#DiscoverEU: applications for free travel passes for 18 year-olds open tomorrow!

Are you an 18 year-old European citizen who would like to get a sense of the beauty and diversity of our continent? From this Tuesday 12 June at 12.00 hrs until Tuesday 26 June at 12.00 hrs you can apply for one of the 15,000 free travel passes that will be distributed in the #DiscoverEU project and you will be able to travel across Europe and discover your European neighbours.

“Finding new ways to involve younger generations in the construction of a Europe that relates to them, including the least favoured among them, to create new opportunities for them and to contribute, little by little, to a sense of common European identity is crucial for Europe’s future. This is why I am so happy and proud that the #DiscoverEU Project, which I have been pushing for, is finally becoming a reality. And this is just the beginning!  I want to pull out all the stops so that one day, all young Europeans will receive a free travel pass on their eighteenth birthday”, said Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

“To get to the official launch of the project, we have had to overcome great opposition and caution. But the enthusiasm expressed by citizens of all ages has been a great source of inspiration and motivation. This support will be crucial to further expand the scope of the project and actually reach all 18 year-olds. The fact that the European Commission has planned to allocate €700 million for this initiative in its draft budget for the period 2021-2027 is an encouraging sign. But we will have to fight so that this budget sees the light of day!” Manfred Weber said.

“I therefore call on all the young people who will be lucky enough to be selected to benefit from one of the 15,000 travel passes offered by the European Union this year: share your experiences, share your travel discoveries using the hashtag #DiscoverEU! Thanks to you, the beneficiaries of this programme may be plentiful in the years to come.”

Apply here for a free #DiscoverEU travel pass.