59th International Session of the European Youth Parliament - Making the most of your European citizenship
© Tapio Schrey
- from: 24.10.2008
- to: 02.11.2008
- In: Rennes
The European Youth Parliament is organising this international session in Rennes, France, from 24 October to 2 November 2008. Xavier Darcos, the French national education minister, will officially open the session on the morning of 27 October 2008.
Under the high patronage of Nicolas Sarkozy and patronage of Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of the European Parliament, this event brings together more than 300 young people, aged 16 to 24, from 30 countries across Europe to debate important topical European issues. The programme emphasises exchanges between different nationalities to allow the participants to 'make the most of their European citizenship'.
The session will start with communication exercises ('teambuilding'). The young people will then be divided into different working committees charged with producing resolutions, which will then be debated and voted on in plenary sessions. At these debates, the young people will meet political and economic leaders for discussions.
The 59th international session will also play host to Xavier Darcos, the French Minister of National Education (on the morning of 27 October); Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the French Minister of State for European Affairs (on the afternoon of 29 October); Daniel Soury-Lavergne, the managing director of ArcelorMittal France (on the morning of 31 October); and Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission (on the afternoon of 1 November).
This important expression of democracy and citizenship is accompanied by various cultural events, notably a 'European culinary village' on 25 October, a 'grand cultural evening' on 29 October and a 'European concert' on 30 October. These events, along with the plenary sessions of 31 October and 1 November, are open to the public.
Events open to the public:
- Saturday 25 October (evening): Opening of the European Village at Guerlédan, Côtes d'Armor
- Monday 27 October (9:00-11:00): Official opening of the European Youth Parliament (Champs Libres, 10 cours des Alliés, Rennes)
- Wednesday 29 October: Cultural evening (Salle de la Cité, 10 rue Saint Louis, Rennes)
- Thursday 30 October (evening): European concert (Salle de la Cité, 10 rue Saint Louis, Rennes)
- Friday 31 October (afternoon) and Saturday 1 November (all day): Plenary sessions (Champs Libres, 10 cours des Alliés, Rennes)
Sessions open to the press: Monday 27 (afternoon), Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 October (all day), debates in committee (Institut d'Etudes Politiques, 104 bd de la Duchesse Anne, Rennes).
Press contact:
Thomas Dijan: 00 33 1 42 60 47 08 or 00 33 6 03 52 61 09.
- Updated: 23.12.2008
