Serbian students learn about the European Union up close

This November, seven students from Serbia and Romania got the chance to experience European Union (EU) institutions first-hand and meet top politicians during a visit to Brussels.

The trip marked the end of a youth parliament programme supported by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Vladimir Putnik, a young member of the ethnic Serbian minority in the Romanian town of Timisoara, says that he learned a lot from the visit: "The experience taught me to acknowledge the multicultural and multilingual makeup of Europe, which is much like my hometown, but the differences in Europe seem to be better integrated into society."

The trip to Brussels, which was facilitated by the European Commission in Serbia and the OSCE Mission, gave the participants a chance to meet such prominent politicians as Doris Pack, the Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Delegation to South-Eastern Europe; Josep Lloveras, the Head of the European Commission's Delegation in Serbia, and Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement.

"I reckon that very few people my age get the opportunity to travel abroad and talk openly with European decision-makers," 17-year-old Vladimir adds. "I feel honoured to have had this experience."

EU Parliament simulation

Before going to Brussels, the seven students took part in an EU Parliament simulation - focusing on accession to the EU - in Novi Sad in May 2007. The event, supported by the OSCE Mission, brought together 140 high school students from Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria. The simulation and visit were part the larger EU Youth Parliament programme organized by the OSCE Mission, the German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations and the Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

Ivana Kazic, from Donje Trebesinje, a small village in southern Serbia, realized that the simulation exercise in Novi Sad closely resembled what takes place at institutions in Brussels. "I learned at the simulation how to negotiate and make decisions in a big body where everyone has equal rights," she says.

For Ivana, both events were important steps in her understanding of Serbia's path to Europe. "The people we met at the European Commission were very open and answered our questions without hesitation," she says. "I now have the impression that Europe is ready for Serbia - but is Serbia ready for Europe?"

Bringing the EU to life

The students were accompanied to Brussels by Dragana Jovanovic, who teaches German at a primary school and also attended the Youth Parliament session in May as a Junior Team Leader. "The trip gave me the missing piece in the puzzle about life in the EU in the most practical way," she says. "It showed me what membership means to ordinary people in their daily life, such as moving from one country to another without any problems."

After meeting EU officials in Brussels, the students also acknowledged that their opinions about the EU changed and that they were positively surprised in many respects.

"Before going to Brussels, I didn't have a real opinion on the EU," says Vladimir. "But now that I've seen how hard-working, dedicated and savvy the officials are, and how much they love their work, I deeply respect the European institutions.

"The trip was very inspiring - I could see myself working for the EU one day."

Recognizing the importance of standards

An important part of the enlargement simulation in May was that the students were able to talk openly about achievements and obligations that EU countries had to fulfil to join. This helped them understand why certain standards and norms must be reached before becoming members.

"It was very important for us students to experience how negotiations are led in a big assembly, where interests of different countries must be satisfied," says Ines Maras from the Serbian province of Vojvodina. "The in-depth preparations before the meeting allowed us to discuss in a constructive manner so as to achieve meaningful results."

Ivana Maletin from Novi Sad says the students acknowledged the importance of common values and norms when entering a multinational organization such as the EU.

"I realize that potential future member states in the Western Balkans are on the right track, but there is still a lot of work to do," she adds.