The Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators (YCAP) is a European Parliament initiative, implemented by the European Commission, that places young people at the centre of EU biodiversity policymaking. Bringing together young citizens from across the EU, the Assembly provides a structured space for informed dialogue on pollinator decline - one of Europe’s most pressing biodiversity challenges.
The Assembly contributes to the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), feeding citizen-driven insights directly into EU policy processes. It also scales up youth engagement action in this area, responding to one of the priority areas of the EU Pollinators Initiative, which aims to mobilise society by, among others, supporting youth engagement and participatory governance.
A multi-session deliberative process
The Assembly unfolds across three main in-person sessions in Brussels.
- Session 1 (September 2025) focused on building a shared understanding of biodiversity and pollinator decline, exploring why pollinators matter and what the EU is already doing to address the issue.
- Session 2 (December 2025) moved into deeper deliberation, with participants validating earlier insights, engaging with stakeholders, prioritising challenges, and developing ideas for action and future governance.
- Session 3 (March 2026) will be dedicated to finalising the recommendations on actions to reverse the decline of pollinators and on the role of young people in biodiversity governance.
Across the sessions, participants work in plenary and small-group formats, combining scientific knowledge, policy context and lived experience.
Relevance for the science-policy interface
For BioAgora, the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators illustrates how participatory and deliberative processes can complement the biodiversity science-policy interface. By integrating societal values and everyday experience alongside scientific evidence, the Assembly strengthens the legitimacy, inclusiveness and relevance of biodiversity policymaking.
As BioAgora continues to support the development of a Science Service for Biodiversity, initiatives such as YCAP highlight the importance of connecting scientific knowledge, policy needs and citizen perspectives to address complex biodiversity challenges effectively.
Read more here: Young Voices in EU Policy: An Update on the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators