Model European Parliament

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Model European Communities Project or Model European Union.
Model European Parliament
Frequency Biannual (spring & autumn)
Location(s) Varies
Years active Since 1994
Previous event Autumn 2013: Vilnius, Lithuania
Next event Spring 2014: Vienna, Austria
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]

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]

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 (www.mepbsr.org), uses the same format as the main international MEPs, but with ten delegates representing each country rather than five.[6]

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.[7][8]

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". 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. ↑ "About MEP BSR". Retrieved 15 April 2013. 
  7. ↑ "European Youth Parliament: What we do". European Youth Parliament. Retrieved 4 May 2013. 
  8. ↑ "What is MEU?". MEU Strasbourg. Retrieved 4 May 2013. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.