The Mock Council seeks to replicate the real Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers), allowing students to debate live issues of concern to the EU's Member States and experience first hand the European Union's decision-making processes. Students will take on the roles of civil servants and ministers of the 28 member states of the European Union, plus the European Commission and debate and vote on two issues of key relevance to the European Union.
The event allows students to exercise their debating and negotiation skills, to develop their judgement and to practice their foreign language abilities, gaining a better understanding of how the European Union works in the process.
In the Mock Council 2017, schools are assigned the following roles:
1 school: Represents the E.C.
29 schools: Represent 28 EU Member states (two schools will represent the UK this year)
1 school: Represents the Media
1 school chosen from participants in the Northern Irish Mock Council: Will bring delegations from country groupings to see the U.K. schools.
School Representing the E.C.
The European Commission occupies a unique role in European Union decision-making and the school which takes on this role will play a very important part in the event. These students will have to prepare in advance the proposals for discussion on the day and will play a pivotal role in moving discussion forward. As the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union have not yet begun, there is no proposal for the EU's negotiation position on the two topics which are selected for debate.
Based on the information briefings provided, the school representing the European Commission will need to table an imaginary proposal on what the joint position of the 27 Member States (without the UK) should be. This should focus on whether they intend to continue to offer full or partial (if partial which elements to maintain) access to the topics for debate and at what price (what to ask for in return, financially or otherwise). Remember, the purpose of this initial proposal is to set out a position that in the first instance can win the support of 27 Member States – negotiation with the UK follows afterwards, and only then should the 27 Member States focus primarily on the extent to which they accept the UK's requirements. The school representing the Commission should make a clear presentation of the main elements of its proposal at the start of the discussion among the 27.
Schools assuming the role of one of the 27 E.U. Member States (but not the UK)
Most students will be representing a particular EU country. Different countries have different policy priorities and different voting weights under the Council’s voting system. These should be taken into account during the research phase. As in the case of the European Commission, students representing an EU member state should simulate a position which they think is most likely to be adopted by their respective countries as a starting point. However, Member State delegates also have the freedom to diverge from their starting position depending on the Commission’s proposal and on how the negotiations develop on the day. Given the format of parallel negotiations with the UK delegation, students will have to coordinate with the other students in their 'country grouping' in order to negotiate with the UK.
Two students from each school must research the policy areas for discussion and represent their adopted country or institution's stance on the topics at the Council meeting.
Discussions will take place in two different rooms in the morning:
Student A: In the morning plays the role of a Senior Civil Servant and puts forward the country's position on Topic A Policy Proposal for discussion. In this session the students have two minutes to present their country's stance on the policy proposal for discussion in a quick pre-prepared statement, followed by some free debate.
Student B: In the morning plays the role of a Senior Civil Servant, and puts forward the country's position on Topic B Policy Proposal for discussion. In this session the students have two minutes to present their country's stance on the policy proposal for discussion in a quick pre-prepared statement, followed by some debate.
Please see the Page "Interpretation Services" at the event for information on which languages students may speak in at the event and when.
In the afternoon, all students come together in one room. The students then assume the role of Minister from the assigned country for each of the topics. Debate amongst Ministers takes place to reach a decision on each of the topics.
Country Groupings: This year, in advance of the event, students are asked to work together in small groups of countries. During the day a pre-chosen representative from each country grouping will exit the main debate briefly for a consultation with the schools representing the UK. Please see the Page "2016 Format".
Two schools representing the UK
There are two schools representing the UK at the event this year due to the fact the debate is simulated at a time after Article 50 is triggered by the UK. The two students from these schools will represent one topic only each throughout the day.
These students will sit in a different room to the debate and will receive a pre-chosen representative from each country grouping throughout the day so as to feed in the UK's position. The UK schools come back into the main room to make a brief presentation of their position on the topics at the start of the day, then after lunch, and at the end of the day. During the day they sit in a different room and receive representatives from the country groupings who inform them of the debate proceedings and they feed back their stance. Each of the two schools representing the UK will sit in different rooms (i.e. one room devoted to their topic, receiving representatives from the debate on that topic). The UK schools return for the plenary closing session and outline their positions and concerns.
School Representing the Media
This year, as in 2016, there will be an additional role for one school to represent ‘the media’. The aim of this role is to generate interest before, during and after the event, through interviewing participating schools and so on, via the Mock Council Facebook page and the Twitter hashtag #EUMockCouncil.
The job of the students taking this role is to replicate the work of the journalism profession in reporting European Union policymaking. The students will assume the position of a member of the media. Ahead of the Council they will be responsible for previewing the meeting by reporting on the issues to be discussed, outlining, where possible, the positions of EU member states and any likely areas of agreement and disagreement. On the day itself they will "doorstep" ministers as they arrive at the meeting, to ask them their opening negotiating positions and what they hope to achieve at the Council. During the Council meeting itself they will observe the debate and then, following the conclusion of the talks, have the chance to put questions to the key actors in a press conference. Their final job will then be to write a final report on the result of the Council, by explaining clearly the details of any decisions taken and giving your analysis of the outcome: how practical and ambitious is the agreement, which countries got their way, which had to compromise. The students should use the full range of media employed by journalists: print, broadcast (audio and video) and social media.
The 2017 Mock Council of the European Union in England, Wales and Scotland is organised by the European Commission Representation in the UK and the British Council.