The Development Office of the College of Europe is co-operating with Media Farm, a Norwegian firm specialised in interactive learning experiences, to develop an interactive role-play game for the future Visitors Centre of the European Parliament.
Designed for school pupils aged 15-17 years, the role-play game will allow them to experience the professional life of a Member of the European Parliament, deliberating over fictitious proposals in sensitive policy areas. The experience should leave the youngsters with a good understanding of the Parliament’s role, the legislative process and how the individual can participate in decision making. It should promote active citizenship: “My voice makes a difference!” The players will interact with virtual lobbyists and citizens concerned with the policy outcomes. Deadlines, the media, breaking events, as well as various interests represented in all official languages of the EU will make the game a very real experience in which team work and engagement are the key to success.
The script for the game has been delivered and is being translated. The next step is the casting and filming - in a Brussels’ studio - of European amateur actors for more than a hundred small sketches, in all the official languages of the EU. These sketches will be integrated with the work of professional actors for the main roles in a server driven game. If you’re interested to play a role in the game, as one of our volunteers, please visit www.coleurope.eu/roleplaygame

The College and the International Committee of the Red Cross organised their annual colloquium on international humanitarian law in Bruges on 16 and 17 October 2008. The 9th Bruges Colloquium was entitled “Transfers of Persons in Situations of Armed Conflict”. The legal norms governing the transfer of persons in situations of armed conflict and the challenges, from the humanitarian point of view, of carrying out such transfers was the focus of the colloquium. It brought together experts from government institutions, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and universities to discuss the rules of international humanitarian law and human rights law governing the transfer of persons in armed-conflict situations. It dealt with questions about how to fulfil the legal obligations involved, especially in multinational peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, such as those led by the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the European Union. Participants also examined the various initiatives and solutions that states and other actors have put in place, or are developing in the field.

Since 2004 the Development Office has been organising training programmes on EU terminology for officials of the European Parliament and of the Council of the EU. The short seminars developed for the institutions deal with the principles of terminology and terminography, translation-assistance computer tools and terminological databases, such as IATE (Inter-Active Terminology for Europe). Other terminology courses have been organised both at the College and on location in French, English and German and ranged from two days to three weeks. These programmes also included the elaboration of glossaries of EU terminology and the translations of EU and other legal texts. Most recently, from 17 until 21 November, the College welcomed a group of Turkish translators of the Translation Coordination Unit of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs in Ankara to its new premises in Bruges for a one-week programme.

What are the secrets of a successful Presidency of the EU? Where and how to approach the most relevant people to influence the EU decision-making process? Which negotiation techniques are most persuasive with and within the EU? Over the past four years, these questions have been the focus of a five-day seminar entitled ‘EU Negotiations in Practice’, a renowned advanced training course organised by the Development Office of the College of Europe.
The group of 18 participants for the 8th edition of the programme (November 2008) represented a good balance of civil servants and private sector professionals, coming from both EU Member States and non EU countries. The mix added spice to the main simulation exercise, stretching over three days, reaching a climax on the last day in one of the meeting rooms of the Council of the EU. Participants seized the opportunity to share their views and different approaches to better understand what is really at stake when negotiating with and within the EU.
Are you working for a mission, a regional or national administration, or an interest representation in Brussels? Our next EU Negotiations in Practice advanced course will take place on 11-15 May 2009 and registrations are already open here: www.coleurope.eu/EUNegotiations

Special editions of this short (4 hours) and practical training course have recently been organised to fulfil the expectations of the Swiss Mission to the EU. Reflecting on their own information strategy for internet searches and learning by doing, 19 Swiss officials benefited from the specific focus that was offered for the occasion: accessing EU information as an outsider.
Next year’s first EU Fact Finding courses will take place on 20 March and 12 June 2009; other sessions can be organised and tailored on demand to meet your organisation’s expectations.
For more information, please visit: www.coleurope.eu/EUFactFinding.

The Development Office welcomes Tjaša Lahovnik, who has joined the team of Researchers in our Office.

The Development Office says goodbye to Eveline Buyck and Matija Zun, and wishes them success in their future careers.