Every two years, the European Parliament hosts the European Youth Event (EYE), a unique opportunity for 16 to 30-year-old European citizens to inspire and exchange views with experts, decision-makers, and activists from across Europe. Over the course of the two-day event (13-14 June) in Strasbourg, various sessions introduced participants to the European institutions, international organisations. This year, the team of data.europa.eu got to participate and engage with over 190 young Europeans in the interactive presentation: ’Data you can trust – discover the world of open data’. With hands-on activities and lively Q&A’s, the EYE event highlights the importance of open data and how the European Data Portal can be a great resource for young citizens across Europe. 

During the Q&A sessions, several data related topics were discussed. Questions from the audience were focused on data literacy, data quality and trust, the use of open data in research, and the evolving relationship between open data and AI. Other conversations covered the relevance of opening data to the public and tips on how to find data which is useful in research. The participants posed thoughtful questions and were very dedicated and interested, making the overall experience of the event very rewarding.  

Outside of the formal sessions, there was a lot more to learn and discover. The EYE village came to life with live music, stands of various organisations and lots of networking opportunities with other participants and organisers. Participants were also able to choose from three tracks (engage, empower, and connect) to customise their experience at the EYE event. By bringing young European citizens closer to open data, we can bring awareness to the benefits of open data networks and the insights it can provide. 

Getting to participate at the EYE event this year as data.europa was a great opportunity to get new insights and spread the word about the importance of open data. If you want to know more about the event, you can find more information on the EYE website. 

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