Termín konání: 30 June – 7 July 2013
Místo konání: Nowy Gieraltow, Poland
Pax: Jan Švec, Jana Pustelníková, Veronika Bortlová, Zuzana Hanelová
Programme and action: Youth in Action programme, action 1.3. youth democracy
Project report:
The fairy-tale like town Nowy Gieraltow situated in the mountain area of Klodzko became on 30 June a place where young people from in total six countries meet for seven days. Besides participants from Poland as a host country, there were also Bulgarians, Romanians, Turkish, Northern Irish and at last but not at least, also Czechs. The main objective of the project called HAPPY EUROPE was the simulation of the European Parliament meetings and make thus the functioning of one of the chieg institutions of the European Union more understandable for the participants.
The simulation itself consisted of different stages. When we arrived, all of us had to make an important decision and choose the right political party. We were provided with an detailed description of each party and its preferences within the political programm. Some parties had a lot of members due to its political programm, on the other hand there were parties consisting of solely two or even one member. Subsequently each party elected its chairman and its secretary. Those elected leaders took part in the aftergoing hard negotiations regarding the election of the president of the EP and two vicepresidents of the EP. In the very next days took the members of the parties part on different committee meetings which focused on different areas, such as for instance human rights, equality, monetary and economic issues, social rights etc. The committee members had a very important task to do, to discuss serious issues and to suggest potential legislation within the specialisation of the committee. The committee then presented its drafts to the whole European Parliament that decided about the draft during the plenary sessions where each member may vote FOR, AGAINST or abstain from the voting. Besides, one part of the project was represented by a one-day trip to Wroclaw, where we visited the European Commission Office and also the Office of the Wroclaw Vojvodship.
I would like to thank both, the EYCB and the polish organisation Semper Avanti that I could take part on this really amazing project. Besides my newy acquired knowledge in the field of the European Union Law, I also found new wonderful friends and the week spent in Poland was for me definitely a huge contribution.
Veronika Bortlová
