Type NGO – Simulation Location Strasbourg, France Director General Anna Nauschnigg | Purpose Education Official language English Deputy Director General Tomas Dvorak | |
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Model European Union Strasbourg (commonly known as MEUS) is the original simulation of the European Union’s legislative process organised by BETA e.V.. It was initiated in the spring of 2007 by a group of university students and has since developed to be the World’s largest and most authentic simulation of the EU’s decision-making process. The conference annually gathers around 180 young people from across Europe in the Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Contents
Conference
Model European Union Strasbourg is a simulation of European Union Politics and legislative procedures. It usually features two legislative proposals for a Directive or a Regulation, which are selected by each year's organising team on basis of importance and currency of the topics.
Participants are divided into Members of Parliament(MEPs), Ministers of the Council of the European Union, Interpreters, Journalists and Lobbyists in order to negotiate the directive or regulation according to their interests.
Throughout the course of the week, participants discuss, debate, negotiate and try to reach a compromise on the given proposals. This is achieved by following exactly the same procedures that actual MEPs follow in the exact setting and location of the European Parliament. Thus, the conference takes place in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France.
Additionally, Model European Union Strasbourg has its own newspaper which covers not only the legal procedure, but also provides interviews with stakeholders and background information. The journalist team of each edition chooses the name for the newspaper and the whole team contributes to a daily issue of the newspaper. Additionally, there is a press conference taking place on a daily basis in which journalists can ask questions. Not only is this helpful for the journalists, but it makes it easier for all stakeholders to keep up with the development of the negotiations in both chambers.
Organising team
Each year the conference is organised by a different group of young people with different nationalities and backgrounds which voluntarily contribute to the conference in teams with a certain field of tasks.
The organising team is selected primarily by the Director General and the Deputy Director General of each year's MEUS which are appointed by BETA e.V. (Bringing Europeans Together Association), the main organiser of Model European Union Strasbourg. The organising team for the 2017 version consist of 65 volunteers from 25 countries.
BETA e.V.
Bringing Europeans Together Association e.V. is a European, politically independent, non-profit association which articulates and promotes European integration and international understanding. BETA consists of more than 150 politically active young Europeans who are in favour of European integration and believe in the fundamental principles and values upon which the European Union is founded.
History
The first conference successfully took place between the 4th and 10 March 2007 and has grown ever since.
Participation criteria
Residents of any of the 28 Member States of the European Union, EFTA , EEA countries and Turkey, Macedonia and the Erasmus + Partner countries (Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership Countries, South-Mediterranean Countries, and the Russian Federation) between the age of 18 and 26 are eligible to apply to take part in Model European Union Strasbourg. Such criteria are to maintain the project's goal of youth inter-European learning and networking. All applications are done online via the website.
Partners
Model European Union partners up with other (youth) organisations which among others include different universities, student organisations, NGOs, various student simulations of the United Nations and the EU, but also major youth organisations as AEGEE or Erasmus Student Network (ESN).
Furthermore, the conference was supported by high-range EU politicians such as Martin Schulz, José Manuel Barroso, and Herman van Rompuy.
European Charlemagne Youth Prize
Model European Union Strasbourg was one of the National winners of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2016.