Model of the EU 16-19 March 2018

The European Union is the closest geopolitical entity to Russia, a real quasi-state, which, despite its more than 50-year history of distrust, exists and successfully develops. Long before the formation of the modern borders of the Union, the peoples of Europe and their political leaders realized the potential of economic and political unification, gradually experimenting from small Union forms (integration processes between Belgium and Luxembourg, and then the Netherlands) through the period of communities of 6 States to the modern, almost comprehensive integrative unity.

The EU Model is a great way to understand what the European Union breathes, thinks about and how it makes decisions. Whatever the relations between Russia and the EU were yesterday, are today or will be tomorrow, knowledge, understanding and respect for each other"s traditions, cultural and political features have always been the basis for achieving political understanding, mutual respect and building a model for the future development of cooperation.

The EU Model teaches students to respect traditions and progress of other states, to borrow the most effective forms of government and to discover political and economic disadvantages in order to correct them and become both better and stronger. The European Union model teaches to compromise, to conduct multilateral negotiations, to make package deals, the fundamentals of European law and rules of procedures in political decision-making. The model shows the opportunities and vulnerabilities of an open democratic decision-making system, the potential of public and economic lobbying. But first of all, the EU Model invites you to look for new friends, to establish new links and try to take the first steps into a serious public life. Participate, find your point of view, learn to prove your case, try to listen to someone else"s views and learn the European art of compromise and consensus-building in making complex decisions!

In 2018, the Model was devoted to solving several problems of the development of the European Union. Students were invited to think about the prospects for tax reform in the EU. What will be the EU budget after Brexit? Should corporate taxes be harmonized and increased in the EU? Should the taxation of individuals in the EU countries be unified, should a single or not a single flat or non-flat scale be introduced?

The second issue on the agenda was related to the development of the EU support program for the development of military-oriented industry and technology. Should this area be expanded?