proposals emerging from these community processes within the broader institutional framework of the European Union. After a final preparatory session at the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona, this visit marked the transition from local deliberation to direct exposure to the structures responsible for shaping European policy.

The first day began at the Parlamentarium, an environment designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the European Union’s institutional architecture. Through interactive material and dynamic visuals, participants were able to consolidate their understanding of the EU’s legislative and political mechanisms. This initial immersion offered a first glimpse of the mechanisms that sustain the Union, establishing the conceptual basis necessary to approach the remainder of the day with informed perspective.

Yet to understand where Europe stands today, it is necessary to retrace the steps that led to its creation. The museum guided us through the events, tensions, and aspirations that forged Europe’s collective past. Walking through its halls felt like walking alongside the very thinkers and visionaries who once imagined a peaceful and cooperative continent. Each room invited reflection on the fragility of unity, on the weight of shared memory, and on the responsibility that current generations hold in shaping what comes next. For our group, it was a moment of grounding, a reminder that the inclusive Europe we aspire to build is rooted in a long and complex journey of negotiation, resilience, and reinvention.

With this historical perspective still present in our thoughts, we stepped into the space where the future of the Union is actively shaped: the Hemicycle of the European Parliament. The transition felt almost symbolic. Moving from the stories of Europe’s past to the chamber where its political present unfolds. Observing an ongoing plenary session from the visitors’ gallery offered a rare opportunity to witness democracy in motion.

This initial day in Brussels thus established the analytical and institutional foundation for the work that would follow. It reinforced the project’s central premise that an inclusive Europe must be constructed through the systematic integration of local perspectives into the processes that shape continental policy.

This activity has been developed in the frames of the Youth Participation Activity project Towards Inclusive Europe - Cap a l'Europa Inclusiva, supported by the Erasmus+ programme co-funded by the European Union and Coordinated by AHEAD.

Find further information about the project in: https://aheadedu.org/en/projects/towards-inclusive-europe/

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.