U-Speak Project is focused on youth. It is based on a partnership of nine organizations from diverse EU member states - both old (Greece, Italy) and new (Lithuania and Poland since 2004, Bulgaria and Romania since 2007) - joined by a candidate country (Croatia). Its overall objective is to foster ownership of the EU among young people, and to build their capacity to participate in current and future debates on the construction of unified Europe.

Specific objectives:
1. to involve young people from old, new and potential EU members states in European debates on youth unemployment and education for employability, providing a forum for exchanging views and experience;
2. to involve youth from old, new and potential EU members states in the debate on the future shape and priorities of the EU Structural Funds;
3. to improve young people’s capacity, and motivation to partake in debates on EU policies affecting their lives;
4. to give young people a voice and make their views known to policy makers, civil society, citizens, and EU institutions.

U-Speak events will involve 160 Bulgarian and 80 foreign young people, 18 experts and 100 volunteers. They will take place in the Bulgarian town Dobrich.

Activities and outputs:
- two conferences - “Youth Speaks Out I & II” - one focused on youth unemployment and education for employability, the other on the post-2013 shape of the EU Structural Funds;
- European Parliament Simulation - participants will recreate EP debates on youth unemployment and the EU’s economic strategy and cohesion policy;
- Publications and a website presenting young participants’ views on the issues covered by the project.
The U-Speak youth events will be streamed live on the project website.

U-Speak will contribute to collecting the views of youth on key European issues. Young participants will gain understanding of the EU policies in focus, develop a sense of ownership of the EU and capacities for full-fledged participation in EU democratic life.