Young Europeans in EU role-play

Students from Eureka Secondary School in Kells joined with schools from across Ireland last week to negotiate at a model European Council. Schools from across the country got together to role-play all the European member states, the European institutions and lobby groups in a model European Council. The Kells students played the part of Ireland. The Kells students taking part were Helen Iliff, Clare Droney and Emma Fleming and they debated the draft resolution 'All EU Member States should convert 20 per cent of private cars to electricity by 2020'. The final outcome was a vote against the proposal. The event, at Dublin Castle, was attended by 29 schools and was the fourth of its kind, bringing together schools from 14 counties and Northern Ireland. Before the debate, the teams were briefed by real diplomats of the member states they were representing. This gave the students an understanding of what to expect when they started their negotiations. The council vote used the new double majority system laid down in the Lisbon Treaty, as the debaters will be of voting age when the new voting system takes effect in 2014. The council was opened by Minister for European Affairs, Dick Roche, and chaired by Deputy Ruairí Quinn, Labour Spokesperson on Education and Science. In his address, Minister Roche said: "People sometimes say that the EU is distant from its citizens, but today's exercise helps show how the decision-making actually works and where people can get involved. I would encourage all secondary school teachers to get involved in similar simulations when they can." Martin Territt, director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, was also on hand to present the European Commission's perspective. Mr Territt said: "It is important for students to learn how this institution works and that, ultimately, EU policy is created through compromise."