The Council of Members (COMEM) of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) defines the policies, vision and direction of the Forum and is composed of International Non-governmental Organisations and National Youth Councils. As YMCA Europe is a full member of the YFJ, we take part in the COMEM constantly.

This edition was focused on two directions:

1. Voting on the full membership of the National Youth Council of Ukraine and on the candidate membership of the National Youth Council of FYROM;
2. Voting on the policy papers and the motions/resolutions proposed by the board and the other Member Organisations (MOs).
2.1. The policy papers discussed concerned the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union and the Sustainable Development topic;
2.2. There was presented a resolution on the role of young people in the Brexit negotiations, by the British Youth Council; two urgent resolutions on the shrinking of civic space in Hungary, respective on the condemnation of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Eliza, member of our Youth Policy Group was the only representative of the YMCA Europe, but this has not stopped her to interact with the other participans and organizers: the president of the YFJ, the Policy Director of the YFJ, the policy officers of the YFJ, the representative of the European Confederation of Youth Clubs, the Youth of European Nationalities, the WOSM delegates, the British Youth Council CEO etc.

The participation to the COMEM and to the European Youth Forum high-level activities is vital for YMCA Europe. This is the place where we can address our positions on various topics, propose amendments on the policy papers prepared by the YFJ, establish new connections and so on.

I think that YMCA Europe has and should continue to have a significant role in influencing the European policies and being active in bodies such as the YFJ, especially in the times we are now living. With the next MFF under discussions and various challenges at the European level concerning the sustainability of the NGO sector and even of the participatory democracy, we have to be there where decisions are made.