Become an EESC Member and have your say on Europe

CES/10/28

10 March 2010

Become an EESC Member and have your say on Europe

In April, 150 pupils and teachers representing all EU countries will arrive in Brussels to take part in the simulated plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee. To prepare for the event, 27 Members of the EESC are setting out for schools across the continent to discuss Europe. Participating schools have been selected at random out of hundreds of applications. 

Members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), an advisory body of the European Union, will visit schools and colleges to discuss European topics with students and answer their questions about the EU, homing in on what interests young people.

Later this year, three students and one teacher from each of the schools visited will represent their respective countries at the EESC youth event, which will take place in Brussels on 15-17 April 2010 under the banner "Your Europe, Your Say". Students and teacher will spend two days acting as EESC members and debating EU topics with 150 other teenagers and teachers from all over Europe.

Their crucial task will consist of hammering out a consensus on an opinion on alcohol-related harm. In the run-up to the plenary session pupils can submit amendments which, once approved, will feed into the final text of the opinion.

This is not just a real chance for the towns of the selected schools to have their say in Brussels, but also for the students to exchange views and engage in genuine dialogue with EESC Vice?President Irini Pari and other EU representatives.

The European Economic and Social Committee is an EU advisory body. Its 344 members come from all the EU countries and represent different economic and social players: employers, workers, NGOs and various other organisations. In the European decision-making process, the role of the European Economic and Social Committee is to advise the other EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament etc.). Through the various civil society organisations represented by the EESC, each European citizen can make their views heard and influence decisions taken at European level.

Further information on the event:

European EC Rapid Press Release CES/10/28, copyright European Commission.
read the original release