Model European Union 2012 - Booklet by MUE Strasbourg

Model European Union StrasbourgÂ 2012

Editor:

Conor Slowey

Design and Layout: Marvin Milatz and Heidi Schulze Photographers: Aleksandra Wiśniewska, Monika Kosmalska and Jaro Soboň

Model European Union Strasbourg 2012

Words of Welcome Dear friends and supporters of Model European Union 2012 (MEU 2012), You are now holding MEU 2012’s Results’ Booklet. The mere fact that this booklet landed in your mailbox means that the project has come to an end. This is a short glimpse on our project. Going through it, you will get to meet our supporters, participants and organisers. Organising MEU Strasbourg is a yearlong effort. This year, the Conference was organised by slightly more than 70 volunteers coming from all corners of the European Union and even farther afield. Intensive works on MEU 2012 began in June 2011 - 9 months before the Conference. This year’s edition of MEU Strasbourg was one of records. To start with, our organising team managed to collect a record number of partners, supporters and endorsement letters. We have also managed to increase the number of participants to 193. This year’s participants came from all European-Union Member States and farther afield - and we have reached the record number of nationalities present. We were also proud to welcome a record number of interpreters. This

year, we interpreted from and to 11 different languages! The number of Mother Tongue days (days when our participants can address the plenary in their mother tongues) has increased as well. This project could not have happened without a number of people. My deepest gratitude goes to the organising team, our partners, and supporters as well as participants. Without you, MEU 2012 would not have been so successful! I wish you a pleasant read! Sincerely,

Michal Smrek Model European Union 2012 Director-General

Welcome to MEU 2012! simulation of the European legislative procedures aims at helping participants to gain a better understanding of the processes which take place within the European Union (EU). Further it may raise their interest in public affairs at the European level. It thereby contributes to building a bridge between the European institutions and the citizens.

HANS-GERT POETTERING, MEP President of the European Parliament ret. Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Dear Participants, Dear Friends! Looking back on six successful years of ‚Model European Union‘, I would like to congratulate you on this great achievement. As patron for the last three years, I am proud to be part of this unique project which offers young engaged Europeans first-hand experience of the functioning of the European institutions. The

This year more participants than ever before from countries beyond the borders of the EU took part in the simulation. Beside the 27 Member States, candidates applied from Turkey, Croatia and the EFTA countries Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Iceland. This shows that ‚Model European Union‘ is a great chance for our neighbouring countries and respective member states to get involved, and thus further supports the European integration process. As you surely have recognized, the EU faces a lot of challenges this year. The simulation gives a broad perspective on the real problems of our time: The financial crisis, climate change and migration flows are just a few challenges to be named. In order to reach these aims and to meet upcoming challenges we need

to continue our dedication for the European unification and represent solidarity between states to live together peacefully. The EU‘s role in this should be perceived as a ‚moral compass‘ which serves our common values such as the dignity of the human being, human rights, freedom, democracy, the rule of law and subsidiarity. Despite all crises we had and have to face, the EU as a whole is strong. You as the young generation take a right step towards a better future by getting engaged with this world. Your contribution is crucial for the shaping of our common future. Please stay engaged for Europe!

Hans-Gert Poettering, MEP President of the European Parliament ret. Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

Words of Welcome from the Commission For most citizens, however, the policy-making process can seem Byzantine and opaque, with the rules and regulations that affect their lives decided far away in “Brussels”.

I am delighted to be able to welcome you all to the Model European Union 2012.

In reality the creation of European policies is subject to intense democratic scrutiny. Laws are analyzed and modified through a democratic process that includes input from a variety of stakeholders such as interest representatives and NGO’s, from the media, business or academia. Since the Lisbon Treaty came into force in 2009, the role of national parliaments in responding to proposed legislation has also been significantly beefed up, further improving the democratic oversight of the process. Of course complementing the role of EU own advisory bodies such as the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.

As the European Commission Vice President responsible for relations between the Commission and the other EU institutions, I am more aware than most of the vital importance played by the European Parliament, the European Council and others in the EU.

Citizens, from 1 April this year, will also be able to have a direct influence on new EU laws through the European Citizen’s Initiative which brings to the attention of the Commission any cause that gains a million signatures of support from across a major part of the EU.

MAROS SEFCOVIC Vice President of the European Commission Dear participants,

During your time in Strasbourg, you will be able to get a taste of what is like to be part of the legislative process: the cut and thrust of debate, the challenge of working in many different official languages, the scrutiny of the press, the need for compromise and agreement. I hope that the experience will be enriching and enlightening; maybe it will even persuade some of you to follow a career in the EU! But above all I hope it will help you to understand more about how the EU works to improve the lives of 500 million citizens, and I encourage you to spread this positive message about Europe back home.

Maros Sefcovic Vice President of the European Commission

Words of Welcome from the Commission (2) down national barriers. The MEU also gives you the chance to develop your skills in EU law, debating and negotiations at an EU level in a unique and exciting way, an opportunity to really experience what it is like to be a professional working in the EU. This is certainly a oncein-a-lifetime chance to gain a deep understanding of the founding principles of the EU, and to really develop your European identity – so grab it with both hands. CECILIA MALMSTRÖM Member of the European Commission (Home Affairs) Dear Participants, As a European Commissioner who is passionate about the EU and European integration, let me warmly welcome you to this year’s Model European Union event. I am only sorry that I was unable to make this greeting in person. This event offers a fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand how the European institutions operate, and to come together, to make links and to break

I am so pleased that this event year on year attracts young people from across Europe who are engaged and interested in working together at a truly European level. You will be our future policy makers, journalists, interpreters, lawyers and much more, the future of our European Union – your enthusiasm and motivation brings me much hope for that future. My advice would simply be this: throw yourself 100% into this week long exercise, taking full advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that his Conference will offer you. I wish you all the very best of luck for this event. Best wishes,

Welcome to MEU 2012 With MEU Strasbourg, we would like to show you the opportunities that come up in a more and more complex society: not only what we can achieve, but also what kind of political system we will all need to deal with. Never before have so many decisions been made at European level, whereas many people still do not know much about the structure, the tasks and the work and importance of its institutions. The European Union is a dynamic entity, constantly evolving and shaping European politics. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your chance to be part of this dynamism and show your abilities to shape politics, debate and make the right decisions.

Dear MEU Strasbourg participant,

MEU 2012 is an example what young people can accomplish themselves and portrays the will to engage actively. We hope that you are going to take something back home and motivate your peers to think of their (European) future.

I would like to congratulate you for making it to Model European Union (MEU) to take part with 192 other young Europeans in the 6th edition of MEU Strasbourg to spend a wonderful week in the heart of Europe and experience a truly European spirit!

By the end of this week, we hope you would have enjoyed it, recommended it to your friends and talked about your experiences. Hopefully, you will decide yourself to engage in organising such an amazing project whether next year in Strasbourg or at local level, in your country.

IOAN BUCURAS President of BETA e.V.

We encourage you to get active! We did our best to provide you with all the necessary information, on what you need to know to become an organiser of such an event and answer your questions: How to get started? What is the most important information I need? Aside from all necessary and important information about MEU Strasbourg, this conference guide provides you with some information about the association behind the conference: BETA, a politically independent non-profit association with about 200 young members from all over Europe. With the very best regards,

Ioan Bucuras BETA President

Words of Welcome from the Director Generals project with a legal umbrella. This year’s Conference is the largest to date. Let us begin with congratulating you all on being selected. We received almost 1.000 applications from all EU Member States and farther afield and the competition for every single place was exceptionally fierce.

MICHAL SMREK & BERKAY MANDIRACI Director Generals MEU 2012 Dear participants, It is our great pleasure to welcome you all to the sixth edition of Model European Union. This project began as a small-scale initiative organized by a handful of passionate volunteers and has now grown to involve a professional team of nearly 70 organizers living in all corners of Europe. From 2009, we operate under the auspices of the Bringing Europeans Together Association, which was established to provide the

Model European Union is a unique educational project. It allows one to explore the complex process of EU decision-making from an insider perspective. By putting oneself into the role of one of the many influential political actors, one truly gets to see how things work first hand. We believe that our “learning by doing” approach is more effective than learning from a book. Inevitably, reading about something can only provide one with an abstract picture of how things work. Here in Strasbourg, you get the opportunity to see how things work and try them out. Model European Union is unique in yet another sense. One gets to meet a great number of like-minded Europeans. MEU is an opportunity to engage in networking. We strongly urge you to socialize with

people of other nationalities. This is the only means that can help you see that despite many differences, we have very much in common. There has never been more need for projects like ours than today. Europe has been badly shaken by the economic crisis and an increasing number of people begin to doubt the viability of the European project. Through MEU we thus hope that you, as the future leaders of Europe, will get further insights into how the EU and its functioning can be improved. This leaves us with one last advice: try to be cooperative and be open to everybody’s opinions. This week, you have got to show Europe what “unity in diversity” really means. Enjoy the Conference!

MEU Project and History MEU Strasbourg 2012 was a great success, bringing 193 participants together from all over Europe to discuss some of the burning issues that face the European Union, and to experience a unique cultural and social exchange. However this success did not happen overnight: MEU Strasbourg 2012 was the six iteration of the pan-continental event. Model European Union is a simulation of the decisionmaking and legislative procedures in the European Union but also a project of bringing young Europeans together within the premises of the prestigious European Parliament in Strasbourg. During a whole week, participants will be able to experience European politics and the whole democratic process. In order to be acquainted with the actual European political life, participants play one of five possible roles – Ministers of the EU Member States, Member of the European Parliament, lobbyists, journalists and interpreters. The MEU Strasbourg project is based on an idea of AEGEE Osnabrück, which in 2005 started to develop a simulation of European politics. When AEGEE Strasbourg offered to host the first edition of the project,

the prefect venue was found. So, the first MEU took place in Strasbourg 2007 with about 150 participants. When BETA e.V. was founded and took over the organisation of MEU Strasbourg in 2009, the number of participants had grown to 180, and MEU had become a regular fixture on the European calendar. As MEU is organised by a non-profit association, the project’s funding largely depends on its various partners and supporters. About 59% of the MEU budget is provided by Youth in Action, which is an EU Programme for young people aged 15-28 aiming at inspiring a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and involving them in the EU legislative process. The other 40% consists of the participation fee, which was 150€ per participant in 2012, donations and donations in kind. This year’s edition of Model European Union was the largest to date. All in all, we received 998 applications this year, falling 2 applications short of the magical 1000-mark. 193 participants took part in the Conference organised by 71 organisers.

MEU in Numbers With over 998 applications received within the 36 days of application period, only 193 applicants were selected from 29 countries to participate in MEU 2012. This led to a very successful sixth edition of Model European Union within the European Parliament.

Who are participants? MEU2012 statistics showed that about 60% of all participants were female, and 62% of all participants were young adults, in their early 20s, 20 to 23 years old. (Graph 1)

One of the main goals of MEU is to bring young people from around the continent, in order to yield a group of participants that would be as culturally diverse as possible to promote exchange en friendship during one week.

Graph 1: Age Distribution

This year’s statistics showed that MEU was very famous not only in the EU, but also in Turkey, as about a tenth of all applications came from Turkish people! With northern American applicants – and participants – the popularity of MEU has also crossed the ocean! In the end, participants from over 34 nationalities living in 29 countries – EU plus Norway and Turkey – were able to sit in the premises of the European Parliament.

25 9%

26 7%

18 3%

19 7% 20 18%

24 12%

21 12%

23 17% 22 15%

Also, even though most of the participants had a study background in Internal relations (no less than 40%) or law (23%), the diversity of participants’ backgrounds is noteworthy, showing the interest in EU politics is still strong amongst young Europeans. (Graph 2)

Graph 2: Fields of Study Computing 1%

All in all, participants in MEU2012 formed a highly culturally diverse group, with many different interests, which enabled them to indulge in very open-minded discussions and close interactions during the simulation of in social programmes, thus creating new friendships, beyond the traditional boundaries of language, borders or culture, which is one the most vital aspects of MEU.

Natural Engineering Sciences 1% 4%

International relations 40%

Environmental protection 6% Arts & Humanities 12%

Law 23% Social and behavioural science 13%

Legislative Proposals by Commissioners Léo Wilkinson & Thanasis Apostolakoudis

Proposal One: Frontex Regulation: Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union. As the Commissioner for Home Affairs during MEU 2012, I am very pleased to announce that the Proposal was passed by the Council of the EU, and that the outcome of the negotiations was more than satisfactory in the eyes of the European Commission. Right from the start of the week after presenting it, the Proposal received strong support in the Council, and very wide support amongst Members of the European Parliament. The legislative procedure which was applied to the Proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of the Frontex Agency was the consultation procedure, meaning that, even though both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers participated in the legislative process, it was the Council which had the last word and worked hard to make this new EU Agency as efficient as possible. Unlike what some critics had predicted, Ministers worked closely with

representatives of the European Parliament to make this new EU agency as efficient as possible, mainly during the daily trilogue meetings and then by carefully considering the Parliament‘s Opinion. As expected, the question of this new EU Agency’s funding caused many heated discussions amongst Ministers, particularly due to the current economic climate. Some argued that it should only be those Member States which benefit from the Agency who should be contributing to the Agency‘s budget, while others pushed for contributions to be calculated according to a country‘s GDP per capita, population and current spending on external border protection. The complexity of this algorithm made it a difficult for Ministers and MEPs to have productive discussions, so it was decided that the Commission should define it at a later date. The composition of the Agency’s Board was also controversial, with several Ministers wanting to have direct influence over how the Agency was to be run. However these concerns soon disappeared once Ministers understood that the purpose of this new

Agency was not to threaten national sovereignty, but purely to be present to assist Member States upon their request. Ministers also responded very favourably to the Commission‘s calls to keep the proposed Board membership, as enlarging it further might jeopardise the agency‘s efficiency and responsiveness in the future. The location of the agency‘s Headquarters was also a key area of debate, with several Ministers trying to convince their colleagues that their country would be most suitable. Discussions, however, failed to come to a satisfying conclusion, so it was unanimously agreed that it would be the Commission that would decide after having examined several locations. In the European Parliament, most MEPs from a broad range of factions were also strongly in favour of the Proposal, including for example the EPP, the S&D, ALDE and the Greens. Almost all factions expressed concerns over how the Proposal was going to ensure respect for human rights by this new Agency. After having been reassured that, as an EU agency, it would automatically be bound by all existing –and extensive– EU legislation on human rights, MEPs worked on other ways to incorporate these concerns, such as through

the training of border guards or a human rights representative on the Board of Management. The reason why the negotiations between the Parliament and the Council were so successful is because MEPs in many ways continued the work that the Ministers had started on the proposal. Amendments quite often strengthened and brought much more coherence to many of the existing clauses, as opposed to trying to radically change the Proposal‘s objectives. Through the Parliament‘s official Opinion, MEPs, for example, developed the clauses on the training of the guards, as well as on the Agency‘s sources of funding. Ministers also immediately accepted that the European Parliament should be kept informed on the Agency‘s work, through reports and a yearly hearing of the Agency‘s Executive Director. This therefore renders the approved Proposal much more comprehensive, and gives the Agency much greater legitimacy. Overall, I think both Ministers and MEPs were satisfied with the Proposal, as adopted. We are confident that the Agency will be able to fulfil the objectives which it was set to achieve, and will be able to provide solutions to the

challenges of the management of the external borders of the European Union. The new Frontex Agency will be set up by mid-2013, and we will be carrying out a review of its activities one year after its official launch. On behalf of the European Commission, I would like to thank all the Ministers and the Members of the European Parliament for their hard work, and to state that we are indeed looking forward to working with you in the future.

Proposal Two: Passenger Name Record Directive: Proposal for a Directive on the use of Passenger Name Record data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime.

the decision was not an easy one for the S&D members as they raised high concerns about the way that the rights of the passengers were protected and they wanted to make it more difficult for the authorities to collect and most importantly keep the data stored. The amendments regarding a better clarification of â&#x20AC;&#x153;masking outâ&#x20AC;? the data, a stricter framework of the data that can be collected with respect to the non-collection of any sensitive information, as well as a closer control of the data transfer from a third country to another third country were passed with a majority formed basically by those two parties.

The PNR Directive was a Directive that caused a lot of discussion, a lot of disagreement, verbal disputes and even loud protests in the parliament by some political parties. However, it had a happy ending.

The EPP MEPs managed to pass their will of not shortening the data retention period, neither the 30 days one nor the following one, of 5 years. The vote on this amendment was close though. Furthermore, there was an agreement on co-funding the cost of the PIUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set up (the cost will be shared among the Member States and the EU).

In the Parliament the two biggest parties, the EPP and the S&D were principally in favor of the Directive, wanting their changes to be passed of course. Especially,

Between the smaller parties, there was a spirit against the Directive coming from ALDE, Greens, NGL and EFD. These parties clearly stated that the Directive

was a threat against human rights and even freedom of movement, with the NGL and EFD talking about a shameful text coming from the “bureaucratic Commission”. The most supportive to the Directive party was the ECR as they were massively voting in favor of any change they considered will make “air travel safer”. Their amendment regarding the immediate inclusion of the internal flights to the Directive didn’t pass though. As far as the Council is concerned the debate there was also intense, however it turned to be less productive. The Ministers disagreed on including internal flights as well (even if the UK and some other countries raised the issue) and there was a big debate about the possibility of including PNR data collection for land and sea travels. However, with some “help” of the Commission this debate closed as “too immature for the current circumstances”. So the basic changes that the Council managed to pass was the reduction of the detention period of masked data (from 5 to 4 years) and the amendment that enables the Commission to terminate an agreement

with a third Country if the third Country continuously violates the terms of the agreement. All in all the amended version of the Proposal was voted by the majority of the MEP’s in the Parliament (EPP, S&D, ECR) and by all! Member States in the Council, leaving the Commission with the satisfaction that the initial Proposal has passed with that kind of changes that have not affected the core of it.

Application Essays Should the Eurozone form a fiscal union? by Stacey Mills

Since the rubble of the economic crisis has unearthed large debts and a deteriorating Euro, the Euro has come to represent the wavering instability of European economy. A crisis, which the European Union and Member States of the Euro zone in particular have been keen to escape from; the main lifeboat taking the form of a proposed Fiscal Union. This Fiscal Union will stand to reinforce discipline, convergence and governance across the Euro zone, binding the spending of the Member States involved in order to attempt to secure the Euro and stabilise our European economy. The question of whether a fiscal

union is in the best interests of the Euro zone lies at the centre of how Europe can escape the current economic crisis. This proposed fiscal policy across the Euro zone being synonymous with a strict new regime under which the European Union authorities will have control over the countries’ spending plans. It is necessary to form a new basis of trust for the Euro, being the Euro zone’s common currency. A fiscal union could be the first step in the right direction for Europe’s economy. The idea of fiscal policy being transposed into national legislation governed by the European parliament has already been affirmed as a possible way

forward by the seventeen member states of the Euro zone. The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, has described the idea of a fiscal union as ‘the breakthrough to the union of stability’. It is clear that a fiscal union could be the lifeline Europe has been searching for in order to escape the unstable wreck of our current debtridden economy. In fact it could be argued that it was the EU’s greatest mistake not to include a fiscal union when instigating the use of the Euro currency across its nations in the first place. This safety blanket of democratic control within the European Parliament may have saved our current economic state from the extent to which it has currently been hit by crisis. It stands to reason that where European nations are united by currency they ought also be in fiscal unity, as the two seem to go hand in hand, a fiscal union therefore promoted true European unity; the entire foundation behind the European Union itself. Thus, fiscal union is integral to the ideals of the European Union and the Euro zone in particular.

It can be seen that a fiscal union would be beneficial to not only all of the members of the Euro zone, but also those member states with their own currency. Such as the United Kingdom, which stood alone against proposals at the last summit. Britain, however distanced from the other EU member states in regard to currency, is nevertheless dependent upon the stability of the Euro, as are all EU member states due to its great influence on the economic stability of Europe as a whole. The prospect of a fiscal union is therefore beneficial to the prospects of the entire European Union. It is for these reasons clear that the formation of a fiscal union is the vital next step that the Euro zone must now take to step out of the wreckage of the economic crisis.

Is immigration a threat or a great opportunity for the European Union? by Sebastian Clark Diversity has been a constant feature of European history, a source of many of the continent’s greatest achievements. At a time when formidable political and economic challenges are faced, its effective management has never been more important. Immigration and its societal impacts therefore pose one of the most acute challenges for policy-makers in the European Union. It offers however, more than simply opportunity, it is a necessity. A growing trend that has intensified with globalization, immigration is having significant societal impacts on the EU’s Member States. To take the UK for example, both the highest gross recipient of immigrants and producer of emigrants in the EU, a surge of immigrants entering the country and passport-holders leaving, have led to a rapid population swap of about 10% over the last decade alone. This is an incredibly important social story that has profound effects on that most fundamental of political foundations: identity. Immigration is perceived increasingly as a threat by large segments of the EU’s citizenry. Indeed, large scale immigration challenges some of the most human of

prejudices: the fear of change and the “other”. According to Chatham House, the desire to defend a “national identity” and the perception of a “cultural threat” is today a stronger motivation than the fear that one’s own economic situation might be under threat. Between 30% and 60% of polled voters considered there to be too many immigrants in their home countries. Such feelings have translated into big political gains for antiimmigrant, Eurosceptic, political parties: in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Finland, who have helped make up coalition governments. In 2011, the Schengen area agreement, one of the most significant achievements of the EU, came under an existential crisis. If this trend continues, the EU’s ability to effect collective governance of its external borders will be fatally undermined. At a time when the EU is facing formidable political and economic challenges, managing immigration and subsequent integration have never been more necessary. This means taking seriously the prevalent anxiety over immigration and integration, but it also means defending diversity and the basic values of open society. To understand immigration as an opportunity

rather than a threat we need to come to terms with two realities. First, it is a fact. Most of those who have come to Europe in recent decades, and their descendants, are here to stay. Many remain attached to the cultural heritage of their countries of origin, maintaining multiple identities. Here lies an opportunity rather than a threat, this diversity can contribute to the creativity that Europe needs, now more than ever. Second, it is an economic necessity. Europe is ageing, which means that more immigrants are needed. Without them, the European Commission calculates that over the next 50 years, the EU’s workforce will decrease by nearly 100 million, even while the population as a whole continues to rise. Diversity is Europe’s past and it is its destiny – it is even the EU’s motto. It is and will continue to shape our future in a fast-changing world. Well managed immigration, supported by effective political communication of its desirability, is a basic prerequisite for a truly dynamic and prosperous society. More than an opportunity, it is a necessity.

Should Europe abandon nuclear energy? by Ilkka Myllymäki The time of cheap fossil fuels has come to an end. Europe has to think other natural sources of filling the energy needs rather than oil or coal. On the other hand we are committed to tackle the climate change and to reduce the green house gas emissions. There are alternatives to replace fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is regarded by some, such as France, as the most vital source of energy in tackling the climate change and securing Europe‘s competitiveness. Some reckon, such as Germany, that nuclear power is dangerous source of getting electricity. In my view, Europe should abandon nuclear energy. Instead of wasting money on nuclear energy the EU should foster the transformation of EUstates into bio-based economies. Public opinion has turned against the nuclear energy after the Fukushima disaster. People worry about security of the nuclear waste storage. Nuclear power is old-fashioned, very expensive, won‘t create new jobs and rises many safety concerns. Governments around Europe have decided to close down nuclear plants which are not safety enough. We know that plants can‘t be closed overnight. It is very expensive and takes a long time indeed. The whole economic structure and

industries of Europe have depended on cheap oil. Also there have been EU-level targets in cutting the CO2emissions. But how about turning highly subsidised agricultural sector into EU‘s decarbonisation flag ship. Although the Common Agricultural Policy has undergone radical reforms over the last 25 years, I think it is very important to make changes and constantly improve it. The CAP ought to become greener and more marketorientated, just like our economies in the future. In order to tackle climate change and find new ways of stimulating economic growth the answer might be renewable energy, especially biomass and bioproducts. I reckon that it will simply create more jobs and enhance energy self-sufficiency all over Europe. Europe is at the moment highly dependent on energy supply from Russia or Middle East. That has to change if we want to maintain our competitiveness against other rising economies such as China and India. But Europe‘s rural development policy has to change. It should help to create a bio-industry which will be the driving force of the new European economy. There

is a real lack of financial incentives, the necessary rural infrastructure is either missing or too old. Urbanisation is not energy efficient and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t create jobs in the long run. I assume, however, that most of the future jobs will be in the rural areas and agricultural communities . The answer to Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s energy challenges would then be a bio-based agricultural economy. It is possible to seek new development opportunities, such as renewable environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as residues. The EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s long suffering from two chronic problems: financial and environmental sustainability would be solved. Europe can no longer rely on cheap fossil fuels. Instead of wasting money, the CAP could foster the bio-transformation of our economies. If it does not happen at first in Europe, it will happen somewhere else.

A Day in the Life of a... MEP by Cemal Gunduz, MEP, S&D Austria MEU 2012! It is very hard to express my feelings because words are inadequate. Being participant at MEU 2012 was amazing. The given role to me was Austrian MEP from SPÖ in the Socialists and Democrats Progressive Alliance (S&D) faction at the European Parliament, Strasbourg. Explaining the role of the European Union to young people has always been a hard task. In order to bring awareness regarding the European Union and its functioning, a simulation programme by the name of Model European Union (MEU) was introduces that has rapidly gained popularity in entire Europe in the past few years. The purpose of MEU is to create awareness among the youth about the EU and functions of its various bodies, hone debating skills, improve critical thinking, research about countries on various critical issues, debate upon important issues, deliberate upon possibilities and yield consensus for various problems. I also elected as ‘faction leader’ of the S&D faction by the esteemed colleagues. As an MEP and faction leader of the S&D, I learned that though we think about EU issues as being governmental problems, they very much

affect the citizens of the involved nations. It helped me more in my social skills; being able to talk to people I don’t know, talk in front of people and understand their countries’ perspective on the same issues and respecting them. The whole experience was “Incredible.”You can still work as a team and have different views on an opinion, sometimes you need to repeat your views to make sure they’re heard, and when you like your work it’s easy to do MEU was a great experience for me and I would love to do it again, maybe as an organiser. I learned that social issues can be easily solved through collaboration, that if all countries came together willingly, social issues would be quickly resolved. Once in lifetime chance, once in a lifetime experience.The situations that were discussed were real life issues. Enjoyed working with delegates my age, learned that young people can make a difference, would recommend because it is a great chance to learn about the world around you, to debate, to practice team work, bond with peers, and resolve conflicts. I would like to thank every single participant for their great effort during the MEU 2012!

Would recommend because it is a great opportunity and experience, it teaches that peace can be accomplished by words. I would like to end with one of the phrases

of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as I said during the closing remarks at the end of the parliamentary sessions, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Peace at home, Peace in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. And also peace in Europe!

A Day in the Life of a... Non-Inscrit MEP by Youssef Himmat, MEP, N/I (Democratic Unionist Party) The journey in the life of a Non-In script member of the European Parliament is one of the most exciting journeys you could ever experience at MEU – Strasbourg. Imagine to be sitting on a comfortable blue chair in a room filled up with MEPs that are ready to do whatever they can to passionately create a constructive debate and do whatever they can to try to convince whether an amendments should be passed or not; knowing that the decision the House will eventually come to is going shape Europe’s Future. Yet the life of an N/I is not a bowl of cherries. In fact it is true that you are able to pursue the train wreck of values (of the party and the people) you are representing without having to reach compromises within a faction, but this might become the biggest challenge you will have to overcome once you firstly meet big factions, as they are a big chunk EP’s votes and they seem to have more say within the House than you do (nevertheless compromises within big factions are difficult to get without creating frictions. This will definitely play in your favour as N/I later on). However as an N/I your main Arena in which you will

play a major role is not the ‘comfortable blue chair’ within the EP, but rather outside the EP during the precious breaks, in the way from or to the Hotel, at La Gallia while enjoying your dinner, in front of the rooms and especially while queuing. That’s the moment where you need to get out and socialize with people in order to be able to engage in personal discussions and therefore try to convince both MEPs and Ministers (with what is in the best interest of your own party, without necessary implying such). In few words, the key to succeed in gaining MEPs as an N/I is preparation. This can be mastered by essentially analysing (before the MEU) others’ position papers, discover who might have a nearer approach to yours and prepare facts and statistics which will make your arguments way more interesting and will without any doubt help in creating a constructive discussion. Legal advisers might soon become your best pal in case you do not have a strong law background as they will always be more than pleased to help you; while journalist might either end up helping you or disadvantage you in case you try to excite them with scandals or earthshaking statements.

If you are really willing to challenge yourself and your own abilities at its fullest then being an N/I is definitely the role to be! It is definitely lots of fun and a really rewarding experience and I am deeply grateful for all the MEU

2012 participants that in a way or another helped to create this amazing and unforgettable environment.

A Day in the Life of a... Faction Leader by Georgios Iliopoulos, MEP, ALDE Faction Leader By the first look at the role descriptions after being selected to participate at the Model European Union 2012 as a Member of the European Parliament for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), I knew that I wanted to become the leader of my faction. My decision proved to be absolutely correct and changed radically my whole MEU experience. Being a faction leader is quite demanding as the role requires many qualities. First of all, it is very challenging to achieve a high level of cooperation among the members of the group, even for ours which had only 12 MEPs, representing various cultures and using different ways of thinking. It is also stimulating to try to resolve every possible in-faction problem that might appear. Moreover, it is essential to be open-minded and perceive correctly the ideas of the other MEPs, as well coordinating, due to the fact the every member of the faction should have a specific role, depending on its special abilities and academic background. Furthermore, it is crucial to be a persuasive negotiator with the MEPs of the other factions and the other participants in order to gain the most for the accomplishment of the factionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

goals. The leader has also to take almost every final decision about an issue and create an effective strategy for the faction and, of course, has to manage the relations with the press, something extremely important. Definitely, all these taught me many lessons and made me take the most of the MEU, as I had to prepare a lot before the event and also work hard during it. It also gave me the ability to express many times the political ideas of my faction and have a lot of debates and negotiations with almost every participant. To conclude, I think that every MEP should apply for the in-faction elections, as the leader roll is unique and the most representative of the European Union simulation. Oh, it is also difficult, but being hardworking is the key element of lifeâ&#x20AC;Ś

A Day in the Life of a... Minister by Nikolaj MadĹžarov, Portuguese Minister Being the Portuguese Minister was a demanding, but also very rewarding experience. I had to make sure that the national interests of Portugal are well taken care of during the entire period of the conference. In order to do so, I had to establish coalitions with fellow Ministers as well as to negotiate on a regular basis with MEPs so as to secure support for amendments that were in the spirit of the Portuguese position. This meant that compromises needed to be made. For instance, I preferred to withdraw an amendment that I had submitted and to support instead another one proposed by a colleague with a very similar idea and impact. My strategy proved to be right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; out of the three amendments adopted by the Council to the PNR Directive, one was sponsored directly by Portugal, the remaining two were co-proposed by the Portuguese delegation. I was subsequently elected to represent the Council on the press conference and to acquaint the other delegates with the decisions adopted by the Council of Ministers. The whole simulation was very authentic and complex. Both MEPs and Ministers were approached by lobbyists

who provided us with their point of view and further information on the debated legislative proposals. Apart from the press conferences, the journalists were in constant pursuit of memorable quotes and sensations. Every point or motion, opening statement, and speech was translated by the outstanding interpreters in both the Council and the Parliament. Taking all that into account, it was easy to fully take up the role of being a Minister. However, the week in Strasbourg was not only about hard-working on the premises of the European Parliament, I really enjoyed myself during the social programme and made many friends from the whole continent. All things considered, I do believe MEU 2012 was a success. The simulation enabled me to better understand the law and decision making mechanisms of the EU. Apart from making a number of new friends and contacts, I also learnt a lot about their home countries and cultures. The MEU experience also made me think how I can get more involved with EU-related voluntary work. Co-ordinating a MUN university society at the moment, I think we should also include MEU to our agenda for the next academic year. I would equally want

to help to organise the next edition of the conference â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MEU 2013. Last but not least, the simulation made me realise how much I enjoy EU politics and that I should

devote my further studies to this area. It was an honour to participate at MEU 2012 and I can only strongly recommend this experience.

A Day in the Life of a... Journalist by Josh Henwood, Journalist The age old saying is that ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’, however after this simulation - I was more inclined to adapt and add to that with ‘an article speaks a thousand more!’ The role of journalist in Model European Union is an interesting beast, because there is no concrete way to do things. Work starts at breakfast, sometimes even earlier, you would be quickly scoffing down a pain aux chocolat whilst trying and find out the strategies of the conference’s big players, looking for any leads for stories to work on during the day, as well as securing interviews at the next possible break. Then onto the press room, a place where all of the emotions of the simulation are trying to be captured by the press journalists and the photojournalists into one newspaper each day - this makes for quite a frantic atmosphere amongst some as the simulation throws up something new all of the time, and you have twelve people trying to make sure that this is not left behind in the next publication. After assembling two or three articles from each journalist who was up for publication on that day, an eight page booklet was carefully constructed between me - as editor-in-chief - and the layout editor before being

rushed to the printers. The latter stage, which begins at approximately 3.30pm (if we’re on time) gets you and your co-ordinator frustrated by around 3.35pm as something is bound to catch up with you - whether it be a paper jam, or a missing article, or a headline error. But it’s all worth it when you get to hold that first copy, straight from the printers. Knowing that it started with a morning meeting the day before, made up of over ten articles holding within its words more than twenty meetings and interviews with reluctant (or more press-friendly) participants, a set of press conference notes (along with plenty of other documents!), hours spent in the parliament listening to debates, and many frustrated outbursts at a printer that is failing to cooperate as you’re frantically folding sheets, watching the clock tick all too quickly. When the newspaper was distributed, it was always a compliment and a true showing of the value of our work that the participants were anxious to get a copy and were eager to help out the team at every turn in order to enhance the newspapers and the quality of the articles. I once walked into the Parliament session on the final

day, and was given ten notes in as many minutes to discuss different issues for the paper. This eagerness to work with the press team, as well as eagerness to read and analyse the newspapers showed that the work that we did was very much anticipated by everyone! So - in short - a lot went into the newspapers each day, and it was our job to capture every moment of the experience by being out and about as much as possible and interview as many people as possible. At end of each day, the newspapers that we created would be a token of our learning curve in journalism; potential for constructive criticism and further learning, as well as a collection of many hours, interviews and tens of notes.

A Day in the Life of a... Lobbyist by Daniel Keck, Lobbyist At MEU Strasbourg the role of the lobbyists is probably the least noted one by the other participants. Most of the time you are not in the middle of attention but if you did your job right, you will be able to have a big impact. As a lobbyist it is all about influencing the outcome of the discussions with the information you can provide. As lobbyists are the only role with internet access, it is up to you to deliver facts and figures to all the members of parliament (MEP) or ministers who need it and who you want to have it. Already on the way to the parliament work starts. Chatting with MEPs to get some inside information of the factions. Listening to ministers talking about the amendments. Getting to know the important persons like factions leaders and speakers. And eventually the most important group of persons for your work: the undecided. These are the persons you have to approach because you can influence their opinion on the proposals. In parliament you have different jobs to do. While sitting in the sessions you will be able to watch the MEPs at work, follow the discussions, note down their

positions. During this time you will send notes to ask questions to specific members or provide them with background knowledge. Whenever there is a break you approach them and answer their questions about certain issues, especially the ministers, as they are not available for you during the sessions. However, a lot of the work is not done while sitting in parliament. You prepare amendments you would like to put forward. This is the crucial task. As you yourself are not able to bring them in, you have to find MEPs to put them forward. That is why in the end it will not officially be you who changed the proposal but you will know why it got changed after all. Furthermore, you work on your speeches or presentations because there are at least a few hours when you will be the centre of debate. During the lobbyists presentations it is up to you or your coalition to leave a confident impression and inform MEPs and ministers about your position. If you are delivering interesting facts to the audience, they will approach you to ask for more which is making your life much easier. Additionally, you have one natural partner: the

journalists. You gain a lot of information during the conference about several MEPs or ministers and the press is happy to receive some of it. You can also ask if they would put an article you wrote into the newspaper By doing so you can spread information to as many people as possible during MEU. Even at the end of the day you might not finish your work. The social events are a great time for lobbyists to get to know people. You do not necessarily have to talk with them about the conference itself. Nevertheless, connecting with them

can have a huge impact on how you get information the next days. After all the role as a lobbyist is fascinating. You are not bound to as many rules as other roles are. You have the duty to be social and get to know many people. You can have a big influence on the discussion by cooperating with the right persons though in the end you might be happy about just one word that got changed in the proposal. Nevertheless, if this little change was in your interest, you achieved the ultimate goal of your work.

A Day in the Life of an... Interpreter by Kata Szokolai, Interpreter, Hungarian booth Interpreters are usually not expected to say what they mean but to transmit other people’s message. So every time I am asked to share my thoughts about an interpreting experience I first have to recall my impressions and feelings that I had during that particular event.

fellow interpreters. We felt like “insiders” who move in that back corridor where nobody else was allowed to enter – not to mention our secret relax room where we could chill and prepare for the next session. =) I enjoyed being part of this amazing team and hope that at these friendships will last long.

The first that pops into my mind is “professionalism”. Thanks to the meticulous organisation of the MEU 2012, everyone could believe that we were part of a real decision making procedure. The interpreters we had to grow up to this challenge and become professionals, we had to do our best in order to convey the message and not to hinder the work of the MEPs.

The third experience was that of being part of the concept that is called “Europe”. Many people is still sceptic when it comes to the European Union but at the end of the day one could really feel the power that the participants had in their unity: working together and thriving to make our Europe a better place. No discrimination, no finger-pointing. Sincerity, openness, acceptance and curiosity. I know that these things usually get lost in the labyrinth of politics; however, I wish that our generation be able to save some of this spirit and show our leaders how politics can be done better.

The second thought that I have when I reminisce about MEU is “friendships”. I have never thought that I could get to know so many open, easy-going and fun people in one week. Even if we worked in the background most of the time, I think we were the ones who knew all the names from the first moment – although we associated them rather with speaking habits than with their faces. We didn’t mix that much with MEPs or ministers but we really got to know and like each other with our

All in all, I firmly believe that we grew as professionals, as linguists, as persons. It was an enriching experience and I wish many others could get involved in this project to see and experience it for themselves.

A Day in the Life of a... Chair by Sarah Heitz, Vice President of the European Parliament, MEU Strasbourg 2012 A day in a life of a Chair at MEU starts at about 6 am in the morning with getting ready for the day. This includes grabbing a bite with while going through the schedule of the day, coordinate with the organizers as well as - later on in the week - working on amendments with the Secretaries and the Chairs Coordinator. Then rushing to the European Parliament in advance of most of the Ministers and Members of Parliament (MEP), in order to have enough time to settle in, to coordinate with the Camera persons, the Technicians, the Interpreter coordinator, the Lobbyist coordinator and to answer questions of Ministers or MEPs. In Parliament the music bowl and/or gavel comes into play when trying to end discussions among factions and MEPs, getting MEPs to take their seats and to start session. Plenary session starts with a role call to get an overview of who is present and who is not. For the Chairs it is vital to know how many MEPs are present to be able to determine the threshold for a majority when going into voting procedure on procedural motions, amendments or the directive as well as when electing Parliament representatives to the Council.

Depending on the agenda, session then proceeds with a Commissioner introducing a directive, with factions meetings (in the Parliament) or with going straight into full debate. Full debate is the core of Chairing; when chairing is most challenging and most fun. „Are there any points or motions on the floor?“ Placards are raised instantly and it is impossible for the Chair to tell who was first. The Chair tries to pick a mix of people from different factions (in the Parliament), different countries and those who have not spoken before. Hereby the Chair also needs to take into account the size of the different factions and whether or not a MEP is exclusively stating his or her own opinion, as a Non-Inscrit for example. In choosing the speakers, the Chair tries to make the most impartial and most democratic choice, while at the same time trying to engage as many MEPs as possible. Chairing the Parliament is tense from the first minute to the last and the Chair’s greatest support are the CoChair and the Secretaries who do their best to back up the Chair by enabling him or her to focus on chairing the debate, to keep up with what has been said and to

pay attention whether or not the speakers go too fast for the interpreters to follow. At all times the Chair tries to stay sustained perceptive, flexible, pro-active as well as re-active in order to guarantee a fair, democratic process and a constructive debate as well as a smoothly functioning bench while trying to remember multiple considerations and staying calm and confident. During the whole week, there is so much going on behind the bench that real teamwork, team spirit, trust among each other, a division of tasks together with multi-tasking and improvisation by everybody is essential. Amendments are received and they have to be checked, approved or sent back to the sponsor for changes, a short note of receipt has to be written to the sponsors, the amendments need to be listed (in the order they are received), typed up and projected on the screen immediately, the note passing must be kept going, questions of MEPs have to be answered, announcements of Organizers have to be delivered spontaneously or coordinated, changes in the timetable have to be coordinated and discussed (taking into account that many sessions are live streamed) and the bench of the Parliament and the Council are constantly

in touch to inform each other where about in the debating procedure Parliament and Council are to make sure that both bodies are running to the same tight schedule. After a long day in Parliament full of events, the Chairs freshen up at dinner and then continued with a debriefing session together with their Chair coordinator. In this meeting the Chairs share their experience and perceptions of the day, inform the others what was happening in their body, things that went well, what could be improved and discuss about challenges. In sum, debriefing is a very valuable informal and frank exchange of views and opinions that smoothly alternates into another coordination and working on amendments meeting until late night or the early morning. Again coordinating schedules for the next day (although they will change again in the course of debate), preparing your own sessions and listing, merging (by getting back and forth between the sponsors the next day), ordering amendments (from the most destructive to the least destructive for voting procedure), and - as for the consultation procedure - transforming them into the correct format. Â

Being a Chair at MEU is a very rewarding experience and a lot of fun. There is so much to gain from this conference. Over the week you learn and develop as a Chair, as a team and as an individual.

I am grateful to all my fellow Chairs and Secretaries for their support and I think they all agree when I say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We had a blast!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Workshops and Ceremonies by Boglarka Fanni Palko, Head of Workshops and Discussions Coordination In the organising team of Model European Union, the Workshops and Discussions Coordination team is responsible for bringing MEPs, EU professionals, diplomats and academics to Strasbourg, and to organise the Workshops Day, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the Panel Discussion for the participants. During these events the distinguished guest speakers are not just giving an in-depths presentation on the topics that are being discussed during the simulation, and help the participants to get acquainted with the needed knowledge about EU decision-making and internal affairs, but they are also bringing the European institutions and career opportunities closer to our participants. This year was extremely challenging for our team, but the outcome was better than expected. Plenty of emails, hundreds of messages and phone calls were exchanged to provide our participants with interesting and helpful presentations by speakers, whom are not just experts in their respective fields but can also be regarded as role-models for our participants. These tasks require excellent negotiation and diplomatic skills and willingness to work as much as needed.

In Strasbourg, we had the honour to welcome 9 guest speakers from all over Europe. The Workshops Day took place on the 25th of March. The Rules of Procedure Workshop featured Mrs Lotte-Madlen Tittor on behalf of the European Parliament and the Chairs of MEU 2012 who together introduced the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. The second on the PNR directive featured Mr György Rétházi, diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary and Mr Paul Pryce, lecturer in International Relations at the Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration. Our third workshop was to introduce the FRONTEX Regulation featured Mrs Heléné Calers from the LIBE Secretariat, Mr Danny de Temmerman from the European Commission, and Mr Hervé Yves Caniard from the FRONTEX HQ. Both topic workshops ended with questions and answers sessions. After the introductory workshops, our participants could attend role-specific workshops with guest speakers working in the field of journalism, conferenceinterpreting and lobbying. Our journalists were addressed by Mr Jacek Żakowski who works for a popular Polish weekly Polityka. The interpreter

workshop featured Ms Stephanie Kader, lecturer in interpreting from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and freelance interpreter, and Mr Bernard Carbiener, interpreter working for EU institutions. The lobbyist workshop featured Mr Christian de Fouloy, President of the Association of Accredited Lobbyists to the EU. Our official Opening ceremony which took place on Monday morning featured Mr Luis Martinez Guillen, Director of the Information Bureau of the European Parliament, and video-messages by three MEPs: Mr György Schöpflin, EPP Hungary, Mrs Zita Gurmai, S&D Hungary, and Mr Jan-Philipp Albrecht, Greens Germany. The final two events organised by W&D team took place on Friday. These were the Panel Discussion and the Closing Ceremony. The topic of our Panel Discussion was the Democratic Deficit after the Lisbon Treaty. The Panel Discussion featured Dr. Petra Lancos, lecturer in European Union Law at Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest, and Mr Troy Davis, lecturer in democracy engineering at the University of Strasbourg.

The Panel Discussion raised such a great interest among the participant that the questions and answers session could hardly be ended on time. Right after the Panel Discussion came the most saddening event of the week: the Closing Ceremony. After the final speech by Ms Cécile Coyez, who spoke on behalf of the European Parliament, our participants were awarded with their certificates. As the Workshops and Discussions Coordinator, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our highly esteemed guest speakers and partners for coming to Strasbourg and bringing the European Union closer to our participants.

An Organiser in Strasbourg: A Week Is Not Enough by Aleksandra WiĹ&#x203A;niewska Yet another successful edition of Model European Union has come to a close. For a week in March, Strasbourg became a meeting place for over 200 young people who came together in order to experience firsthand European policy-making. Enthusiastic and openminded, they embarked on the ambitious adventure with schedules as tight as those of the real-life politicians. Upon arrival on Saturday, in order to get off the ground and socialise before the intensive working days, participants were invited to meet the organising team during an opening ceremony and the Eurofeast. An evening of food and drinks brought from their home countries and shared over initial conversations proved an effective ice-breaker. On Sunday, participants took part in workshops on the rules of procedure and the contents of the Commission proposals up for discussion. MEPs and Ministers followed a debating class, while separate workshops for lobbyists, journalists and interpreters gave them an overview of the roles they were about to personate and their importance in the European political landscape. The intensive day was rounded up by a Scavenger Hunt, a city game in the

picturesque streets of the Alsaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, which was to verify participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cooperativeness in accomplishing subsequent task. From Monday to Friday, the setting switched to the premises of the European Parliament, where participants finally assumed the roles of MEPs, Ministers of Council, lobbyists, journalists and interpreters. Suited-up and well-prepared, they engaged in the heated debates over the two proposals: PNR and FRONTEX, alternately discussed by the Parliament and the Council. Opening statements by the faction leaders presented the faction lines, while Q&A sessions allowed Commissioners to lend their expertise on the two proposals. Newly drafted amendments and coalition attempts circulated all over the hemicycle, back and forth to the Chairs and faction leaders, in the form of little notes. Lobbyists promoted their interest groups and asserted their stance in the decision-making process. Held in the coffee breaks, hectic trilogue meetings assured communication between the EP, and the Council and the Commission. All of the political commotion was closely followed by ever prying eye of journalists who kept crossexamining politicians during the press conferences and

reporting the course of debates in the daily newspapers. 33 interpreters did their best to render the political discourse intelligible in as many as 11 languages, this year both the in the EP and the Council. However, a workday did not stop at 6pm, when it was time to leave the EP. On Wednesday, the young politicians had an opportunity to meet also their social obligations at a Charity Gala, during which money was raised for ShelterBox and... lobbying thrived. Other items on the social agenda, although less official in nature, provided equally good setting for more informal debate. Friday saw the final voting and the successful adoption of the two proposals. In the afternoon, Partners’ Fair provided participants with an opportunity to share information about projects and organisations in which they were involved. Simultaneously, BETA workshop gave insight into how to join the organising team of MEU 2013 and spark up a local MEU of one’s own. The culmination of the conference came with the Panel Discussion refined by the presence of professional MEPs and university professors, followed by the closing

ceremony – an occasion for the last glance back at the eventful week. Certificates having been distributed, speeches given and applauded, it was time to leave the Parliament and say the last farewells at the goodbye party. On Saturday, exhausted but inspired both participants and organisers departed from Strasbourg, with more new friendships and fresh ideas than ever before.

A Week full of Events Strasbourg je t’aime by Aya Lafif Model European Union Strasbourg is a unique project, through which participants come together to simulate European politics and gain a deeper insight into the bodies that have such a pervasive effect on our lives as Europeans. In addition to the understanding of the European political process and the interpersonal skills that participants develop during this week, MEU is also about finding a common ground with fellow Europeans while celebrating our cultural diversity. The Local Support Team hoped to put together a social programme that allowed participants to get the most of out of their MEU experience. The week started off with the second edition of MEU 2011’s hugely successful Eurofeast. Participants brought a huge array of food and drinks from all over Europe and discovered different culinary cultures as they mingled and got to know their fellow participants over shots of Hungarian pálinka and huge platters of Cypriot halloumi, and countless other national delicacies. After a long day of workshops and discussions, participants were invited to discover the unique city of Strasbourg. At a crossroads between Germany and

France, Strasbourg is neither French nor German but a unique mix of the two. This cultural melting pot is reflected in the city’s architecture, cuisine, and language. Participants were invited to explore and discover the city through the first MEU Scavenger Hunt. Participants set off in groups as they hunted for organisers at set meeting points throughout the city, discovering the history and the culture of Strasbourg along the way, as well as getting to know each other better. On Monday night, Local team invited everyone to join us at one of Strasbourg’s many student bars, where participants could play pool, dance, or just talk as they winded down after a fruitful first day in the Parliament. After getting to know the city through the Scavenger Hunt, we invited participants to see a whole new side of it from the water, through a scenic boat ride through the canals of Strasbourg. On Wednesday night, the MEU Charity Gala was held at the Seven club in downtown Strasbourg. In addition to political and cultural awareness, MEU seeks to promote and encourage social awareness in its participants. This year, MEU chose to support

ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity that provides aid to families struck by disasters worldwide. We were joined by the charity’s French representative, Mr. Gerard Studer, who presented a video produced by ShelterBox and answered participants’ questions about the charity. I believe this excellent presentation contributed to raising the participants’ awareness and interest in ShelterBox. As a result of everyone’s incredible generosity, we raised over 800 euros for the charity. This allowed MEU to donate one ShelterBox and two water purification systems to families in need around the world. Thursday was a free evening, and participants were given a list compiled by the Local team with the city’s best clubs, bars, restaurants and hangouts. There was something for everyone, and participants joined friends for a night out in the city. As is always the case, the week flew by and Friday came all too soon. After an impromptu gathering at the Etap Hotel, participants headed downtown to spend one last night together as part of MEU 2012. People who were strangers a week ago left Strasbourg as friends, and

friendships were formed this week that will last far after the conference ended. The Local Team was delighted to invite everyone to discover the city we love, and we feel that we achieved our goal of providing everyone with a culturally stimulating and eventful week.

A Day in the Life... of the DGs by Michal Smrek and Berkay Mandiraci Starting from the drafting of task descriptions and selecting the team until sending out certificates to all organisers, MEU is a journey full of fun, hard-work and dedication. We both caught the MEU fever already in 2010 when we were both Ministers in the Council of the EU, Berkay as the Minister for Luxembourg and Michal as the Minister for Belgium. Through this incredible learning experience we realized that MEU is a project that not only provides a platform for informal education and an opportunity to learn about the complex decision-making processes of the EU through learning-by-doing, but also encourages one to form lasting international friendships and get active in European civil society. Without doubt we were very motivated to apply to become organisers for the 2011 edition of the project in which Michal took on the position of Head of Delegate Coordination and Berkay the position of Country Liaison Officer for Turkey. We both were part of the lucky 28 organisers in the Strasbourg team which was instrumental not only in motivating us to apply as Director Generals but also in convincing us that we would like to work together. This is why immediately after the conference we started

to write our Director-General application which turned out to be around 25 pages long full of innovative and creative ideas all aiming at bringing the project forward. After being selected as the new Director-Generals it was time to put all these ideas into practice for which we needed a highly motivated, skilled and competent team. We received more than 100 applications and eventually formed a team of 71 organisers. It was thanks to this dedicated team that we were able to realize all the initial ideas we had for MEU 2012 which made the project an outstandingly successful one: Â t Institutional PR: Thanks to a well-functioning institutional PR strategy we received increased support from the European Parliament and the European Commission. t Partner Promoters: For the first time in MEUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history we were able to sign partnership agreements with a record number of 44 partners from 17 countries. t Guest Speakers: This year we had 15 guest speakers

for our workshops and the panel discussion. t Media Support: Our conference was webstreamed live on the European Commission’s website, EuroParlTV shot a promotional video for the future editions of MEU, and EuradioNantes broadcast interviews with the Journalists every morning during the conference week. t New Website: Our IT team has built a new website through which we were able to attract nearly 1000 applications for MEU 2012. The main challenge for us throughout the organisation phase of the conference was to keep the team motivated. Although voluntary, indeed MEU involves serious work for which the team spirit always has to be upheld. Furthermore, this has to be accomplished by somehow bringing together a team of 71 organisers who are spread across more than 20 countries. This is why throughout the year among all the academic work, we were literally flooded with e-mails. We would send out up to 20 e-mails a day and in return would receive the same number of e-mails back. Besides chairing regularly held Skype meetings, our work also involved

dealing with delicate financial matters. Every now and then we had to resolve intra-team conflicts and make sure that everyone felt comfortable within the team. Through MEU we became much more culturally sensitive, mature and enhanced our interpersonal skills. When on 23 March 2012 the first participants arrived in the lobby of the hotel in Strasbourg, a stressful, but also enjoyable week was awaiting us. Getting up as early as 7 am after going to bed late having to clean up the venue for the social event of the previous night, running around in the parliament trying to make sure everything runs smoothly, making sure that participants are guided safe and sound from one place to the other and coordinating the arrival of external guests… After all, it was all under our responsibility. This is why we had to keep our ears and eyes open for the whole week. Eventually it was at the closing ceremony that we could take a deep sigh of relief after seeing the satisfied faces of participants. The conference is now over, the project Model European Union, however, continues to grow and improve. Preparations for the 7th edition are already

under way. We hope that each new organising team will be able to make lasting contributions to the future development of the project. MEU is a project that creates a truly educational added value for the European Union by fostering European integration and allowing participants to experience what â&#x20AC;&#x153;unity in diversityâ&#x20AC;? really means. As such at a time when the EU faces serious challenges MEU should continue to bring young Europeans together and encourage them to appreciate the institutional merits of the EU while also spurning them to look critically upon the EU and its policies in order to be able to improve its workings, legitimacy and effectiveness in the future.

European Parliament Passes PNR Proposal by Joshua Henwood The European Parliament has passed the use of Passenger Name Record data proposal by a majority of sixty-six votes compared to thirty-one against with thirteen abstentions. The European Parliament moved into voting procedure on the matter at around 14.30 CEST with the proposal amended over the past week to reduce data retention down from five years to four - as well as further amendments which will now see third countries passing PNR data of EU citizens between other third countries, so long as there is an agreement between those third countries and the European Union.

as to whether the proposal would be passed as ALDE faction leader, Mr Iliopoulos, stated that he would do everything in his power to block the PNR proposal as it is damaging to the privacy rights of individuals. Also after the first reading, relations between ALDE and both of the largest factions were scorned on the issue, meaning that his plan was to create a coalition of the smaller factions and persuade individuals of the larger factions to defect, however this did not seem to be the case. In the closing remarks, the ALDE faction leader had thanked the organisers, chairs and all parliamentarians for hosting such a lively and stimulating debate.

There have been human rights concerns addressed over the past five days - whereby both chambers have secured for reviews into the use of PNR data and its relation with privacy rights to be made on a regular basis.

The coalition of smaller factions, apart from the ECR did seem to occur, and as such opposition to the proposal did happen, it shows that Europe is cautious on the issue of privacy rights and the security of its citizens.

There was much speculation over the last couple of days

The Socialists and Democrats leader, Mr. Gunduz,

made a reference to Ataturk in his closing remark to the house where he spoke of peace and land and peace and work within Europe something that EPP leader, Ms Tuncay, extended. The President of the European

Parliament, Mr Kramer, had extended his thanks to his Vice- President, Ms Heitz, and his Secretariat as well as all MEPs for an engaging debate over the past five days.

Schedule MEU Gala Raises Over 1000 Euro for ShelterBox Tonight: by17:30 ‐ 18:15: Joshua Henwood Press conference

18:30 ‐ 20:00:

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The Model European Union Charity Gala raised over Dinner 20:00 1000 euro for the disaster relief charity, ShelterBox. A Free evening short presentation was given at the start of the event, Tomorrow: which detailed the charity’s aims and how participants 9:00 ‐ 10:30: could help. C: debate on the opinion of the EP on ShelterBox FRONTEX. is a charity that provides for people in P: delibery and presen‐ areas that have been affected by natural disasters. They !"#$%&$'&'()!*+)&",+%-‐ provide people with a ShelterBox. This is a green box, ments to PNR.

an auction. The auction was of particular interest as the organisers sold their services (all within the laws of the land, of course!). The Delegate Co-ordinator, Laurent Mathey, began proceedings and despite his best efforts on stage only fetched 20€. Elena Faloutsou and Carlo Sanflippo each raised 45€ for the charity, the highest amounts of the evening, which helped reach the amount raised by the auction to its total of 310€.

10:30 ‐ 11:00: which contains everything that would be required in .$/++&0)+"1& order to provide shelter and adequate protection from 11:00 ‐ 12:45: C: Debate on the outdoor conditions, including mosquito nets - and each opinion of the EP on box is tailored for each crisis. The representative talked FRONTEX. P: debate on amend‐ ofments to PNR/ vote. the price of a box, a staggering 750€ per box. He continued that this includes shipping and maintenance 12:45 ‐ 14:00: 2(%3*4 training. 14:00 ‐ 14:30: C: Commission presents

The organisers held a series of events in order to raise !*+&5678&9+3$,+%-"#$%& for second reading on money for the charity. This included a raffle and also PNR. P:&-);<%=&$%&"&)+8$>(‐ #$%&$%&!*+&.$(%3<>78& decision on FRONTEX.

15:30 ‐ 16:00:

‐ MEU raises 1000 euros for ShelterBox ‐ Over 300 euros raised through ´selling´of co‐ordinators

CH 20 MAR PRINTED IN STRASBOURG 25th DAY SUN

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Tomorrow:

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9:00-10:00: C: presentation of PNR and EP

amendments to it. P: presentation of FRONTEX and Council amendments to it.

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Bringing Europeans Together Association (BETA) BETA: We’re bringing Europeans together! If you should have wondered, who is behind “we”: We are the Bringing Europeans Together Association (BETA): A young politically independent non-profit association with about 150 young members from all over Europe. Most of us are studying or recently finished their diverse studies, such as Maths, Sociology, Journalism, Philosophy, Education, Physics, Economics, Political Science, Law, Interpretation, Geography or Communication. BETA is targeting the youth as Europe’s future. We believe there is a huge interest and will to engage for a better world amongst young people. Since each individual is affected by Europe every day, we would like to provide all young people the opportunities and means to discover the idea behind Europe, but also offer them the possibilities to better understand the political system in which they live. We believe everybody can and should engage in politics up to his/her individual interest. No matter what they think about the current political system, young people will need to understand it in order to engage in it, bring in their individual ideas

and possible changes to the system to improve life in the future. We believe in the power of the youth. BETA envisions fostering European identity and consciousness which are based on plurality, tolerance and cooperation of these individuals, contributing to the emergence of a European public sphere as well as strengthening the European civil society by further developing democratic processes on national and international level. In order to realize this vision, we would like to: t raise interest for European topics; t foster intercultural exchange (e.g. ideas, opinions, visions, ideals), understanding, and empathy across Europe; t promote non-formal education as well as information on a high level about t European organisations (e.g. EU) ; t construct European networks by connecting civil actors and non-governmental organisations in Europe and; t encourage social involvement and voluntary work.

In consequence of our vision, BETA focuses on Model European Union (MEU) simulations. We would like to establish a network of different MEUs all over Europe on different levels to give as many people as possible the chance to take part in a MEU. Currently, we are: t organising the annual MEU Strasbourg conference with the support of various partners; t establishing MEU Mainz in cooperation with the faculty of political science and AEGEE, which is going to take place this summer the second time; t looking forward for your ideas and motivation to establish more similar projects in your city. Last but not least there is a team working on an online version of MEU. Moreover, we are planning to provide workshops about the work in a European youth association in general and about implementing MEU or similar projects successfully. The association is registered in Mainz, Germany. However, BETA understands itself as a European

association. Therefore, we mainly use the new communication and project management tools via internet, such as Skype, email and many more, to economise costs of communication and meetings in order to guarantee everybody from all over Europe to join us and engage. If you should have any questions about BETA, please contact us: contact@beta-europe.org

MEU Strasbourg Organisers The people behind MEU Strasbourg in 2012 Name Michal Smrek Berkay Mandiraci

Position Director-General Deputy DirectorGeneral

Laurent Mathey Head of Delegate Coordination Eike Ennok Treasurer Callum Davis Lobbyists‘ Coordinator Aleksandra Journalists‘ Wisniewska Coordinator Paul Pryce Chairs‘ Coordinator Marie-Alice Institutions Cleary Liaison Officer Fundraising Team: Alzbeta Vichova Head Alexandra Youth in Action Vuillard Officer

Nationality Slovak Turkish

French Estonian British

Julie Meissner

Foundations‘ Officer

German

Sara Santiago Pires Bulut Kilic

Portuguese

Adela Toma

Romanian

Design Team: Marvin Milatz

Turkish

Head

German

Head

Italian Romanian

Polish Canadian Irish

Czech French

IT Team: Stella Lanzi Cristina Pascalau Tomas Libal PR Team: Heidi Schulze John Arzinos Lenka Dojcanova

Czech

Head

German Greek Slovak

Raluca PetreSandor Madalina Mihai Fiona Foulkes Dominika Kaczkowska Patricia Jimenez Barcelo CLO Team: Philomena Taylor Nilgun Memet Tsvetelina Kemalova Martin Lestra Ana Catarina Marques da Silva Katerina Esnerova

Romanian Romanian British Polish Spanish

Head

British

CLO Romania CLO Bulgaria

Romanian Bulgarian

CLO France+Belgium CLO Portugal

French

CLO Czech Republic

Portuguese

Czech

Miguel Calvo Gil Eren Gul Finja Koster

CLO Spain

Spanish

CLO Turkey CLO Germany+Austria

Turkish German

Ragnar Weilandt Stanislav Lukac Jan Kulig Anna Serafini Afroditi Gkagkatsi Jere Seikalla Sintija Grabane Simona Pronckute

CLO Germany+Austria CLO Slovakia CLO Poland CLO Italy CLO Greece+Cyprus CLO Finland CLO Latvia CLO Luxemburg

German

+ Lithuania Anne Catharina CLO Wensveen Holland+Belgium Ă&#x2022;nne Reinup CLO Estonia Krisztina CLO Hungary Gyulavari

Slovak Polish Italian Greek Finnish Latvian Lithuanian Dutch Estonian Hungarian

Anna Dimitrova CLO UK+Ireland

Bulgarian

Bodil Riisom CLO Denmark Edwin CLO Sweden Sonnergren Camille Brugier CLO France+Belgium

Danish Swedish French

Workshop and Discussion: Boglarka Fanni Palko

Head

Hungarian

Elina Praakel

Estonian

Nina Pohleven

Slovenian

Content Team: Elena Faloutsou Head Thomas Dalton Rochelle Sampy Conor Slowey Thanasis Apostolakoudis Flavia PopeschuRichardson Leo Wilkinson

Greek Scottish British Irish Greek Romanian

Local Support Team: Aya Lafif Isabella Troconis Tatiana Kistruga Beata Fejesova

French

Head

French Venezuelan/ Italian Moldovan Slovak

Interpretersâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Team: Carlo Sanfilippo Coordinator Malgorzata PR Pachol

Italian Polish

Romana Bicikova

Czech

Secretariat:

Administrative Support: Secretary

Slovak

Jana Mieresova

We hope you enjoyed your time in Strasbourg as much as we enjoyed organising it and getting to meet and know all of you! We wish you all the best in your futures.

Thank you! Model European Union is a very special event, and we could not have done it without the generous help and support of many people. We would like to give a special thanks to these people to have made it possible to hold such an amazing European event: We would like to thank the German agency of Youth in Action for sponsoring our project generously. On the same token, we would like to thank Hippocrene Foundation for their financial support. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Information Bureau of the European Parliament, namely Mr Luis Martinez-Guillen, Mrs Anne-Marie Eckert, Mrs Cecile Coyez and Ms Sonia Camacho Martin for letting us use the premises of the European Parliament in Strasbourg free of charge, sponsoring several lunches, breakfasts and coffee breaks and providing us with much valued assistance. Furthermore, we would like to thank Directorate General for Home Affairs of the European Commission for arranging free streaming of our event on their website and sending a number of speakers to our Conference. Namely, we would like to thank H.E. Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem and Mrs Katarina Stohrova.

Our gratitude also goes to Ms Lenka Andrysova, Czech MP and Ms Emma Rodriguez, Model European Union 2010 alumna for their kind financial donations. We would like to thank the administration of the EPP faction for sponsoring one lunch and one breakfast and administration of the S&D faction for sponsoring one lunch and providing us with promo materials. On the same token, we would like to thank the NGL faction for providing us with promo materials. Our media partners - namely EuroparlTV, EUradio Nantes and RadioR also deserve our recognition. More precisely, we would like to thank Mrs Marta Wysoczynska of EuroparlTV. Next, we would like to thank Mr Hans Pottering MEP, President of the European Parliament Ret., and his office for their long-term moral support for our project. We would also like to thank H.E. Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Administration; H.E. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism

and Youth; H.E. Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Transport; Mrs Kinga Goncz MEP, Mrs Antonyia Parvanova MEP, Mrs Sylvana Rapti MEP, Mr Charles Goerens MEP, Mr Liam Aylward MEP, Mrs Sylvie Goulard MEP, Mr Bernd Lange MEP, Mrs Sandra Kalniete MEP, Mr Dan Jorgensen MEP, Mr Andrew Duff MEP, Mrs Franziska Brantner MEP, Mrs Sylvie Guillaume MEP, Mr Vladimir Manka MEP, Mr Vladimir Spidla, Former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and Former PM of the Czech Republic, Mr Michael Spindelegger, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Mr Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Mr Milan Stech, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Mrs Rozsa Hoffman, Minister of State for Education of Hungary for kindly endorsing our project and providing us with words of encouragement. We would also like to thank our Youth in Action partners - 44 associations from 17 countries all around the European Union and Turkey and all our

promotional partners (these can be found on our website: meu-strasbourg.org). Our gratitude goes to all our guest speakers and video-supporters as well. Finally, we would like to thank: The administration of Jacobs University Bremen for letting us use their premises free of charge for our second preparatory meeting in Bremen (November 2011). The administration of Prague School of Economics (VSE) for letting us use their premises free of charge for our third preparatory meeting in Prague (February 2012). The administration of Ecole de Management Strasbourg for letting us use their premises and lecture theatres for our Workshop Day. Security and technical staff at the European Parliament for always attending to our needs and bearing with us. This list is by no means exhaustive. We would like to thank everybody who supported our project - be it morally or financially. We also thank all our participants for thoroughly enjoying the Conference!