Model European Parliament

Model European Parliament
Frequency Biannual (spring & autumn)
Location(s) Varies
Years active Since 1994
Previous event Autumn 2015: Berlin, Germany
Next event Spring 2016: Budapest, Hungary
Participants 180 students per session
Organised by Model European Parliament Foundation

The Model European Parliament (MEP) is an international simulation of the working of the European Parliament for students aged 16–19. The aim of the programme is to give young people an insight into the workings of the European Parliament and raise their awareness of European citizenship.[1] Two sessions are held each year, each involving 180 secondary school students.[2]

Format

The format of the MEP resembles that of the actual European Parliament: approximately 15 delegates of different nationalities form a committee that debates a certain topic extensively and drafts a resolution, a non-binding piece of legislation outlining the key issues of the topic and proposing solutions.[3] The drafting process is followed by lobbying, during which delegates may debate and propose amendments for other resolutions. The finale of a session is the General Assembly (GA). During this, resolutions and amendments are debated and voted upon by all of the delegates. Any successful resolutions are then forwarded to the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union.[4] The elder members are titled as Presidents or Chairs, while the youngers are entitled as delegates.

Participating countries

General Assembly of a Spanish regional MEP held in the Cortes (legislative assembly) of Castile and León, 2008/2009

As of 2013, participants come from all 28 member states of the European Union and two candidate countries: Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. Each country can choose five delegates in any way they deem appropriate. Many hold regional and/or national sessions using the same format but with a smaller scope.[5]

List of international sessions

The following international sessions have been held or announced:[6]

  1. 1994 Spring:  The Netherlands, The Hague/Maastricht
  2. 1995 Spring:  The Netherlands, The Hague
  3. 1996 Spring:  France, Paris
  4. 1996 Autumn:  Ireland, Dublin
  5. 1997 Spring:  United Kingdom, Stowe/Oxford
  6. 1997 Autumn:  Italy, Carpi/Bologna
  7. 1998 Spring:  Sweden, Stockholm
  8. 1998 Autumn:  Spain, Madrid
  9. 1999 Spring:  Germany, Bonn
  10. 1999 Autumn:  Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  11. 2000 Spring:  Portugal, Lisbon
  12. 2000 Autumn:  Austria, Vienna
  13. 2001 Spring:  Denmark, Copenhagen
  14. 2001 Autumn:  The Netherlands, Rotterdam
  15. 2002 Spring:  Slovenia, Ljubljana
  16. 2002 Autumn:  Ireland, Dublin
  17. 2003 Spring:  Finland, Helsinki
  18. 2003 Autumn:  Greece, Athens
  19. 2004 Spring:  Poland, Warsaw
  20. 2004 Spring:  Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  21. 2004 Autumn:  Hungary, Budapest
  22. 2005 Spring:  The Netherlands, The Hague
  23. 2005 Autumn:  Spain, Madrid
  24. 2006 Spring:  Lithuania, Vilnius
  25. 2006 Autumn:  Slovenia, Ljutomer / Ljubljana
  26. 2007 Spring:  Bulgaria, Sofia
  27. 2007 Autumn:  Italy, Rome
  28. 2008 Spring:  Sweden, Stockholm
  29. 2008 Autumn:  Slovak Republic, Bratislava
  30. 2009 Spring:  Cyprus, Nicosia
  31. 2009 Autumn:  Germany, Bonn
  32. 2010 Spring:  The Netherlands, The Hague
  33. 2010 Autumn:  Turkey, Istanbul
  34. 2011 Spring:  Estonia, Tallin
  35. 2011 Autumn:  Macedonia, Skopje
  36. 2012 Spring:  Slovenia, Ljutomer / Ljubljana
  37. 2012 Autumn:  Spain, Madrid
  38. 2013 Spring:  United Kingdom, Norwich
  39. 2013 Autumn:  Lithuania, Vilnius
  40. 2014 Spring:  Austria, Vienna
  41. 2014 Autumn:  Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  42. 2015 Spring:  Italy, Naples / Rome
  43. 2015 Autumn:  Germany, Berlin
  44. 2016 Spring:  Hungary, Budapest
  45. 2016 Autumn:  Denmark, Copenhagen
  46. 2017 Spring:  Netherlands, Maastricht

Model European Parliament Baltic Sea Region

The Model European Parliament Baltic Sea Region (MEP BSR) is an international organization that includes eight member states of the EU situated in the Baltic Sea Region, but also welcomes delegates from Iceland, Norway and Russia (Kaliningrad). The MEP BSR, which is organised and managed by the Model European Parliament BSR Association, uses the same format as the main international MEPs, but with ten delegates representing each country rather than five.[7]

List of MEP BSR sessions:[8]

  1. 2005 Spring:  Denmark, Copenhagen
  2. 2006 Spring:  Estonia, Tallin
  3. 2006 Autumn:  Germany, Bremen
  4. 2007 Spring:  Denmark/ Sweden, Øresund Region
  5. 2007 Autumn:  Latvia, Riga
  6. 2008 Spring:  Finland, Helsinki
  7. 2008 Autumn:  Russia, St. Petersburg
  8. 2009 Spring:  Poland, Toruń
  9. 2009 Autumn:  Denmark, Copenhagen
  10. 2010 Spring:  Sweden, Stockholm
  11. 2010 Autumn:  Russia, Kaliningrad
  12. 2011 Spring:  Lithuania, Vilnius
  13. 2011 Autumn:  Poland, Gdańsk/Gdynia
  14. 2012 Spring:  Denmark, Copenhagen
  15. 2012 Autumn:  Germany, Leipzig
  16. 2013 Spring:  Iceland
  17. 2013 Autumn:  Belgium, Brugge/Blankenberge
  18. 2014 Spring:  Estonia, Tartu
  19. 2014 Autumn:  Sweden, Stockholm
  20. 2015 Spring:  Finland, Helsinki
  21. 2015 Autumn:  Norway, Oslo/Nesbru
  22. 2016 Spring:  Latvia, Riga
  23. 2016 Autumn:  Russia, Kaliningrad

Model European Parliament Central and South East Europe

The Model European Parliament Central and South East Europe (MEP CSEE) is an organisation largely similar to MEP BSR, but it invites students from member states Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, candidate countries the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and neighbouring countries Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.[9]

List of MEP CSEE sessions:

  1. 2015 Autumn:  Romania, Bucharest
  2. 2016 Autumn:  Bulgaria, Sofia

Similar projects

The European Youth Parliament and Model European Union are separate projects, but follow the same format as the Model European Parliament to some extent.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Model European Parliament". Goethe Institute. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "Model European Parliament". Wymondham College. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  3. ↑ MEP Foundation. "Guidelines for MEP sessions" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "MEP Netherlands". Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "What is the Model European Parliament?". MEP Norwich 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  6. ↑ "All MEP Sessions". MEP Europe. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "About MEP BSR". Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Past sessions". MEP Baltic Sea Region. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "About". The Model European Parliament Central and South East Europe. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "European Youth Parliament: What we do". European Youth Parliament. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "What is MEU?". MEU Strasbourg. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
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