Porto 2027EYP PortugalEYP Portugal
The themeMobilising Communities Beyond Europe's Horizon.
For the first time since 2001, the European Youth Parliament Network brings together young people from all over Europe in Porto. During the conference, Porto's long tradition of exchange — shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and intercontinental ties — will be the centre of reflection. An Atlantic city open to the world, Porto is the ideal setting to discuss how international connections have shaped, and continue to shape, Europe's present and future.
Porto 2027 – International Youth Conference is an international non-formal education and youth democratic participation project which will take place in September 2027 in the city of Porto. The conference will bring together around 300 young people from more than 35 European countries for ten days of debate, collaborative and cooperative work, and intercultural dialogue within a non-formal, peer-led learning environment.
Participants are invited to collaborate and to collectively reflect upon their role in the shaping of Europe's horizon and its dynamic communities. They will work on 15 topic-problems that are bound together by the event's theme, which spans from a local lens of mobility to a global outlook on diplomacy, developing a mosaic of different tiles.
The European Youth Parliament (EYP) gives its participants a platform to develop and express their views on the issues that matter today. By bringing together young people from different backgrounds, it builds intercultural understanding and friendships across borders.
The EYP is funded entirely by third parties and is supported by influential politicians and public figures at national, regional and international level.
eyp.org →Founded in 1989, EYP Portugal has since organised more than 100 events. Its calendar currently holds seven distinct events a year, reaching over 300 new young people annually, spread geographically to cover most of the country.
The aim is to offer young people an unforgettable experience — individual and collective — through the chance to work in a diverse team.
eyp.pt →International Conferences are the flagship of the EYP Network: ten days of non-formal education and deep cultural exchange, for 300 to 350 participants from every corner of Europe. Unlike the regional and national conferences held throughout the year, an International Conference is the network's largest gathering — and Portugal has not hosted an event of this scale since 2001.
EYP Portugal has organised 16 events in Porto since 1990 — most recently its 2024 National Selection Conference, bringing together 200 young people from over 20 countries.
"This theme aims to convey a sense of action and engagement that is targeting Europe's very own building blocks: its dynamism, communities, and international role on the global stage."— Porto 2027 · Mobilising Communities Beyond Europe's Horizon
Our events complement formal classroom education. Soft skills run through every moment — and each part of the programme trains a different one.
Time management and collaboration, worked through in depth.
Public speaking and critical analysis of others' ideas.
Communication, trust, and cooperation across cultures.
Democratic participation and a responsible role in the community.
Volunteers are split across four teams — Media, Academic, Organising, and the Jury. In the days before everyone else arrives, they finalise the last details and receive training from their Team Leaders.
Participants get to know one another through a series of activities and games. Experiential learning forms international teams and sets the principles of cooperation.
Each participant is assigned a specific topic — one of the challenges facing the European Union. Within their committee they debate the questions, identify the problems, and find possible solutions.
The culmination of the conference. A debate following the model of the European Parliament: committees defend their motion and respond to the work of others, before motions are put to a plenary vote.
Every event carries a rich cultural programme celebrating Europe's cultural and gastronomic diversity — guided city tours, talent showcases, and themed dinners.
Each committee takes one challenge facing the European Union — briefed by an academic team and chaired through a week of drafting and debate, all under the theme "Mobilising Communities Beyond Europe's Horizon".
To be confirmed — the committees shown below are examples
The Atlantic dimension of European foreign policy: relations with Brazil, Cape Verde, and the Lusophone South.
Six dedicated teams work together to bring this event to life.
Venues, transport, accommodation, catering, the cultural night, and every logistical thread that turns ten days of programme into a working conference.
3 Head-Organisers · 6 Core Organisers
15 Chairpersons guided by an Academic Board composed of one President and three Vice-Presidents. They write the topic overviews, design committee work, and edit the resolution book.
19 membersAn Editor, Editorial Assistants, and media team members documenting the conference in real time.
10 membersTrained, independent points of contact for participants — safeguarding, wellbeing, and confidential support.
4 membersMembers of EYP Portugal's National Committee supporting the conference — bridging the local entity, partners, and the international network.
6 membersRepresentatives of the EYP's Governing Body and the International Office in Berlin — the international layer of governance.
2 membersAnnouncements, journals, and dispatches as we build toward September 2027.
Press · 31 July 2026 · Diário de CoimbraDiário de Coimbra spent a day at our Coimbra conference, and left talking about Porto 2027: the largest Portuguese event of its kind since 2001.
Read the summary →Porto 2027 is a non-profit endeavour, made possible by institutional partners across Porto, Portugal, and the wider European parliamentary network.
We work with institutions, foundations, and businesses that share our commitment to civic dialogue and youth participation in European democracy.
Whether you'd like to partner with us or simply ask a question — three channels, all read by a real person.
Diário de Coimbra spent a day at our Coimbra conference, and left talking about Porto 2027: the largest Portuguese event of its kind since 2001.
On 31 July 2026, Diário de Coimbra visited the EYP Portugal conference running in Coimbra, where participants and volunteers from across Europe spent the week debating current European questions in a deliberately non-partisan setting.
Speaking to the newspaper, EYP Portugal president Joana Costa — alongside Matilde Morais, Catarina Formigo and Gustavo Valente — described the opening days: a volunteers' day of training sessions, and first moments of the group coming together around the city. Committee topics ranged from the housing crisis to digital security, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, drawn from the agenda of the European Parliament's own committees.
The event mirrors real parliamentary work: committees identify the problems, build solutions, and defend them in a closing General Assembly. For the organisers, the point is to show young people ways of taking part in civic life that sit outside party politics.
The article closes on Porto 2027 — around 300 young people, roughly 80% of them travelling from abroad, and delegations from almost every country in the European network. The largest Portuguese event of its kind since 2001.
Read the full article on Diário de Coimbra →The organising team arrives, settles in, and puts the last pieces in place before everyone else lands. Organisers only.
Casual and comfortable — you'll be on your feet most of the day. Bring a light jacket for the walk back; September evenings in Porto turn cool.
ID, a refillable water bottle, a notebook, and any dietary requirements sent to us in advance.
Provisional — times and venues may still change.