THE UE INSTITUTIONS

Text by Charlotte Green

Case Western Reverse University

We spent our first full day in Brussels learning about the European Union and its unique system of organization and government.  Our visit to the European Union Parliament was interesting and informative.  Due to the language barrier, instead of having a guide, we had a video player which told us about the building, the chamber, and the organization of Parliament.  One thing I found to be very interesting was the large amount of translators needed for every session.  The European Union has many different languages; for this reason, translators are essential to the functioning of the meetings.  I also enjoyed learning about the different political parties in Parliament.  With so many different cultures and ideologies, it's difficult to imagine so many people coming to an agreement on issues.  There are a few large parties, but also many smaller political parties which form factions. 

                Our group then visited the European Union Committee of the Regions.  I greatly enjoyed this visit.  We had a very nice guide who took us on "behind-the -scenes" tour; rather than simply looking at empty rooms, we actually looked in on a session!  We also go to speak with a representative from Spain for a short time; she had no idea that we were American, which was actually really cool! The importance of translators was apparent again, as even in a smaller meeting, there were a great number of translators.  After our tour, we had lunch in the cafeteria at the Committee; it was by far the nicest cafeteria I have ever eaten in.

               

 Our discussion about EU laws covered a broad range of topics- prostitution, marijuana usage, euthanasia and other controversial issues.  It was very interesting to see how the different countries of the European Union each have vastly different individual laws.  A common issue with the countries is the authority of national laws versus those of the European Union.  I also noticed that European countries all have much more liberal laws than the United States .  After our seminar, we met with Michelangelo, the coordinator for CIEE Brussels.  He took us to the elite chocolate boutiques, where I sampled the most expensive candy I've ever seen.  They were delicious, and you could definitely tell that Belgians take their chocolate seriously.  Brussels was an amazing experience and it was wonderful to have someone who knows it so well show us different places.