Why are airport and travel taxes so high here in Malta? Is it that the government wants to keep us locked on the island, isolated from all and sundry? Travelling should be made cheaper and the aviation market should be opened up to competition which, at the end of the day, will render growth for our economy! What is the EU doing about this?

Countless are the times that we, the mundane populace, we, as youths, voice our concerns and/or questions, and no one in the deciding “power” gives two hoots. Either that, or we are too scared, or too buried under the argot that youths are all “sex, drugs and rock and roll”.

This reality, shot right into the Big Shots’ faces two years ago during the European Constitutional referenda, particularly with the French and Dutch “NON/NE.” Hence the creation of the European Commission’s Plan D – Democracy, Dialogue and Debate – a reach-out to us, the humdrum populace, asking: “Hey, what do you think?”

JEF Malta – Young European Federalists Malta – is currently involved in a year-long pan-European Campaign, Speak Up Europe, in the framework of the European Commission’s PLAN D, to be the microphone through which you can shout out loud! Get Barroso, our governments, the MEPs, and the whole shebang, to cock their ears and take heed.

The campaign is the largest one conducted by civil society, having been approved by the Commission. It boasts prestigious lobby groups such as the European Movement International, the Union of European Federalists and ourselves, JEF, as the main pan-European partners, with EurActiv being our media partner, CdIE overseeing that gender balance is adhered to throughout the campaign – it being the European Year of Equal Opportunities – and AEGEE as a visual partner.

It is all about supplying information, and generating debate, precisely asking: “What do you feel about this policy; that legislation; this directive? How would you go about it?” The campaign will then take these reactions, feelings, comments and complaints, and forward them directly to the European decision-making bodies, so that they will feel the “pulse of the nation”, so to speak. This will be facilitated not only through various Europe-wide activities, but also via a website in 20 languages, with online polls and fora.

Apart from translating, monitoring and updating

www.lewropa-xghamlet.org. mt (soon to be online), and hosting a number of debates and information sessions, one of JEF Malta’s planned activities within the framework of this campaign is a European Parliament Simulation competition.

The European Parliament Simulation competition is being held between Friday and Sunday as part of the activities for National Youth Day, being a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in itself, and a prelude to the Berlin Declaration. It is being held in collaboration with Forum Malta in Europe and the European Parliament Office in Valletta, with the aid of the Youth Support Programme, Consolidated Biscuits, General Soft Drinks and Dical House.

It will gather a myriad of youths from various social backgrounds, in an attempt for them to acquire the experience of the highest level of democracy at a European level. Topics discussed in committees and plenary, will be The Future of Europe, Environmental Policy, The Lisbon Strategy, Parliamentary Reform, Youth Policy and Participative Democracy – very au courant issues that dearly affect the lives of us all.

As it is the aim of the Speak Up Europe campaign to listen to citizens’ opinions about the EU, so is it the aim of the simulation to generate debate and formally hear what the generation of tomorrow would do if they were to wear the decision-makers’ shoes.

The simulation has been set as a competition, primarily as a motivation to participation. However, it was also JEF Malta’s goal to be able to give these youths the true experience of the “Brussels” decision-making processes. It is therefore being planned that some participants who show promise and excel during the competition, will be given the opportunity to travel to Brussels, all expenses paid, and gain a hands-on training experience of the European decision-making sphere.

Europe is exciting! It’s interesting! It’s fast-paced and thrilling! Its melodies resonate in our everyday lives. The beat of this united continent can be felt in the streets, in our homes, at university, in our capital, in Paceville, even on a plane!

Another of the activities being organised under the Speak Up Europe campaign, is one where these rhythms and harmonies, these beats and sounds, and the values and ideas behind them, want to be heard. The pulse that moves the European peoples and the way they perceive it, is being questioned and tapped into.

By capturing these European Vibes using modern multimedia technology, like digital cameras, sound recorders, graphic design, animation, video and sound mixing, and submitting the work to our web-based online sharing platform www.european-vibes.eu, people participating will be in with a chance of winning a trip to Copenhagen, will have their work published and exhibited all over Europe and will win a surprise grand prize!

Submissions will be accepted in all widely known picture, video, and audio formats like MP3, Flash, and Quicktime. Winners will be selected in a number of categories. Through the work, we want to know what vibes you see, hear and feel, and what vibes you want to experience.

We are in our third year of EU membership but, in all sincerity few, if any, of us know its history – and its very purpose, for that matter. A few of us, I regret to admit, are even sceptic. You might learn about it if you’re a student at the European Documentation Research Centre, or a Euro-buff like myself, but how many of us take it seriously and actually acknowledge the fact that it is part and parcel of our everyday lives? And now the “Who’s Who” are all talking about the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome!

The Speak Up Europe campaign is a chance for everyone to get to know about the values, events and policies that affect our everyday lives. An opportunity for us Maltese, still “freshers” to the Union, to realise that the European Project’s progress has long been an indirect shaper of our economic, social and political history.

But what of the next 50 years as members?

I, for one, would definitely like to see politicians care about what we earth-walking folk think, that is, utter transparency and a better communication policy.

More involvement of civil society at every level, and a Youth Proofing system for every single piece of paper our heads of state and European personnel issue from Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and/or Frankfurt. I would love to see the directly elected European Parliament gain control of the European decision-making sphere, a constitution finally in place, and subsidiarity being the order of the day.

Climate change is the scariest thing on the planet, definitely affecting our lives, pockets, houses and wardrobes, so I would beg to see that everyone realises this and does something about it. I would also like to see concrete proactive action being taken to combat global famine and poverty, and aid war-torn countries. And it wouldn’t hurt if we had democracy education in schools, all attended, and if we actually met the objectives of the Lisbon Agenda.

If you want to make your voice heard, want to participate, get involved or share the European Vibes you envisage, check out www.speakupeurope.eu, www.whathaseuropedone.eu and the aforementioned websites, or contact info@

jefmalta. net and tell us what you think and, on my word of honour, your submissions will be directly forwarded to Margot Wallstrom, European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication and her DG.

Speak up, stand out!

Cheryl Micallef-Borg is JEF Malta President