This Europe: World does not belong to the young. At least, not in Europe yet

It seemed like a tall order and it was: bridging Europe's generation gap. Winners of The Independent's essay competition on the future of Europe played an active role at this week's youth convention designed to provide a younger dimension to the great debate chaired by Válery Giscard d'Estaing, the former French president.

But like many of their older colleagues, the three winners – Claire McCarthy, Miles Kemp and Carina Dunkerley – representing the UK are returning home with mixed impressions.

"It's extremely unrepresentative of European youth," said Ms Dunkerley, 21, who is studying politics and Russian. "I get a feeling a lot of people are already working in Brussels and that participating here is good for their own career,"

Ms McCarthy, 24, and Mr Kemp, 25, were elected by their peers to sit on a steering group of eight to draft a report on their three days of talks in Brussels.

Ms McCarthy said: "I think it was a great advantage to be nominated through an essay competition not by political parties. "We had come because we had a personal view to express and that gave weight at the election."

The youth conference concluded with a majority call for a federal structure for the European Union, leading the vice-president of the convention proper, the former Belgian prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene to say the message from the more radical youth convention "will not be lost" on senior members.

Three other British representatives to the youth convention, which fielded a total 210 delegates, were chosen directly by the main UK political parties. The European Parliament and European Commission selected others.

Read the winning essays here