25.10.2021
DEADLINE FOR FREE TRAVEL FOR 60,000 YOUNG EUROPEANS IN 2022
Until October 26 this year young Europeans between the ages of 18 and 20 have a chance to participate in winning one of the 60,000 free travel cards in 2022, which are funded by the DiscoverEU project, reminded by the press center of the EC. The initiative is related to the declaration of 2022 as the European Year of Youth, which is why the EC intends to promote mobility in Europe by offering 60,000 train tickets.
This strong development and mobility opportunities in Europe will be further strengthened by Erasmus + and many other upcoming initiatives in connection with the European Year of Youth 2022.
EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Maria Gabriel said that "the DiscoverEU initiative is returning with greater ambitions to encourage young people to broaden their horizons and knowledge, gain new experiences and meet other Europeans. while traveling by train in the period March 2022 - February 2023, for 1 day to one month.
The application round is open to young Europeans born between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2003. Exceptionally, 19- and 20-year-olds can also apply after the application rounds were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As it is not clear how the pandemic will develop, all passengers will be offered flexible reservations through a new mobile travel card. The date of departure can be changed until the time of departure. The mobile travel card is valid for one year. The Commission advises all travelers to check for possible travel restrictions on the ReopenEU website.
Young people with special needs are also invited to participate in the DiscoverEU competition. The commission will provide them with information and advice and will cover the costs of special assistance such as a companion, guide dog and others.
The winners of the competition can travel alone or in a group of a maximum of 5 people (all within the allowable age group). In order to develop sustainable travel and thus support the European Green Pact, DiscoverEU participants will travel mainly by train. However, in order to ensure wide access across the EU, participants can use alternative modes of transport, such as buses, ferries or, exceptionally, airplanes. This will also allow the participation of young people living in remote areas or islands.
Each Member State is allocated a certain number of travel cards based on the share of its population in the total population of the European Union.
The Commission launched DiscoverEU in June 2018 following a proposal from the European Parliament. It was officially integrated into the new Erasmus + program for the period 2021-2027.
DiscoverEU connects thousands of young people, building a community across Europe. Participants who had never met before, connected through social media, exchanged practical advice or offered observations and ideas for specific places, formed groups to travel from city to city or visited each other.
In 2018-2019, 350 thousand young people applied for a total of 70,000 available travel cards - 66% of applicants traveled for the first time by train outside their country of residence. For many, it was also the first time they had traveled without their parents or accompanying adults, with most saying the experience had allowed them to become more independent. Experience within DiscoverEU has allowed them to better understand other cultures and European history. Their foreign language skills also improved during the trip. Two-thirds of participants said they could not cover the cost of the travel card without DiscoverEU assistance.
Since 2018, DiscoverEU's past and future travelers have formed a diverse and engaged community that meets online and offline to share their experiences. Participants are invited to become Ambassadors of DiscoverEU in order to promote the initiative. They are also encouraged to connect with other travelers on the official DiscoverEU online group to share experiences and exchange advice, especially on cultural specifics and ways to travel sustainably with digital technology. To apply, eligible applicants must take a quiz with common questions about the European Union and other EU initiatives aimed at young people. With an additional question, candidates are invited to know how many people will apply in this round. The closer the assumption is to the correct answer, the more points the candidate receives. This will allow the Commission to rank the candidates. The commission will propose travel cards to the candidates according to their ranking and until the available tickets are exhausted.
