A Model of European Union is a simulation of the European law making process.
The first simulation of the European Union took place in 2007 in Strasbourg (first organized by AEGEE, since 2009 it’s being hosted by our partner BETA e.V) and became a huge success with the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission. Since then, a lot of MEUs can be found in many different countries around Europe and even outside its boundaries, establishing a huge european network and, therefore, creating a big family.
MEU Vienna is the first and only MEU simulation in Austria and had its premier in 2014. Usually taking place the last weekend of February, our fifth edition is expected to happen in February 2018. With the support of BETA, we aim to provide a perfect experience for all participants. Last year, with more than 130 participants from 36 different countries, the MEU Vienna proved that keeps growing, and so the interest on understanding the European Union
The main idea of a MEU is based on the „learning-by-doing“ philosophy: we want to make people aware of „how the European Union works“ by connecting people all around the world and providing them the opportunity of experiencing all the processes involved in the creation of a legally binding text. Each year, two texts will be discussed (usually a Directive and a Regulation, both under the Ordinary Legislative Procedure) and the participants will take the role of an european representative (either in the Council of the European Union or in the European Parliament). Together with the European Commission, those two institutions are in charge of EU legislation. The Commission drafts and initiates new EU legislation, the Parliament and the Council then in turn adopt, reject or amend it. The Commission will be played by the Organising Team, which drafts the directives (or the regulations) for the simulation in advance. The discussion on the proposals is made by amending the initial text through altering existing paragraphs or adding new ones. Participants can also take the role of journalists, covering the event via a newspaper, blog, videos, radio or any other way they want to (Further information about the Roles: Roles Description). With this experience, they will be able to understand what the European Union can do and, perhaps most important, what can’t do.