Our journalists have just received fresh gossip from the delegates at the coffee break! Our sources confirmed that one delegate was detained; the reason for this being a drink that was a creative concoction of his - a combination of rakija and beer, which which is colloquially known as "the concrete" - the name says it all.
He is still recuperating from this experiment, so we advise the other delegates to steer clear of "the concrete" if they want to avoid a similar fate. by Ana Srećković and Victoria Molina 1. What do you think of the conference in general? In general, I think that the conference went well; I think that the agenda was well planned and executed. Since this is my first conference of this kind, it was a refreshing experience, learning new things and meeting different people. 2. Which skills should a good lobbyist have? A good lobbyist should possess many qualities in order to be an effective influence in the Parliament and the Council. He or she needs to be patient, straightforward, needs to be well informed in order to persuade the politicians. Being charming wouldn’t hurt, either! 3. Which country did you cooperate with most? Most of my work came down to direct cooperation with Portugal. by Ivona Sinickovic Saturday morning’s European Council sessions saw the provisions of a draft proposal being debated among member states, with a request of reform in multiple fields of the Western Balkan states. In particular, the Council requested for a furthering of departization in public administration and the continuation of decentralization within the economies of the Western Balkans. Legal reform was also heavily discussed in formal debates and moderated and unmoderated caucuses, specifically in the area of judicial reform and the continued prosecution of corruption and organized crime. The inclusion of a human rights provision was also stressed during this morning’s debates from an alliance of Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Malta, and Italy, with a proposition that emphasized the importance of the equality of access to education for ethnic minorities within the Western Balkans and the preservation of media freedom. Other issues discussed in the European Council that will continue to be prevalent in debates are the recognition of Kosovo and the of the renaming of the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), however precise resolutions to these problems have not yet been found. by Kayle Crosson We asked Head of State of the Czech Republic several questions:
Q.1 It has been mentioned in the EC that the UK views the EU as a purely economic union. What, in your opinion, is the degree of unity within the European Union? A: In times of crisis assuring a high degree of unity is a challenge, but it does not mean that it is impossible. The UK, just as most of the EU member states, faces a challenging period. However, the Czech Republic confides that the European Union is more to Europe than an economic union. The European community started back in 1950s as a group of countries aspiring for greater economic union with mutual benefits. Today, the Czech Republic, in a view of the past 50 years, aspires for an even closer union and the European Union with strong political leverage. Unity in diversity is what characterizes the European Union. The UK, as usual, is dissonant with the latter principle, however, it is precisely this aspect that makes European Union united and incomparable to any of other international entity. Therefore, consider that there is a degree of unity in diversity. Q.2. What is the position of the Czech Republic towards current negotiation concerning also Visegrad partners? A: Czech Republic is willing to express determination to embrace enlargement towards the Western Balkans in the next 10 years. Visegrad group made actual political and financial steps towards situation in the Western Balkan region. Czech Republic possesses social, cultural and business interest in the region alongside with other EU Member States. We would like to display our dissatisfaction with discouraging voices, which are based on populist and demagogic manner missing argumentation basis. EU is becoming an exclusivist, Christian and an selective club. This is a message not to be sent to Western Balkan region. Q.3: Despite the optimistic position presented by the Czech Republic, internal policy concerning visa and migration is remaining one of the strongest in the EU. Is not an upcoming enlargement challenge towards changes? Visa and migration policy is still remaining an important internal issue. Under the Czech presidency were made crucial steps on the EU level towards liberalization of this area concerning 4 Western Balkan countries. Even Czech Republic is not changing rapidly their internal policy steps are made at the EU level. Support to enlargement process remains strong. By Michaela Repiska European Council today struggles to deliver draft conclusion or shared opinion on topic of enlargement towards Western Balkan. Excruciating negotiation did not bring any further progress in comparison with European Commission report. In an hour official draft should be produced but actual situation does not correspond.
Any further informal debates won’t be held till the draft won’t be produced and distributed. Council has to act together and prevent negotiation to crumble. As a David Cameron stated: “Even UK is willing to cooperate! So, please honourable delegates sit down and discuss productively!”
The demand for organic products has increased in the past years within the EU. People want to lead a healthier lifestyle, and they are starting to demand information regarding the exact content of the food they are consuming. In the Council of the European Union, the issue is divided. Firstly, it is a matter of weather and the environment, On one side, there's Germany, France and Italy, who have vast lands for farming and stand firmly against GMOs. Austria, Hungary, Greece and Portugal actually prohibit the production of GMOs in their countries. "It is necessary to prohibit the import of GMOs on a Europe-wide level, in order to protect our citizens from this health hazard" - Austrian Minister On the other hand, there's the Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia among other states that don't have such vast farming lands, and rely on GMOs to boost their agricultural productivity. The Netherlands highlighted the dependence of its economy on GMOs. The EU is already importing GMOs, so why be so adamant in banning their production? Completely banning the production of GMOs will not only hinder Dutch economy and other similar states, but that of the states that trade with them. Essentially, GMOs are less expensive than organic products. "Studies have shown that GMOs are less harmful than people think they are", claimed the Netherlands. "We depend on them to produce stronger seeds that can withstand harsher weather conditions, such as really low temperatures." France said that they would not ban GMOs, but let the consumers decide for themselves by properly labeling these products. Proper labeling of GMO based products will help EU citizens become more acquainted with what they are consuming; banning them would be detrimental for the economies of not only EU countries, but on a global level as well. However, taking into account the fact that these products contain chemicals of artificial origin, they do have an effect on consumers' health.
by Victoria Molina |