“We share the same values” was one key conclusion shared by one of the participants at the closing of our autumn European Guardianship Network (EGN) meeting that took place on October 24th and 25th in Copenhagen. During the network meeting, it was once more proven how much we can learn from each other, and even more so in a challenging context. The upcoming reforms with regards to the Common European Asylum System will impact all EGN members, while at the same time the public opinion sees the unaccompanied children that we all work with increasingly less as children. The conversations we had during the network meeting not only formed a strong basis for international solidarity, but also provided us with important learnings on different topics:
• Recent CEAS developments affecting guardianship and forthcoming supporting European resources;
• EGN Member Action Plans, which helped us identify topics for exchange and collaboration in 2026;
• A very interesting and complex case study from Belgium on the importance of cross border cooperation;
• Promising practices on guardianship and transition to adulthood from Denmark and Italy;
We were happy to welcome both long-term partners as well as brand new faces to the meeting. In between sessions as well as during the evening dinner there was time to get to know each other (better) and connect.
The EGN project team looks back at a very successful meeting. We thank the Danish Red Cross for hosting us and for the flawless logistical preparation, and all members for their active participation and attendance. We are already looking forward to seeing everyone again in spring!
The EGN is Co-funded by the European Commission