What is EU Model Torino?

EU Model Torino is a project dedicated to the EU law making procedure, designed to embrace the two typical moments of scientific learning: analytical on one hand, empirical on the other. All delegates are indeed invited to attend #EUKnow training sessions where renowned experts will provide them with a proper conceptual framework in the fields of Politics, Law, Economics and Informatics so as to proficiently take part in the Conference.

The peak of the entire activity will be the simulation itself. During 4 days of work (19, 20, 21, 22 March), participants will debate the legislative proposals and simulate EU law-making by acting as Members of the European Parliament or Members of the Council of the European Union. The staff will be playing the role of the European Commission. The 6th edition of EU Model Torino introduced the Press Corps in the Simulation, with a small group of participants working as journalists inside the Parliament and the Council.

The goal is to offer students all over the world a new, exciting and educational conference simulating the actual work of EU bodies. With its ninth edition in 2024, EU Model Torino is the perfect occasion for beginners and experienced MUNers alike to test their decision-making, negotiation and persuasion skills. This simulation welcomes all those who aspire to reach a deep understanding of the decisional mechanisms of the institutions of the European Union and are curious about the proposed topic.

Your experience will be enriched by side events and social activities where delegates will be able to interact with smart, like-minded, and fun-loving people. In addition, prizes will be awarded to outstanding delegates.

#EUModelTorino is organized by the Executive Board of the Turin section of the Student Movement for the International Organization (M.S.O.I.), under the patronage and support of different institutions and organizations. Check the social media profiles at the bottom of the page to find out more about M.S.O.I. Torino.

More about the topic

In the 24 years since the start of the 21st Century, the media sector has undergone a massive transformation. We now live in a fast-paced society, where information comes from the most diverse sources at all times and all around us, but, most importantly, we live in a society where this overabundance of information lacks control and regulation. Everyday we are exposed to the news, whether it be on newspapers or online: we probably rarely ask ourselves if the information presented has been fact-checked, is transparent, political or if the author’s rights have been safeguarded. We could think of medias as a knife that cuts both ways: these platforms offer people the possibility to express themselves and connect with countless users; on the other hand they can contribute to disinformation and hate speech, putting at risk cultural diversity and freedom, as well as other rights of EU citizens. The forthcoming era needs an adequate response to this issue. This year’s topic is going to be the “MFA: Media Freedom Act”, 2022/0277 (COD), one of the most recent regulations proposed by the European Commission and, therefore, an extremely contemporary topic. This proposal answers to the increasing worries regarding the lack of transparency and politicization of information: the aim is to grant an independent and pluralistic world of medias, where journalists and their sources are safeguarded and free, where those in power are held to account and, most importantly, where medias are not politicized and distorted. Over the years, the European Union has already reacted to these changes of pace: we can think of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) with its numerous revisions, the Media Pluralism Monitor and the Rule of Law Reports, and, more recently, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Given the events that occurred in the last 4 years, notably COVID and the war in Ukraine, the vulnerabilities and challenges of the European media sector have resurfaced and worsened. It’s now time to discuss the Media Freedom Act (MFA). Will the Members of the European Parliament and the Representatives of the Council of the EU agree on those arguments? How much will the delegates of the Press Corps be able to influence their decision?

Summary of the structure

The European Union Model Torino 2024 aims to offer students from all over Italy, Europe and the rest of the world a challenging firsthand experience of the daily functioning of the EU. During the Model participants, divided into three groups, will simulate the workings of the Parliament, the Council and the Press Corps, with the purpose of passing new EU legislation on the topic of "Media Freedom Act". The Model’s Chairs will represent the EU Commission, and it will start the procedure by making a proposal to the institutions, providing additional information and support to the discussion.

The Ordinary Legislative Procedure

The Model will simulate the ordinary legislative procedure, also referred to as the ‘co-decision procedure,’ in which the Council and the Parliament cooperate to adopt a legislative proposal. The co-decision was introduced with the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and amended in 1999 by the Amsterdam Treaty; its objective is to grant the same decisional power to both the Parliament and the Council. After the Lisbon’s Treaty reform, the co-decision procedure has become the standard procedure, applied by EU institutions in most cases. In the co-decision procedure, both legislators have identical rights and obligations, and they have to approve the same text.

  • Regulation: has general application and is binding in its entirety. It is directly applicable in the EU member states.
  • Directive: sets out a goal for all member states, which each member states decides how to transpose into national legislation.
  • Decision: binding on those to whom it is addressed (member states or individual companies). It is directly applicable in the EU member states.

The Parliament

The European Parliament is directly elected by EU citizens every five years. It has 705 members and meets in plenary sessions once a month in Strasbourg. The Parliament also meets every month in Brussels in the form of topic-specific committees. The Parliament is chaired by a President elected among all 705 MEPs; the current President is Roberta Metsola, from the group of European People's Party in the European Parliament.

Currently there are seven political groups inside the newly elected European Parliament: the group of the European People’s Party (EPP); the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D); the European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR); the Renew Europe group; the Confederal Group of the European United Left(GUE/NGL); the European Greens/European Free Alliance group (Greens/EFA); the Identity and Democracy group (ID). There is also a group of non-attached members, which counts 57 MEPs. Most of the Parliament’s in-depth work is carried out in the above-mentioned specialized committees, which prepare reports that are later to be voted on in the plenary sessions.

The Council

The Council of the EU is the institution representing the member states' governments. Also known informally as the EU Council, it is where national representatives from each EU country meet to negotiate and adopt EU laws, develop the EU's common foreign and security policy, conclude international agreements and coordinate member states’ policies.

The Council meets in 10 different configurations of 27 national representatives. The work of the Council is prepared by a body composed of permanent representatives (COREPER I or COREPER II), which monitors and co-ordinates work and deals with the Parliament on co-decision legislation. The Presidency of the Council, held by Portugal, will be represented by the Secretariat.

Press Corps

The EU Model Press Corps is not an ordinary press team in which participants simply report what happened in the assigned organ. Members of the Press Corps will have the responsibility to act under the policy and ideology of a specific newspaper, creating reports, articles and interviews that are able to affect the future actions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Being a part of this new and exciting committee will also mean being backed up by the most experienced editors of MSOIthePost (the international affairs journal of M.S.O.I. Torino), who will help and support Press Corps members in every moment of their work.

Applications

Applications for the 2024 edition are open!
Apply by filling out this form

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Tips for Preparation

In order to get prepared to EU Model Torino 2024 we invite you to take part to our #EUKnow preparatory conference

Like any other academic activity, EU Model Torino requires a certain amount of preparation in order to experience the simulation to its utmost. If this is your first experience, this is not a problem as the simulation is thought to be an important moment of learning. However we strongly encourage all participants to build the background skills necessary to take part in the debate during the weeks before the conference.

After receiving confirmation of your partecipation you’ll be given a description of the specific profile you will be impersonating during the simulation, whether it be a Member of the European Parliament, a Member of the Council or of the Press Corps. This will constitute the essential compendium for your background, but this is only where the simulation begins! You will need to conduct an autonomous research in order to clarify and embrace your position on the issue and firmly stand up for it during the debate. During the first day of the EU Model Torino you will participate in a training session dedicated to the procedural rules of the EU institution you will be assigned. The accuracy of your preparation will emerge during the debate.

Please do not hesitate to reach out our staff for further clarifications on the procedure, the topic or your profile.

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