The European Youth Team Championships is the flagship competition of the EBL youth programme. It comprises three series, one for Juniors players (up to 25 years), one for Youngsters (up to 20 years) and one for young Girls (up to 25 years). Each EBL member country is entitled to enter one (national) team in each series. The format is a simple round-robin (all play all), at the end of which the team with most points gets the European crown. The top teams in the Junior series also earn the right to represent Europe in the World Youth Team Championship, arranged as a interzonal competition by the World Bridge Federation.

The competition was founded by EBL Youth Committee Chairman André Boekhorst in 1968 when the first event was held in Prague , capital of Czechoslovakia at the time, with the Juniors series only. It has continued as a biennial event held every even-numbered year ever since. In 1994, EBL Youth Committee Chairman Panos Gerontopoulos proposed the establishment of the Youngsters series to accommodate younger players. The Girls series was added in 2004.

Two prominent members of the international bridge community have donated the Trophies to be awarded to the winning teams. David Pigot is the donor of the European Juniors Team Championship , while the winner of the European Youngsters Team Championship receives the José Damiani Trophy.