Simulation Guide

EU-Southwest in 2004 is held at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (UA) to offer college and university students the chance to learn how the European Union (EU) works through a hands-on simulation of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the constitution. EU-Southwest is a function of the European Union Center at the University of Oklahoma-Norman (OU).
The core of EU-Southwest is a simulation of the IGC on the constitution, and bi-annual meeting of the European Council, involving the heads of government and foreign ministers of the EU member states. To give participants a better idea of how the different EU institutions work and inter-relate, we also simulate meetings of several other groups which do not normally meet at the same time as the European Council:

- the College of Commissioners (European Commission)
- the General Affairs Council (foreign ministers)
- Ecofin (economics and finance ministers
- the European Parliament (MEPs)

We try to replicate as closely as possible the actual format and proceedings of these institutions, but we have taken a few minor liberties to compact the process.

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GENERAL INFORMATION


Location. All meetings are held at the Reynolds Center on the campus of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Conference Secretariat. This is provided by OU, and is responsible for overseeing the functioning of EU-Southwest. It can be contacted through any of the following:

Address: European Union Center, University of Oklahoma
630 Parrington Oval, Room 555, Norman, OK 73019-4035

Tel: (405) 325-1926
Fax: (405) 325-7402
E-mail: eucenter@ou.edu

Faculty advisors. Faculty advisors are cordially invited to attend, and to play whatever role they wish within the rules of procedure.

Dress and conduct. In the spirit of the simulation, rules on dress and conduct are the same as those which apply at an actual EU summit: formal attire, and behavior in keeping with that which would prevail at a summit of the leaders of democratic states.

Rules of procedure. These vary by institution; please refer to the appropriate section in this Guide. NOTE: Unlike Model UNs, we do not use parliamentary procedure (except in the case of the European Parliament). In cases where interpretation and elaboration of the rules in this Guide are needed, the members of the Secretariat will be the final authority.

Badges. Every delegate will be issued with a badge at Registration on Day One, and should wear this at all times during the simulation.

Awards. At the close of Day Three, an award ceremony will be held to make awards for the Best Delegation and the Best Individual Delegates. The awards will be determined by a secret vote among delegates.

For further information, visit the European Union Center homepage on the Web at http://www.ou.edu/eucenter/.

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CONTENTS

I Preparing for the simulation 4

II The delegations 5

III The Working Groups 6

IV Heads of State 9

V European Commission 12

VI European Parliament 15

VII Council of Ministers 18

VIII Presidency of the European Union 21

IX General rules of procedure 22



A separate set of appendices includes the following:

1: Membership of the European Council
2: Order of seating and voting
3: Membership of the European Commission
4: President of the European Commission
5: Rotation of member states holding the Presidency of the European Union
6: Sources of information



Used by permission of the Department of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Copyright: Department of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), 2001. Except for use in the Midwest Model EU, no reproduction, copy, or transmission of this publication may be made without prior written permission. We would like to thank past participants for their feedback on this Guide and for their suggestions on improvements, all of which have helped make the Guide more clear and useful.


I) PREPARING FOR THE SIMULATION

Delegates to past simulations have stressed three keys to the success of EU-Southwest: preparation, preparation, and preparation. We ask that each team does the following:

1) Research the constitutional issues, and your member state's positions in relation to the constitutional issues.

2) Research the decision-making structure of the EU, and of your forum. See the EU Center website for a list of sources of information.

3) Appoint specific members of your delegation to play the roles listed on page 5, and encourage your delegation to work as a team and pursue consistent goals.

4) Research the actual policy positions of your member state, and - as far as possible - the background, party affiliation, duties and powers of your real-life counterpart, and come to EU-Southwest prepared to play the appropriate role. In preparing, take into account the history of the EU, public opinion in your member state, the ideological leanings of your government, and your delegation's national interests.

5) Familiarize yourself with the contents of this Guide, particularly the rules of procedure. Students taking part in past simulations have stressed the importance of all delegates knowing the rules and voting procedures, and adhering to them.

6) Come to EU-Southwest and take part in all the meetings. Once it's all over, we'd like to know what you thought of EU-Southwest, and to hear your suggestions for future simulations.


II) THE DELEGATIONS


Each delegation should be comprised of the following:

1 prime minister (president in the case of France, chancellor in the case of Germany), who will be Head of Delegation
1 foreign minister, who will be Deputy Head of Delegation
1 economics or finance minister
1 justice minister
2 Members of European Parliament


TOTAL: 6 DELEGATES EACH



Since it is critical that all delegations are fully represented throughout the simulation, we strongly recommend that each delegation appoint at least one alternate to fill in for delegates unable to attend particular meetings.


III) THE WORKING GROUPS

I) General Affairs

This working group will be comprised of the Heads of State and Government, plus the Commission and European Parliament. This working group is charged with the task of debating the preamble to the constitution (Christianity vs. secular humanism), and incorporating the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into the constitutional treaty.

II) Institutional Affairs I

This working group is comprised of the Heads of State and Government, plus the Commission and European Parliament. The working group has the responsibility of discussing the Council presidency, decision-rule for Council decision-making (double majority, etc), hierarchy of Council formations, and the composition of the Commission.

III) Institutional Affairs II

This working group is comprised of the Foreign Affairs Ministers, plus the Commission and the European Parliament. This working group is charged with the responsibility of discussing the role of national parliaments, composition of the Commission, and the role and position of the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.

IV) External Action

This working group is comprised of the Foreign Affairs Ministers and others. This working group has the responsibility of updating the "Petersberg tasks", discussing arrangements for closer defense and foreign policy cooperation and roles for "constructive abstention", arrangements for crisis management, and responding to terrorist threats.

V) Internal Affairs

This working group is comprised of the Justice Ministers and others. This working group is charged with the responsibility of debating cross-border crime, asylum policy, external border control, and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.





VI) Economic Governance

This working group is comprised of the Economics and Finance Ministers plus others.
This working group will discuss the stability pact, the following questions most specifically:

A) Should it be incorporated into treaty? How? Revised?
B) Which values should be included in Article 2 of the Constitutional Treaty (human dignity; social justice; solidarity; equality, etc?)
C) What should be the articulated social objectives of the Union?
D) What should be the competences of the Union in the social field?
E) Should the open method of coordination be incorporated into the constitutional treaty?

It will be beneficial for all working groups to read Part I: Title IV: The Union's Institutions; Part I: Title V: Exercise of Union Competence; and Part IV. In addition, the following Articles will provide a framework for issues upon which each working group is focusing.

I) Parliament
Part I: Article 1
Part I: Article 3
Part I: Article 9
Part I: Article 12
Part I: Article 13
Part I: Article 14
Part I: Title IX
Part II: Article 37
Part III: Title III, Chapter 1 (Internal Market)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 3, Section 4 (Agriculture and Fisheries)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 3, Section 5 (Environment)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 3, Section 8 (Trans-European Networks)

II) Econ/Finance
Part I: Article 3
Part I: Article 4
Part I: Article 11
Part I: Article 12
Part I: Article 13
Part I: Article 14
Part I: Title VII
Part III: Title III, Chapter 1 (Internal Market)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 2 (Economic and Monetary Policy)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 3, Section 6 (Consumer Protection)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 3, Section 8 (Trans-European Networks)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 5, Section 2 (Industry)

III) Foreign Ministers
Part I: Article 3
Part I: Article 11
Part I: Article 13
Part I: Article 15
Part III: Title III, Chapter 4
Part III: Title IV
Part III: Title V

IV) Prime Ministers
Part I: Article 2
Part I: Article 3
Part I: Article 5
Part I: Article 7
Part I: Article 8
Part I: Article 9
Part I: Article 13
Part I: Article 51
Part I: Title IX
Part II (The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union)
Part III: Title III, Chapter 5, Section 3 (Culture)

V) Justice/Homeland
Part I: Article 2
Part I: Article 3
Part I: Article 4
Part I: Article 5
Part I: Article 6
Part I: Article 7
Part I: Article 8
Part I: Article 10
Part I: Article 11
Part I: Article 13
Part I: Title VI
Part II (The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union)
Part III: Title II
Part III: Title III, Chapter 4






IV) HEADS OF STATE

A) Summary

- focus on overall strategic direction of European integration
- informal rules of procedure
- consensus decision-making

B) Background

The leaders of the EU member states meet to:

- provide strategic direction and consistency to the EU by discussing and deciding the overall character and goals of the Union (i.e., to act as a "political dynamo"),

- resolve problems, which the Council of Ministers and the Commission have been unable to resolve (i.e., to act as the "supreme arbitrator", or court of last resort),

- provide political impetus to the EU by developing and encouraging new initiatives,

- develop a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Council Conclusions almost always include a statement of positions on foreign policy issues.

The European Council alone has the power and authority to resolve major issues and reach key decisions. The Council consists of the heads of government of the EU member states, their respective foreign ministers, and the President of the European Commission. The current membership of the Council is listed in Appendix 1.

The Council meets at least twice per year, each meeting taking place in the member state holding the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Council meetings usually last no more than ten hours, spaced over a 24-hour period. During this time, there is an opening plenary session, and a formal dinner followed by an informal and confidential "fireside chat". The next day begins with informal, bilateral working breakfasts, and is followed by one or two further plenary sessions. Together, these meetings are designed to discuss matters of common concern, and to agree a set of Conclusions.

At EU-Southwest, we try to replicate the work of the Council as exactly as possible.

C) Preparation

Each delegate should do as much advance preparation as possible on the member state they are representing, the personal and political background of the leader they are role-playing, and the positions on European policy taken by that leader. They should also be clear on the role of the European Council in the policy-making process, and should come to EU-Southwest with specific policy proposals and objectives in mind.

At the simulation, delegates role-playing heads of government should make their decisions in the context of the political forces and pressures currently active in EU member states, and the national interests of the states they are representing.

D) Format and Goals

MAJOR GOAL: to discuss and debate the views, ideas and proposals of Council members with the goal of agreeing to a draft constitution.

E) Rules of Procedure

Because the heads of government normally want to decide for themselves how best to use their meetings, the European Council has no formal rules of procedure. Council meetings are deliberately kept flexible and informal, and many of the most important discussions take place outside the Council chamber in the intervals between actual sessions. Nevertheless, the following rules will apply at EU-Southwest:

1) Chair. The head of government of the member state holding the Presidency of the European Union will be in the chair, and will be deputized by the head of government to his/her immediate left. During plenary sessions, the Chair will be assisted by his/her foreign minister. The Chair will have the sole and final power to open and close sessions, recognize speakers, place limits on floor times, control discussion and debate, caution or remove observers, and - if necessary - clear the room of everyone except faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat.

It will be left to the Chair to determine the flow and temper of Council meetings, but he/she should be fair, efficient, and courteous, avoid being partisan in any way, and ensure that every delegate is given the opportunity to speak. The order of business at all meetings will be determined by the Chair in consultation with other members of the European Council.

2) Section IX Rules. Although the general rules of procedure described in Section IX (see page 22 ff.) will apply to all European Council meetings, the emphasis should be on informality, and Section IX rules need only be formally followed in the event of a breakdown in order. The decision to adopt or suspend Section IX rules can be taken only by the Chair.

3) Speakers. During plenary sessions, only heads of government will normally address the Council. When present, foreign ministers may confer quietly with heads of government, and may be given the floor at the discretion of their head of government to address an issue on which they may have specialist knowledge. They may also deputize for their head of government if he/she must leave the chamber.

Speakers do not need to address each other through the Chair.

4) Voting procedure. The Council does not normally take formal votes, instead trying to reach its decisions through consensus: a general agreement on a topic which those opposing - or unable fully to support - are prepared to allow the Council to adopt without recourse to a vote. Reservations and objections may be recorded, but the Council as a whole will agree to proceed.

Where consensus cannot be reached, votes are taken as a last resort, with each member state having one vote and a simple majority prevailing. (See Section IX, Rule 5, for procedure.)
A device known as a tour de table may also be used, at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair asks each head of government in turn to give a short summary (up to 2 minutes) of their thinking on the matter under discussion, thus ensuring that every member state is able to outline its position, and allowing the Chair to determine whether a compromise is possible. However, it can be time- consuming.

Each member state has the power of veto if its leader feels that critical national interests are at stake in an issue under consideration. The veto is very rarely used, however, and is always controversial.

European Council decisions are not legally binding, but are binding in a moral, political and pragmatic sense. Elements of the general conclusions of the Council may have to be turned into law by the European Commission, Council of Ministers, and European Parliament.

5) Workflow. It may request clarification or expert testimony from the Commission, the Council of Ministers, or from an individual Commissioner or minister; it may instruct the Commission to develop a new law or policy; and it may be requested to arbitrate disputes between the European Commission and the Council of Ministers. With these exceptions, it will normally have little or no direct contact with the other fora.


V) EUROPEAN COMMISSION

A) Summary

- consists of 20 Commissioners, each responsible for specific policy portfolios
- they function something like a cabinet, and head the bureaucracy of the EU
- informal rules of procedure
- consensus decision-making
- Goal: to develop proposals for new laws and policies, and submit them to the European Parliament and the relevant Council of Ministers

B) Background

The European Commission is the executive arm of the Union, has the sole right to initiate EU law and policies, and is responsible for ensuring that member states implement those laws and policies. It is legally obliged to make sure that the principles of the EU treaties are turned into practical laws and policies. The Commission acts as a supranational balance to the Council of Ministers, which is inter-governmental.

The Commission is headed by a College of 20 Commissioners, two each from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and one each from the 10 smaller EU states. Each Commissioner is appointed by his/her home government for five-year, renewable terms. Like members of the US cabinet, each Commissioner is given a specific portfolio and set of responsibilities. Commissioners represent the EU, are sworn to work for the common good of the Union and to abandon national allegiances, and are under no obligation to the member states. The current membership of the European Commission is listed in Appendix 3.

The Commission does not normally meet during summits of the European Council, so we take some license in this regard at EU-Southwest. Otherwise we try to replicate its work as closely as possible.

C) Preparation

Each delegate should do as much advance preparation as possible on the political background and portfolio of the Commissioner they are role-playing, should be clear on the role of the Commission in the EU policy-making process, and should come to EU-Southwest with specific policy and legislative proposals in mind. In the course of the simulation, delegates role-playing Commissioners should make their decisions in the context of the political forces and pressures currently active in the EU, and - most important - should remember that they are not national representatives.

D) Format and Goals

In the Commission meeting chamber, Commissioners will be seated in no specific order, except that the President of the Commission will sit at the head of the table and be flanked by the two Vice-Presidents.

MAJOR GOAL: to develop new proposals for policies and legislation, mainly in the fields of economic and financial affairs, foreign policy, and agriculture. If a proposal is adopted, it should be sent to the relevant Council of Ministers for discussion and decision. If it is rejected, it should be sent back to the Commission for further deliberation.

E) Rules of procedure

1) Chair. The Chair of the Commission will be the President, who is assisted by two Vice-Presidents (see Appendix 4). The Vice-Presidents will be responsible for conveying legislative proposals to the relevant Council of Ministers, as and when they are ready, and may temporarily be given the chair at the discretion of the President. The Chair will have the sole and final power to open and close sessions, recognize speakers, place limits on floor times, control discussion and debate, caution or remove observers, and - if necessary - clear the room of everyone except faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat.

Given that the Chair is simply the first among equals in a group of Commissioners, due respect will be shown by the Chair to all members of the College. Nevertheless, the Chair is allowed to take positions and to promote his/her own views and agenda.

NOTE: The Commission is not expected to seek nor to take instructions from any other quarter. It is independent, and its members are expected to put the EU
interest above the national interests of the member states. Commissioners should be careful to keep a diplomatic distance from members of their delegations. Any
Commissioner who overtly pursues national interests may be censured by the President.

2) Section IX Rules. Although the general rules of procedure described in Section IX will apply to all Commission meetings, the emphasis should be on informality, and Section IX rules need only be formally followed in the event of a breakdown in order. The decision to adopt or suspend Section IX rules can be taken only by the Chair.

3) Speakers. During sessions, only Commissioners will be allowed to speak, and then only at the discretion of the President. Speakers do not need to address each other through the Chair.

4) Voting procedure. All Commissioners have equal status, and one vote each. All decisions must be taken unanimously if possible. If unanimity is not reached, decisions will be taken either by consensus or by a simple majority vote, at the discretion of the President. (See Section IX, Rule 5, for procedure.)

5) Workflow. The College works primarily with the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. It can be instructed by the European Council to develop new laws and policies, but it should send these to the relevant Council of Ministers for discussion and final decision, not to the European Council. It should not normally contact the European Council.

The College will develop new proposals, as well as amendments to existing proposals. It should concentrate on working through these proposals with a view to sending them on to the relevant working group for a decision.

While Commissioners should devote adequate time to their discussions of each proposal, it is also critical that they relay their conclusions to the relevant working group on a regular and ongoing basis. Please do not allow proposals upon which decisions have been made to become backed up.

NOTE: Even though EU-Southwest restricts itself to Ministers dealing with foreign, economic, and justice policy, the Commission may consider and develop proposals in other policy areas. The College of Commissioners will decide which of the working groups is most appropriate to consider such proposals.


VI) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT


A) Summary

- it is the only directly elected institution in the EU system
- it cannot introduce laws, enact laws, or raise revenues
- it can ask the Commission to propose a new law or policy
- it can amend some laws as they go through the Commission and the Council of
Ministers
- has equal powers with the Council over the EU budget
- must approve and can fire the Commission
- can veto applications from aspirant EU members
- parliamentary procedure

B) Background

The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected and accountable institution in the EU system. It has steadily won new powers and has helped close the democratic deficit. Although it cannot introduce new legislation, Parliament's powers to influence and amend legislation have grown steadily. Parliament has the power to delay or kill a proposal by sitting on it, and the Parliament has the power to dismiss the Commission. The EP effectively has equal powers with the Council of Ministers on decision-making. The Parliament has veto powers over the Council on allowing new members to join the EU and giving other countries associate status; the conclusion of international agreements; penalties the Council may impose on a member state for violations of fundamental rights; any efforts to introduce a uniform electoral system for European elections; and the powers and tasks of the European Central Bank. Parliament also has powers over foreign policy issues by obliging the presidency of the European Council to consult with the EP on the development of a CFSP. The Parliament consists of a single chamber, and its members are directly elected by universal suffrage for fixed, renewable five-year terms. The number of seats is divided roughly on the basis of population. MEPs do not sit in national blocs but come together in cross-national ideological groups with roughly similar goals and values. In short, Parliament either shares powers with or negates powers of other EU institutions.

C) Preparation

Each delegate should do as much advance preparation as possible on the ideological background of her/his MEP. Each delegate should equally strive to seek out those MEPs from other member states that share roughly the same party ideology for purposes of coalition/alliance building. Furthermore, each delegate should be aware of the role of the EP in the EU policy-making process. All delegates should also familiarize themselves with parliamentary procedure. Finally, delegates role-playing an MEP should come to EU-Southwest with specific policy and legislative ideas in mind, and these ideas should be in the context of the political and socio-economic forces and pressures currently active in the EU.

D) Format and Goals

In the Parliament meeting chamber, MEPs will be seated in no specific order, except that the president of the EP (presides over debates during plenary sessions), will sit at the head of the forum. MEPs should sit in cross-national ideological groupings.

MAJOR GOAL: to discuss, amend and pass or fail laws proposed by the Commission.

E) Rules of Procedure

1) President. The president of the Parliament will serve roughly in the same capacity as the Speaker in the U.S. House. The president will have the sole and final power to open and close sessions, recognize speakers, place limits on floor times, control discussion and debate, caution or remove observers, and - if necessary - clear the room of everyone except faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat.

Given that the president is simply the first among equals in a group of MEPs, due respect will be shown by the president to all members of the EP. Nevertheless, the president is allowed to take positions and to promote his/her own views and agenda.

2) Parliamentary Procedure. The European Parliament, unlike the other institutions at EU-Southwest, will conduct its business within the parameters of parliamentary procedure. This will apply comprehensively to areas such as: formally addressing the Parliament, and voting procedures. Accordingly, all delegates representing an MEP should be well versed in the particulars of parliamentary procedure.

3) Workflow. The European Parliament will operate primarily with the Commission and Council of Ministers. The Commission proposes a new piece of legislation. The Council then adopts a "common position" by qualified majority. The EP can then respond, but with or without a response from Parliament, the Council can adopt the proposal. It then becomes law. However, on economic and monetary legislation, the EP has the power to consider the Council's common position, and it may approve the common position by an absolute majority of votes cast or fail to act; in either case, the proposal becomes law. The EP can also reject the common position by an absolute majority of MEPs, in which case the Council can convene a Conciliation Committee (made up of an equal number of EP and Council representatives) in order to try and reach agreement on a joint text; if a majority of MEPs still rejects the proposal, it lapses. Furthermore, the EP can propose amendments by an absolute majority of MEPs; these are then sent back to the Commission and the Council for an opinion.

On almost all other types of legislation, most notably laws relating to the single market, consumer protection, and the environment, the Council considers the EP's amendments and can accept them by qualified majority or by unanimity. If the Council cannot muster enough votes, a Conciliation Committee can be formed with the EP. The Conciliation Committee meets to try to reach agreement, with Council representatives voting by qualified majority and EP representatives voting absolute majority. If they can reach agreement, the text goes back to the full Council and EP. The Council and the EP then can adopt the new text, by a qualified majority and absolute majority, respectively. If either vote fails, the proposal dies. If the Conciliation Committee fails to agree, the Council can go back to its original common position and adopt the proposal by a qualified majority. Ultimately, the EP then can overturn the Council decision by an absolute majority of MEPs, in which case the proposal dies. If they fail, the proposal becomes law.
















VII) COUNCIL OF MINISTERS


A) Summary

- consists of relevant ministers from the 15 member states
- responsible for deciding which proposals will become law and which will not
- formal rules of procedure
- formal rules of decision-making
- Goal: to approve or reject legislative proposals from the Commission, work through legislation and amendments with the Parliament, and to discuss broad EU policies

B) Background

The Council of Ministers is the most powerful of the Union's institutions, the primary decision-making body of the EU, and the main forum for the representation of the national interests of the member states. (It is roughly analogous to the US Senate, while the European Parliament is analogous to the US House of Representatives.) National interests often conflict with each other and with what may be perceived as the "European" interest.

The Council is not one body, but several. Whether the foreign or economic are meeting, they all come under the general title of the Council of Ministers. EU-Southwest restricts itself to three councils:

- General Affairs Council (GAC) (foreign ministers)
- Ecofin (economics and finance ministers)
- justice ministers

The frequency of Council meetings is variable. The GAC and Ecofin usually meet monthly, and other councils as little as 1-3 times per year. (Councils of Ministers do not normally meet at the same time as the European Council, but - in order to show the relationship between them - EU-Southwest has all these meetings overlap.)

C) Preparation

Each delegate should do as much advance preparation as possible on the member state they are representing, the political background and portfolio of the minister they are role-playing, and the positions on European policy taken by their member state. They should also be clear on the role of the Council of Ministers in the EU policy-making process, and should come to EU-Southwest with specific policy objectives in mind.

In the course of the simulation, delegates role-playing ministers should make their decisions in the context of the political forces and pressures currently active in EU member states, and the national interests of the states they are representing.

D) Format and Goals

In each Council meeting, ministers will be seated in alphabetical order by member state (see Appendix 2), with the minister from the Presidency at the head of the table.

MAJOR GOALS: to discuss - and vote on - legislative and policy proposals submitted by the European Commission. Ministers may pass, amend, or reject Commission proposals. If a proposal is passed, the Commission should be notified. If it is rejected or amended, it should be sent back to the Commission for further deliberation. Ministers may also submit suggestions for new proposals to the Commission.

E) Rules of procedure

1) Chair. The minister of the member state holding the Presidency of the EU will be in the chair. He/she will be deputized by the minister from the member state to his/her immediate left, who will be responsible for receiving proposals from the Commission and for conveying rejected proposals to the Commission, and who may temporarily be given the chair at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair will have the sole and final power to open and close sessions, recognize speakers, place limits on floor times, control discussion and debate, caution or remove observers, and - if necessary - clear the room of everyone except faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat.

Given that the Chair is simply the first among equals in a group of national government ministers, due respect will be shown by the Chair to all members of her/his Council. Nevertheless, the Chair is allowed to take positions and to promote his/her own views and agenda.

2) Section IX Rules. Although the general rules of procedure described in Section IX will apply to all Council meetings, the emphasis should be on informality, and Section IX rules need only be followed in the event of a breakdown in order. The decision to adopt or suspend these can only be taken by the Chair.

3) Speakers. During sessions, only the relevant ministers will be allowed to speak, and then only at the discretion of the Chair. Speakers must address each other through the Chair.

4) Voting procedure. It is normal for Councils to reach decisions by allowing discussions to continue until a consensus is reached. In the event of a stalemate or impasse, the Council may use a tour de table (see page 8). If a vote is deemed necessary, it may take one of three forms:

a) unanimity (mainly for votes on foreign policy, justice, and selected financial questions, or where the Council wants to amend a Commission proposal against the latter's wishes). Each minister has one vote; abstentions are permissible, and do not count against unanimity.

b) a qualified majority (used for amendments to, or elaboration of, existing or proposed laws or policies). For qualified majority votes, each country is
given a different number of votes in rough proportion to its population
size. The current weighting is as follows:

10 votes each France, Germany, Italy, UK
8 votes Spain
5 votes each Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal
4 votes each Austria, Sweden
3 votes each Denmark, Finland, Ireland
2 votes Luxembourg

TOTAL: 87

A qualified majority consists of 62 votes out of 87. Conversely, a blocking minority, which will prevent a positive vote, consists of 26 votes.

Abstentions are allowed, and members may give their proxy to the delegate of another state. A quorum is 12 members.

c) a simple majority (all other cases). Each minister has one vote. A majority is eight or more.

5) Workflow. The Councils should discuss new Commission proposals and amendments from the Parliament as they begin arriving.

While ministers should devote adequate time to their discussions of each proposal, it is also critical that they relay their conclusions to the Commission and Parliament on a regular and ongoing basis. Please do not allow proposals upon which decisions have been made to become backed up.

NOTE: We only simulate the councils of foreign, economics, and justice ministers at EU-Southwest, but Councils may occasionally receive proposals from the Commission that do not fit any of these four. In such cases, they should role-play the appropriate set of ministers.


VIII) PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

A) Background

Taking turns by alphabetical order, each of the EU member states occupies the Presidency of the European Union for periods of six months. See Appendix 5 for the rotation.

The member state holding the Presidency is responsible for arranging and chairing all meetings of the Council of Ministers and the European Council, and for launching and building a consensus on initiatives. Holding the Presidency gives a member state the opportunity to guide the direction of the EU, and can reflect well or badly on that state, depending on how it does its job. The Presidency is expected to strive to bring agreement on as many issues as possible, and to try and engineer compromise where there is deadlock.

For the sake of continuity, it is normal for the leaders of the incumbent Presidency to form a troika with the leaders of the previous and the following Presidencies. Representatives from these three member states are encouraged to work together in every forum at EU-Southwest except the European Commission.

B) Format and Goals

Members of the delegation holding the Presidency at EU-Southwest will chair all meetings (except those of the Commission), oversee the running and management of the European Council (in organizational and political terms), act as a primary source of policy initiatives, promote consensus, and identify all possible compromises.

The Presidency (excluding its Commissioner/s), the President of the Commission, and the chair of the directors-general will meet at selected times with the Secretariat to discuss organizational issues. (See timetable for details.)


IX) GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE

We want to keep meetings at EU-Southwest as informal as possible, and to avoid complicated rules of procedure. In addition to the specific rules for each forum listed earlier in this Guide, the following general rules will apply to all meetings at EU-Southwest except the European Council (which may adopt them if needed).

1) Designations. The term "European Community" will only be correct when referring specifically to the EC; at all other times "European Union" is correct. Delegates should also take care to distinguish between the Council of Ministers and the European Council when using the term "the Council".

2) Power of the chair. Ultimate power to oversee, direct and run each meeting will be vested in the Chair, who will have the sole power to open and close sessions, recognize speakers, set time limits on speakers and debates, control discussion and debate, and maintain order.

The Chair must make every effort to be fair, to avoid partisan behavior of any kind, to ensure the smooth flow of proceedings, to simulate as closely as possible the work of actual EU institutions, and to make sure that all discussions are relevant and as productive as possible.

3) Responsibilities of delegates. All delegates must attend all scheduled meetings. Any delegate who cannot avoid missing all or a substantial part of a meeting (i.e., more than ten minutes) must register their anticipated absence with the Chair in advance. They may appoint an alternate (who will have the powers and responsibilities of the delegate), or they may give their vote to another delegate. Either way, they should inform the Chair through a Point of Personal Privilege, otherwise they will lose all voting rights for the duration of their absence.

Delegates are encouraged to remain seated throughout each meeting, but may leave the chamber for short periods without the permission of the Chair. Anyone leaving a meeting chamber loses all voting rights for the duration of their absence unless they have appointed an alternate or given their proxy to the delegate of another state, and so informed the Chair.

4) Disruptive behavior. Delegates should remember at all times the importance of the three Cs: cooperation, compromise, and consensus. All delegates must at all times behave in accordance with the norms prevailing in a meeting among representatives of democratic governments, and should avoid any kind of disruptive behavior, defined as behavior that is hostile, aggressive, rude, or in any way interferes with the flow of the work of the meeting. In the event of disruptive behavior by a delegate, the Chair may issue a formal warning to that delegate. If the delegate fails to co-operate after two formal warnings, the Chair may require the delegate to be silent for a specified time, or (as a last resort) may order the delegate to be expelled from the meeting chamber for a specified time. A silenced delegate may vote, but any delegate expelled from a meeting will lose all voting rights for the duration of his/her absence. It is left to the Chair to define "disruptive behavior", but it may include open hostility, verbal abuse, constant interruption, raising of voices, delaying tactics, sleeping, a refusal to follow the rules of procedure, a refusal to co-operate in decision-making, or consulting with another delegate in a manner that interferes with the smooth flow of the meeting.

5) Voting. Where votes are taken, they should normally be open, and made by roll call in order of seating, and recorded by the Deputy Chair. The Chair will be the last called to vote. Voting will be verbal, and expressed either as "Yes", "No", or "Abstain". Once a vote has been declared open, no one will be allowed to speak other than to cast his or her vote. Once all votes have been cast, the Deputy Chair will tally the vote and immediately announce the result. The decision of the deputy Chair on a tally will be final.

6) Speaking. Any delegate wishing to address any meeting must raise his/her hand and be recognized by the Chair. Verbal requests are not acceptable, nor is speaking out of turn. Delegates must remain seated while speaking. Speakers may not be interrupted by anyone but the Chair. Except in the European Council and the Commission, speakers should normally address each other through the Chair.

7) Temporary adjournment. A Chair or a delegate may call for a temporary adjournment of a meeting for a specified time (no more than ten minutes), and (if necessary) be given a maximum of one minute to explain her/his rationale. If at least two other delegates second the motion, it will immediately be put to a vote, and requires the support of a majority of delegates to succeed. The Chair will call a temporary adjournment if the vote is successful. No one delegate may call for an adjournment more than once in any one meeting.

8) Closure of debate. The Chair will normally decide on the closure of a debate, but a delegate may move for closure, and (if necessary) be given a maximum of one minute to explain his/her rationale. If at least two other delegates second the motion, it will immediately be put to a vote, and requires the support of a majority of delegates to be successful. The Chair will declare the debate closed if the vote is successful.

9) Closure of meeting. The Chair will normally decide on the closure of a meeting, but a delegate may move for closure, and (if necessary) be given a maximum of one minute to explain his/her rationale. If at least two other delegates second the motion, it will immediately be put to a vote, and requires unanimity to be successful. The Chair will then close the meeting if the vote is successful. No one delegate may call for a closure of a meeting more than once in any one meeting.

10) Extension of meeting. Any meeting may be extended as long as there is a consensus in favor, and as long as that extension does not prevent delegates from being at another previously scheduled meeting in another forum.

11) Point of Order. If, during a meeting, a delegate feels that the meeting is running in a manner contrary to these Rules, he/she may rise to a point of order. The Chair may overrule, or accept the appeal. If accepted, the Chair may make an immediate ruling, or ask the delegate to speak on the point of order for a maximum of one minute (but he/she may not speak on the subject of the debate). The Chair will then immediately rule on the point of order.

12) Point of Information. If a delegate wishes to obtain a clarification of procedure or of any other matter, she/he may rise to a point of information and receive clarification from the Chair or anyone else designated by the Chair.

13) Point of Personal Privilege. If a delegate wishes to raise a question, leave the room for an extended time, or make a request relating to personal comfort or their treatment by other delegates, he/she may rise to a point of personal privilege and receive an immediate ruling by the Chair.

14) Votes of no confidence in the Chair. While it is understood that all meetings at EU-Southwest will be run on the basis of mutual respect and understanding, it may be necessary in extraordinary circumstances - and solely as a last resort - to censure or remove the Chair.

If a delegate feels that the Chair is not giving fair time to all delegates, is being excessively partisan, is failing to keep order, is clearly failing to maintain the smooth progress of the meeting, or is otherwise failing to fulfill his/her duties in the best interests of the meeting, that delegate may call for a vote of no confidence. If another delegate seconds the motion, it will immediately be put to a vote, and requires the support of at least two-thirds of the delegates present to be successful. The Chair may not vote, but must record the name of the delegate making the motion.

If the vote goes against the Chair, the group may issue a verbal caution, remove the Chair from the meeting room for a specified time, or arrange temporary or permanent replacement of the Chair by an alternate. This will be decided either by consensus, or by a verbal vote, with each delegate having one vote, and a simple majority prevailing. Again, the Chair may not vote.

No more than two votes of no confidence may be called in any one meeting, and no one delegate may make such a call more than once during EU- Southwest.

If the Chair is removed through a vote of no confidence, the designated Deputy Chair will carry out his/her duties for the duration of his/her removal of the forum. If the President of the European Commission is so removed, remaining Commissioners must elect one of the two Vice-Presidents as a replacement. A deposed Chair will not lose his/her rights to participate and vote unless removed from the meeting chamber.

15) Bargaining, coalition-building, and package deals. These are normal elements in Union decision-making, and can be undertaken during formal meetings or in informal sessions outside meetings.

16) Observers. Anyone may visit any meeting during a session, observe the proceedings, and come and go as they wish, but may not address the meeting unless expressly asked to by the Chair, nor address other visitors in anything above a whisper, nor disturb the meeting in any way. Anyone who disrupts the proceedings may be cautioned by the Chair, who may also expel any observer from the room except faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat.

Faculty advisors may coach and assist delegates only outside formal meetings. They may visit meeting rooms and observe meetings, and they may confer briefly delegates, but they cannot interfere with, interrupt or address any meeting, cannot overrule Chairs, have no voting rights, and should avoid conferring with delegates in a meeting chamber during a scheduled meeting. Above all, they should avoid giving advice on procedures and general goals, leaving this to the discretion of the Secretariat.

17) Arbitration and the Secretariat. In the event of problems, conflicts, or questions over procedure, the Chair may call for arbitration by a member of the Secretariat, whose decision will be final. In extraordinary circumstances, the Secretariat may - in consultation with the delegates from the member state holding the Presidency of the EU - replace any Chair.

A member of the Secretariat may - having given due notice to the Chair - briefly interrupt any meeting on a Point of Order or a Point of Information.

18) Amendments to the rules. None of these rules may be changed except by faculty advisors and members of the Secretariat meeting in committee.

A note on community spirit. The organization and running of EU-Southwest is built around an implied and unspoken honor code regarding the behavior and community spirit of delegates. All delegates are asked to conduct themselves at all times in a responsible and community-spirited manner. In the unlikely event of misbehavior by a delegate (e.g., damage to property, creating a public disturbance, breaking the law, etc.), that delegate must bear full responsibility for all consequences, and his/her delegation will also be held morally, financially and legally responsible.

The Secretariat also asks that delegates please do not remove souvenirs from their visit (such as flags, place settings, etc.), all of which were bought with funds raised specifically for that purpose. All flags are for sale - please ask the Secretariat.