Antwerp, 11 February 2026 – As EU leaders convene in Antwerp to strengthen industrial competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs on the continent, JA Europe participates in these high‑level discussions as the only youth entrepreneurship and work‑readiness organization among more than 600 participants, including 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, Stéphane Séjourné, and EU Commissioners Teresa Ribera and Wopke Hoekstra, Matthias Diependaele Minister President of Flanders at the European Industry Summit.
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.”
Through entrepreneurship education and work‑based learning experiences, along with initiatives such as EU Code Week andAIENTR4YOUTH, 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.
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)
