Antwerp, 11 February 2026 – As EU leaders convened in Antwerp to strengthen industrial competitiveness, JA Europe participated in these high‑level discussions as the leading youth entrepreneurship and work‑readiness organisation on the continent. The summit gathered European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, EU Commissioners Teresa Ribera, Stéphane Séjourné and Wopke Hoekstra, as well as 500 CEOs and business leaders.
Since signing the Antwerp Declaration in 2025, JA Europe has consistently championed the principle at the core of today’s call to action: there is no resilient, safe, or strong Europe without a strong European industry, and no strong industry without a skilled generation ready to lead it, recognizing the fundamental importance of human and technical skills. JA Europe calls for a reinforced focus on entrepreneurship, and the emerging EU Inc. vision further underscores the need to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset across Europe — a mission Junior Achievement has advanced for more than 100 years.
Through entrepreneurship education and work‑based learning experiences, along with initiatives such as EU Code Week and AIENTR4YOUTH, JA Europe equips young Europeans with the capabilities required to contribute to competitive, innovative, and future‑proof industries. By validating transversal skills through frameworks like Employment Skills Pass (EMPASS) and Entrepreneurial Skills Pass (ESP), JA Europe ensures that young people’s strengths become visible, portable, and valued across borders. In this spirit, programs such as the JA Company Program — engaging over 400,000 young Europeans annually — exemplify how early entrepreneurial experiences can foster the skills and confidence needed to create and scale Europe’s next generation of businesses.
The Antwerp Declaration community calls on EU leaders to make the upcoming Alden Biesen meeting a turning point. This requires bold, coordinated measures to revive industrial competitiveness and deliver tangible progress as early as 2026. JA Europe remains committed to ensuring that Europe’s industrial future is inseparably linked to its youth’s future — one in which every young person possesses the opportunity, skills, and confidence to contribute to a stronger, more sustainable, and more competitive “Made in Europe.”
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network in over 40 countries provided over 7.5 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats, the organisation provided over 95,500 teaching experiences and 86,500 volunteering and mentoring experiences. For more information, visit JA Europe or contact Irina Ilieva at JA Europe (irina@jaeurope.org)
