During Germany’s EU Presidency, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the German Embassy in Belgrade and the Coordination Office Vojvodina of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) in cooperation with the Government and Parliament of the Autonomous Province (AP) of Vojvodina, the Research Group Youth and Europe in Munich and the ‘Zentrale für Politische Bildung’ in Baden-Württemberg are planning to carry out a so called EU Youth Parliament in the Parliament of the AP Vojvodina. This event takes place under the auspices of the German Embassy in Serbia.

1. Short Description of the EU Youth Parliament
During the EU Youth Parliament 160 young people from Serbia and the surrounding countries as well as from Germany will come together for two days in Novi Sad in the Parliament of the AP Vojvodina. Based on a EU simulation game conceived by the Research Group Youth and Europe, the young people will be divided into several groups either representing a certain country (EU member state, EU candidate country etc.), a EU institution (European Parliament,
European Commission etc.) or some other party (journalists etc.). Based on one or several questions (e.g. enlargement of the EU), the participants will be simulating the decision-making process that normally takes place within the EU and its institutions. Thereby, they will be guided and supported by Serbian and German team-leaders. In doing so, they will get to know the point of view of the country, institution etc. they are representing as well as the functioning of the EU and its institutions in general.

2. Implementation of the EU Youth Parliament
From 4 to 10 March 2007 the ‘Zentrale für Politische Bildung’ in Baden-Württemberg will train German speaking Serbs in their facilities in Bad Urach as team-leaders who will, in collaboration with German team-leaders, guide the EU simulation game. The EU Youth Parliament will take place 18 to 20 May 2007. A couple weeks before the parliament takes place, the participants will be provided with detailed information on the event in Serbian, English and German which will help them to prepare themselves for the institution, country etc. they will be representing. The first evening there will be a reception for the participants to introduce them in the game and their roles. The participants will have to dress according to the institution they are representing as well change their names, e. g. to a politician’s name. The following day, the simulation will take place with the help from the team-leaders. In the evening there will be another reception with a press conference. The next day the game will be evaluated. The organizers would also like to invite representatives from the embassies, the EU member states and the countries who whish to join the EU to this EU Youth Parliament. In connection to this parliament a brochure on the EU in Serbian will be distributed in the participating schools. The students who take part in the EU Parliament will act as ambassadors in order to teach a larger number of students about the EU. Following the EU Youth Parliament, the Serbian team-leaders will carry out some smaller simulations at different schools and youth institutions. They are also supposed to stand by to lead similar upcoming events.

3. Aims of the EU Youth Parliament
On the one hand, this parliament is meant to be a promotional event in favour of the EU. A large number of students will get a vivid picture of the EU and its institutions. On the other hand, because of its size and the fact that it will be a big media event, the project wants to give hope to Serbia and encourage the democratic forces within the country. The event intends to demonstrate that South-eastern Europe and Serbia in particular have not been forgotten. The organizers, furthermore, want to express their confidence that Serbia will overcome its isolation and become a self-confident and democratic country among its European partners and neighbours.

4. Gathering of Ideas and Formation of a Preparation Group
The idea to carry out a EU Youth Parliament in the AP Vojvodina during Germany’s EU Presidency came to the minds of Mrs Valier (Head of Democratisation Department, OSCE Mission to Serbia), Mr Hartig (Secretary for Culture and Education, German Embassy in Belgrade) and Mr Kratzer (Head of Coordination Office Vojvodina, ifa) on 18 September 2006.
Mr Kratzer presented these ideas to Mrs Manic (Councillor to the Secretary for national minorities, Government of the AP Vojvodina) who offered to carry out the event in the Parliament of the AP Vojvodina. Additionally, Mrs Manic expressed her wish to take advantage of the event and provide all grammar school students in Vojvodina with a fact sheet on the EU.
Following a meeting on 1 October 2006 in the premises of the OSCE Mission to Serbia participated by Mrs Valier, Mr Jaenicke (Senior Officer, Democratisation Department, OSCE Mission to Serbia) and Mr Kratzer, Mr Jaenicke sent Mr Kratzer the simulation game. Thanks to Mrs May (Member of the department ‚Integration and Media’, ifa) Mr Kratzer got into contact with Mr Vidinlioglu.In cooperation with the Research Group Youth and Europe, Mr Vidinlioglu is carrying out simulation games at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich as well as for the Bundeszentrale and the different Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung. Mr Vidinlioglu provided Mr Kratzer with further simulations and established a contact with the Research Group Youth and Europe. The Research Group established with the help from the Bundeszentrale and the Landeszentralen a network of teamleaders who carry out these simulation games in Germany and abroad in Parliament buildings, schools and youth institutions. The head of the Research Group, Dr Rappenglück, as well as his co-workers Mrs Tham and Mrs Feldmann agreed to support the EU Youth Parliament. The idea is to train ten young German-speaking team-leaders who will on the one hand lead the Youth Parliament and on the other hand be available for other similar events. Thanks to Mr Vidinlioglu, Mr Kratzer got into contact with Mr Berger, the head of the Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.Mr Berger suggested to have the training at a seminary center in Bad Urach between 4 and 10 March 2007 and organize a day-trip to the EU-Parliament in Straßburg. Mr Berger sees a chance that the Landeszentralen für Politische Bildung as well as other organisations from the federal state of Baden-Württemberg will bear the expenses. Mr Kratzer to inform Mr Cullen (First Secretary, Head of Political, Civil Society and Information Section, European Commission) about the planned activities.

5.Facts about the EU Youth Parliament
5.1. Dates and Facts
· Place: Parliament of the AP Vojvodina
· Dates for the training of the Serbian team-leaders: 4 until 10 March 2007 in Bad Urach
· Date for the implementation of the EU Youth Parliament: Friday evening until Sunday at midday, first half of 2007, most likely May or June
· Participants in the training: Young German speaking Serbs between 25 and 35 years
· Participants at the EU Youth Parliament: Students from grammar school who are between 16 and 18 years old and who come from Vojvodina and Serbia proper; as well as Serbian minorities from Rumania, Hungary and Croatia.
Official language: Serbian is the official language although the participants have to have proficiency in English and/ or German to be able to read some of the texts.
5.2. Organizers
· Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V. Stuttgart, Peter Kratzer (ifavojvodina@ptt.yu), Lena May (may@ifa.de)
· Government of the AP Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Mrs Dusanka Manic (manic77@eunet.yu), Andor Deli (adeli77@yahoo.com), Nela Jelic (nelajelic@yahoo.com), Marius Rosu (marius@neobee.net)
· OSCE Mission to Serbia, Belgrade, Mrs Hannelore Valier (hannelore.valier@osce.org) and Mr Axel Jaenicke (axel.jaenicke@osce.org)
· German Embassy in Belgrade, Mr Arne Hartig (ku-l@belg.diplo.de)
· Research Group Youth and Europe, Mr Stefan Rappenglück (rappenglueck@lrz.uni-muenchen.de) and Mrs Eva Feldmann (evafeldmann@hotmail.com)
· Zentrale für Politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg, Mr Wolfgang Berger (wolfgang.berger@lpb.bwl.de)
· Junior team-leader, Mr Ilker Vidinlioglu (ilker@vidinlioglu.de)
· Donauschwäbische Kulturstiftung Baden-Württemberg, Mr Eugen Christ (dsks@hdh.bwl.de)
5.3. Preparation Material and its Translation
The Research Group Youth and Europe worked out several simulations. Some of these simulations have been published in English. The translation of one of these simulation games (300 pages) would approximately cost 6000 Euro. However, according to Mrs Feldmann such a simulation has already been carried out in Bosnia-Herzegovina for which crucial parts of the simulation game have been translated into Bosnian. These parts could be translated at small cost into Serbian. In order for the participants to prepare themselves for the EU Youth Parliament and their roles, they could be provided with the material in English, German and important parts could be provided in Serbian.
5.4. Further Ideas
· T-shirts with logo on them (Mrs Feldmann)
· Web site (Mr Rappenglück)
· The Serbian team-leaders carry out smaller EU-simulations at schools and other institutions (Mr Rappenglück)
· Offer possibility to a smaller group of young people to go to Brussels and get to know the EU-institutions
5.5. Preparation and Implementation Groups
1. Executive committee: joined in by the institutions and organisations mentioned under 5.2. (Coordinators: Mr Kratzer and Mrs Manic)
2. Serbian preparation group: five to ten members from the Government of the AP Vojvodina and the ifa-Coordination Office (Coordination: Mrs Manic, Mr Kratzer and a third person)
Group of Serbian and German team-leaders (Suggestion: Mr Vidinlioglu, Mr Berger, Mr Rappenglück, Mrs Feldmann and Mrs Tham become coordinators of this group).

The Danube Bureau Novi Sad/Vojvodina, in cooperation with other partner organisations is organising an international youth camp of tolerance in Bačka Topola in the period from 22 to 30 July 2007 (from Sunday to Sunday). This Camp of Tolerance is to gather the youth from countries, regions and cities of the Danube basin.