Terms and Conditions

The European Commission’s Young European Ambassadors initiative invites young people from across the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – to become leaders in their communities and inspire change across the region, the European Union and beyond.

The Young European Ambassadors(YEA) initiative is part of the EU Strategic Regional Communication Programme for the Western Balkans – henceforth referred to as ‘WeBalkans’. The programme is funded by the European Commission and implemented by the communication agency, WEGlobal SRL. YEA is a non-political, activist initiative.

The Terms & Conditions presented here apply at every phase of participation in the Young European Ambassadors project. Dates are subject to change in the relevant cycles of selection.

The European Commission guarantees that the personal data relating to the YEA applicants and members are processed according to the rules set up by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 October 2018 (repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001). The personal data may be archived by the European Commission.

The personal data provided by the applicants and members will only be used for the purpose of selecting chosen applicants and enabling the activities of the YEA network.

The YEA applicants and members understand that, as data subjects, they have the right to access their personal data, be informed about the existence and extent of their personal data processing, rectify incorrect personal data, and oppose further processing, on serious and legitimate grounds.

The YEA applicants understand that if the videos, photos, or sound content include individuals other than YEA members, they will need to obtain and provide us with written consent from those individuals.

Information about the processing of the personal data by the EC in the context of the YEA project are provided in the Privacy Policy of WeBalkans which explains how the project uses their personal data and how the privacy of their data is ensured.

Video, photo, sound recording, and written content made by the YEA members for the purposes of WeBalkans project and YEA network belong to the project during and after its duration. By agreeing to these Terms & Conditions, the YEA applicants and members authorise the European Commission:

• To use without restriction photographs and/or films bearing their image, sound recordings bearing their voices as described above in all types of publications, and in any form of televisual broadcasting or communication via the Internet;
• To include and archive these photographs and/or films/sound recordings in the European Commission’s online databases, accessible online to the public, and free of charge. Third parties that have access to these databases may use said photographs and/or films/sound recordings in compliance with the EC's Decision on the re-using of the Commission's documents (2011/833/EU) for informational or educational purposes only, in order to illustrate or promote activities or projects of European institutions and the European Union in the past, present, and future.

By agreeing to these Terms & Conditions, the YEA applicants and members acknowledge the processing of their personal data by the European Commission.

Once you join the Young European Ambassadors Network, you will also be asked to sign a Volunteer Agreement, which is a legally binding document outlining your roles and responsibilities as a YEA but can be terminated at any time. Please note that this Agreement should not be construed and is not intended to form an employment relationship with the YEAs now, or at any time in the future. You can see how this Agreement looks like here.

WeBalkans reserves the right to disqualify and/or exclude a participant in the event that the presented Terms & Conditions are not respected, and/or unacceptable behaviour is demonstrated at any point throughout the duration of the project.

The European spirit, fair contest, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality, respect for written and unwritten rules such as integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence, and joy, form the building blocks of the ‘fair play’ concept that is being promoted by the network.

Young European Ambassadors are allowed to seek any professional activities. However, if accepted in an EU-funded project or in an EU body / EU Delegation or similar, the WeBalkans and the European Commission reserve the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether this is compatible with the YEA function.

By becoming a Young European Ambassador, members are aware that they cannot be involved in any activity (professional or otherwise) that contradicts EU values.

WeBalkans and the European Commission reserve the right to be the deciding party in the event of unforeseen circumstances or in the amendment of rules during the course of the entire duration of the project.

The Young European Ambassadors initiative welcomes applications from young people with disabilities or members of minority groups who satisfy the general application criteria. A prospective applicant will not be excluded on account of their disability/belonging to a minority group. On the contrary, to ensure that this is reflected as part of our next YEA intake these applicants are encouraged to self-identify as belonging to a certain minority group or indicate if they have a specific disability. Applicants with disabilities or members of minority groups may be preferred in case of several applicants with similar scores. The YEA network will, to the best of its efforts, ensure that a member with disabilities is able to fully participate in all its events – including online activities and travel functions.

This project is governed by the applicable European Union law complemented where necessary by the law of Belgium. The Court of Brussels shall have sole jurisdiction to hear any dispute concerning the interpretation, application, or validity of the rules of this project, if such dispute cannot be settled amicably.

Potential complaints and enquiries concerning the YEA application process can be directed to this email: [email protected]

WeBalkans reserves the right to terminate the complaint procedure at any moment if inappropriate behaviour or tone of voice is demonstrated on behalf of the complainant.

WeBalkans and/or the European Commission cannot be held accountable for any form of harmful online behavior outside of the channels controlled and managed by the European Commission and WeBalkans themselves.

WeBalkans and/or the European Commission cannot be held responsible for the cancellation, postponement, or modification of the dates or activities of the WeBalkans project due to unforeseen circumstances.

Participation in any part of the Young European Ambassadors project implies full acceptance of the above rules. By accepting the Terms and Conditions you are also accepting the addendum to the Terms and Conditions - Guidelines for Conduct as YEA.

A help desk is available should you have any doubts or if you require further information. Please refer to the following email: [email protected].