№ 3722295 SECOND PLACEMENT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

1 | P a g e FINAL PLACEMENT REPORT

TOLIYANA BAYCHEVA

№ 3722295 SECOND PLACEMENT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

BRUSSELS BELGIUM University of Groningen

European Integration and International Relations

Content

1. Introduction

2. Tasks undertaken during the traineeship

2.1. Attendance on Committees in the European Parliament; writing and preparation of notes

2.2.Written explanations on vote 2.3. Events planning

2.4.Researching in the context of current topics in European policy-making and common office work

2.5.Other tasks assigned by the assistants of the MEPs or by the MEPs themselves 3. Conclusion

4. References

2 | P a g e 1. Introduction

In regard to International relations and European integration, a traineeship in a European institution is a perfect supplement to political science studies. The European parliament gave me a great opportunity for my future professional development. In order to create a better and detailed overview of how my placement went, I will start from the very beginning. During my first summer internship in the municipality of my hometown, I created long lasting and important connections in Ruse. Some of these are with members of the youth organization VMRO (a Bulgarian political party). VMRO is a political movement (Chair – Krasimir Karakachanov and Vice-chair Angel Dzhambazki). Therefore, they offered me to go on a traineeship in the office of the Vice-president of VMRO Angel Dzhambazki, who, at the same time, is a Bulgarian representative in the European parliament in Brussels from the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists. Moreover, besides Angel Dzhambazki, Andrey Slabakov, who is also a politician from the same party, became a member of the Parliament from the new mandate. Therefore, I had to help both of them.

I, of course, accepted because an opportunity like this is crucial for my professional experience and carrier. I filed all the documents necessary and my application was accepted. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to prepare psychologically nor physically because I had a couple of days to decide how to get to Brussels and to find a place to live. It was really difficult for me to manage for such a short time. However, I asked for help the assistant of Dzhambazki, Boryana (who is my supervisor, as well). She kindly sent me some offers for available rooms in the city so I was really thankful for her quick response. My room is located in a very cozy house, 5 minutes walking from the European Parliament. I am living with one girl from Slovenia, one girl from Greece, and with the landlord of the place who is from France. My mother and father drove me to Belgium to help me with all of the luggage. They stayed one night and then they took off. The day after this was my only free day in which I had to prepare the final contract signed by me.

On Monday, the 2

of September 2019 was my first day at work. I went earlier in order to go get

my badge from the administration because I could not enter the building without one. My first

impression was positive. The building is huge and I could not believe that I will be working there

for the next 5 months. I have applied several times for a traineeship in the European Parliament,

3 | P a g e the European Commission and the Committee of Regions. So I was really thrilled that I have finally made it. What is more, my expectations were actually met.

The European Parliament is a part of the institutional triangle which builds decision-making in the European Union. For me, the European Parliament is the most important legislative body within the EU because it is formed of 751 members who are directly elected by the European citizens of the 28 member-states. The European Parliament represents citizens’ voice and their interests regarding EU law-making, transparency in political debates. It is also a body that makes sure that EU institutions are working democratically.

Together with the Council, the European Parliament acts as a co-legislator in adapting and legislating proposals of the Commissions in regard to all the policy areas in the EU. My personal opinion is that the EP is not only a legislative and political body, but has the role of a ‘supervisor’ because it monitors the work of the Commission, other institutional bodies and agencies, and most importantly, cooperates with national parliaments of EU countries in making decisions. The European Parliament is fully based on the fundamental values of the EU. EP supports the equal fight for democracy, rule of law, non-discrimination, freedom of speech, preserving human rights and equality and fair elections within the EU.

Nevertheless, the European Parliament came out totally different in practice because studying EU textbooks is one thing, yet being in the heart of the European Union is a completely different point of perspective.

Since the building is of big size, there are different areas inside attached with warm connections.

The offices of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group are located in the Wiertz building. The offices of Angel Dzhambazki and Andrey Slabakov are on the first floor and they are really cozy, modern and well-equipped with everything necessary. I am working with three assistants of the members and five more trainees. We make a great team and contribute efficiently to the work of the members. My working time is every day from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 17:30 p.m., excluding the days of events or committees. Sometimes, on those days I have stayed until my tasks are accomplished. The good thing is that you have everything you need in the Parliament (for example banks, flowershop, supermarkets, restaurants, smoking rooms, hairdresser, beauty salon, post, even gym, etc.). Furthermore, since my room is located 5 minutes from the Parliament, almost every day I went home to have lunch, and therefore, I was saving

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European Parliament, ‘Welcome to the European Parliament’, Retrieved from

4 | P a g e some money that way because food in the Parliament is very expensive compared to the one in the stores. I really enjoy the neighborhood that I live in because it is considered a wider center. The European Commission is located 10 minutes walking from my place, the Committee of Regions is 5 minutes from my place. Moreover, there is a great square next to my house called Jordan square. There, you can get the best fries in town and it is only 2 minutes walking. A beautiful park is surrounding the square where you can enjoy the swans swimming in the lake. On the left side of the lake, the European House of History is located which is a museum of European history.

There you can learn how the European institutions were created and evolved during the years.

Working in the Parliament sounds extraordinary but if there are some issues in the working atmosphere, to some extent the pleasure from the experience is lost. My personal opinion about my supervisor, Boryana, is that she is not fully aware of how to prepare, educate and handle trainees. She does not have experience in working with students, or maybe she does not have the desire to pay attention to their adaptation in the working environment and the team. I was disappointed because of several reasons. I did not have a strict plan on what to do every day when I arrive at work. Most of the time, I had to ask her if my help is needed and to ‘urge’ her to give me assignments. My other colleagues, however, were interested in how I felt, if I needed something, they gave me tasks, unlike her. Nevertheless, I always arrived at work on time, I did my job properly and I dressed accordingly (formal style).

2. Tasks undertaken during the traineeship

On the chart below one could see a schedule of the monthly activities of the members and the other employees in the Parliament. Parliament's calendar is colour coded to indicate activities of a particular week - plenary sittings in Strasbourg, plenary sittings in Brussels; meetings of committees and interparliamentary delegations; political group meetings and weeks where MEPs concentrate exclusively on constituency work.

Blue - political groups

In weeks that are marked blue MEPs meet with other members from their political group. The

political groups in Parliament bring together MEPs coming from different national political parties,

sharing the same political stance and affiliations. To establish a political group, 25 different MEPs

from at least seven different member states are needed. During the political groups’ meeting, MEPs

5 | P a g e discuss their positions on proposed legislation, to be debated and voted on during plenary. They scrutinise reports from Parliamentary committees, table amendments and agree on a group position.

Pink –committee meetings

Each MEP works in one or more parliamentary committees, dedicated to a particular area of European policy, ranging from foreign affairs to economic issues, equality, education and culture.

Pink weeks are dedicated to committee meetings, the forum where MEPs coming from different political groups discuss draft legislation, propose amendments, consider Commission and Council proposals and draw up reports to be presented to the plenary.

Red – plenary sessions

All this work culminates during Parliament’s plenary sessions, in Strasbourg or Brussels. Plenary sessions, marked red on the calendar, are when MEPs debate important issues, take significant decisions through votes by adopting, amending, or rejecting legislation.

Turquoise – work outside the Parliament

During turquoise week, MEPs undertake activities outside the Parliament. They work either in their constituency in their home country, where they have the opportunity to interact with their electorate, or in Parliamentary delegations, responsible for maintaining relations with non-EU countries.

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European Parliament, ‘European Parliament Calendar’, Retrieved from

6 | P a g e

7 | P a g e 2.1. Attendance on Committees in the European Parliament; writing and preparation of notes

The first week of my presence in the Parliament was the most interesting one because I made notes on the Committee meetings (as you can see – the first week of September is Committees). The members of the Parliament are divided into 20 different Committees. ‘These committees instruct legislative proposals through the adoption of reports, propose amendments to Plenary and appoint a negotiation team to conduct negotiations with the Council on EU legislation. They also adopt own-initiative reports, organise hearings with experts and scrutinise the other EU bodies and institutions.A committee consists of between 25 and 73 full members and an equivalent number of substitutes.Each committee elects a chair and up to four vice-chairs amongst its full members, forming together the ‘committee bureau’, for a two and a half year mandate. The political make- up of the committees reflects that of the plenary assembly.Parliament can also set up sub- committees and special temporary committees to deal with specific issues, and is empowered to create committees of inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions or maladministration of EU law.

At conciliation stage, a specific Conciliation Committee is set up. The parliamentary committees normally meet in Brussels, and their work is supported by a secretariat. Their debates are held in public and, in principle, webstreamed.The committee chairs coordinate the work of the committees in the Conference of Committee Chairs.’

The Committees that I had to attend were the ones where Angel Dzhambazki and Andrey Slabakov are present. Mr. Dzhambazki is a member of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), Committee on Petitions (PETI). Andrey Slabakov is member of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), Committee on Petitions (PETI). My task was to make notes on these meetings, and afterwards, to hand over a final version of the notes to the deputees. My personal opinion is that I was benefiting the most from Committee weeks, especially because on those meetings the European agenda is set and the most current and important decisions are being discussed by High Representatives and leading figures from the international political landscape. The knowledge that I obtained from these meetings was a proper continuation of my European integration and International relations studies.

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European Parliament, ‘Committees’, Retrieved from

8 | P a g e In conclusion, I will highlight the benefits of this part of the internship. I met very respected people in person like for instance, the Secretary General of NATO, the EU Vice-president for Foreign Policy, the European Commissioner on Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy and several national political leaders. It was really inspiring to hear in person how the European authorities are setting the European agenda and the priorities for the next political programme period.

Furthermore, I was a part of it and I could contribute to it by asking questions and being a part of the political debate. Whenever the speakers gave the floor for questions, I took advantage of it in order to understand the roots of their arguments. These committees helped me to establish more open-mindedness, critical thinking, communication, and social skills.

A JURI meeting in regard to the legal challenges in Artificial intelligence and a meeting of Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) helped me in conducting my analysis of the master thesis since Artificial Intelligence is the Case study that I am referring to. A speech by Margrethe Vestager (the European Vice-President for Europe fit for the Digital age and a Commissioner on Competition) held in the ITRE Committee gave me substantial knowledge on the political agenda in the context of innovation and Artificial intelligence. It was a useful tool for my research project, and moreover, it gave me insight into how the digital policy works and what are the priorities of political leaders in the context of digital competition with China and the United States. More importantly, I did not go to these meetings because I was forced to do it as my responsibility, but because I wanted to.

2.2. Written explanations on Vote

On Plenary Sessions (colored in red on the chart above) in Strasbourg, members of the Parliament

vote on Commission’s resolutions and proposals. My job was to write an explanation of Angel

Dzhambazki’s votes on all subjects that he voted with ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘abstain’. Therefore, my duty

was to do a written explanation of these votes in the context of the way he expresses his opinion

and his position. Firstly, it was difficult for me to ‘imitate’ his style because my specific language

style is different from his, however, he gave me some guidance related to common words and

phrases that he uses and the whole process became easier every time. The written explanations of

votes contributed to my knowledge and academic growth in certain aspects: I’ve learned how to

express myself accordingly on issues related to European politics; I became more familiar with the

policy areas which Mr. Dzhambazki’s votes were related to. (Western Balkans, Double standards

9 | P a g e in the EU, Foreign policy, migration and refugee issues, etc.). All of the mentioned helped me to gain more critical thinking on current issues in international politics. In order to create a better picture on how a written vote looks like, I will cite some of the explanations that I wrote myself.

EU-Gambia Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and the Implementation Protocol thereto (A9-0026/2019 - Carmen Avram)

I am voting in favor of this agreement and it will be justified. Fisheries are a broad policy in the EU and its sustainable development must be a priority for us, as I think it has been before. The EU-Gambia agreement will continue our long-standing partnership in this area. Let us not forget that it would contribute to the development of economy and trade. Fishing for European vessels in Gambia's waters will be authorized. This is also one of the reasons for promoting this agreement with a call for more future ones that would be significant for the integration of third countries, as well as for an economic leap at the supranational level.

'Erasmus': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport (A8-0111/2019 - Milan Zver)

Dear colleagues, I suppose I will repeat myself as many of you who say that Erasmus + is our most successful program and no one has disputed its existence or benefit so far. The truth is that Erasmus + launches hundreds of thousands of young people each year, but let's not forget that it benefits not only the young, it also benefits internships, experience, but also volunteers in abroad. We are now voting for the extension of the program with the idea and its budget to grow, so that it can reach more participants and with the exchange of knowledge and good practices our countries prosper, remove double standards in the European Union and enable the development of our children and grandchildren on a secure land where we keep our traditions and customs and are proud to show them to our neighbors. The aim of this program should be to enrich the participants through an exchange of practices. Let's be united in diversity! Thank you for your attention!

4

European Paliament, ‘MEPs’, ‘Angel Dzhambazki’, Retrieved from

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124873/ANGEL_DZHAMBAZKI/other-activities/written- explanations#mep-card-content Accessed on 28 January 2020

10 | P a g e Climate and environmental emergency (RC-B9-0209/2019, B9-0209/2019, B9-0211/2019, B9- 0212/2019, B9-0215/2019, B9-0216/2019, B9-0218/2019, B9-0220/2019)

I voted "abstention" as there is still work to be done. The European Union is not the only force in the fight against the environment. This resolution must also be addressed to other countries. And I don't think we can handle the critical climate alone. It should not be overlooked that much has been done so far, many goals have been met. We look forward to a clearly committed commitment from a financial point of view, so that we can move towards approval of the resolution in the most equitable way. If these conditions were not prioritized, I would not be able to give my support.

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU (B9-0038/2019, B9-0039/2019)

There is an increasingly clear prospect of Britain leaving the Union without a deal - the so-called.

"Hard Brexit" - jeopardizes everyone's interests. For Europe, this development would mean difficult imports and exports of goods to the UK. For the United Kingdom - economic uncertainty and a threat to peace in Northern Ireland. EU leaders must understand that in its current form, the Irish border decision proposed by Mr Barnier would endanger the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom and is unacceptable to our British partners. Otherwise, we will contribute not only to the risk to Europe's economic development but also to its security. In addition, we can lose the trust of one of our most important partners.

In conclusion, I would rather say that the publication of the explanations that I wrote in the official site of the European parliament built in me more self-confidence. The fact that all of the explanations I wrote were approved and published means that my colleagues have trust in my knowledge and academic skills. What is more, I could apply in practice the cognitive skills I acquired in my master studies.

2.3. Events planning

Each mandate, every member has the responsibility to organize variety of events on hot topics that

concern the political environment and European citizens’ public interest. During my stay in the

Parliament, I was a part of the planning and the whole arrangement of 4 events.

11 | P a g e Roundtable Discussion with European and National Police Syndicates (December 2019)

On 12

December 2019, Andrey Slabakov hosted a meeting in the Parliament in regard to the importance of police uniforms, equipment and training for the security of EU citizens. This event is important because all of the mentioned are needed in order for EU citizens to be protected and feel safe in their national country. On the discussion representatives from Italy, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Belgium and the Netherlands were present. My tasks were to welcome the guests, to walk them to the hosting hall. It may sound easy, however, it is not because the group was of 50 people from Europe’s political elite and I was responsible for each one of them to arrive at the meeting. Furthermore, I had to follow if everything was on schedule, to write notes, and in parallel, I was the official speaker of the event who represents each one of the people before they started the debate. The key objectives of my notes were used to be published in TV and the media.

The event was of crucial importance for EU’s public because all of the representatives of the countries involved highlighted where their security and defense policy lacks, and furthermore, what are the gaps of the structure of national police departments. Andrey Slabakov’s role was to pass national syndicates’ requirements on to the supranational level in order to come up with a reasonable solution on how to remove the obstacles and create a better working environment for police officers and employees.

30 years Anniversary since the First Manifestations in the Republic of Bulgaria (December 2019)

From 1944 until 1989, Bulgaria was a Communist country. It was under the dictatorship of Todor

Zhivkov. Whoever dared to oppose the state or the first leader’s orders, was being prosecuted by

the state. Manifestations and protests, thus, were officially banned. However, since the air

conditions in the country, and specifically in the city of Ruse, were dramatically bad back then,

many people were directly bounded to this yet nobody dared to protest against it. The bad air

quality was affecting children and old people, as well. In 1989, 5 women in the age of around 20

took the risk to come out on the streets with their babies to protest against the manufacturers in the

industrial zone of the city who were causing the problems with the air. Many of them were

prosecuted by the states but they were the ones who made Bulgarian citizens to believe that they

have the right to be free and to express themselves without boundaries. This was the moment when

the ‘Communist wall’ fell down, and subsequently, people started to protest on human rights, equal

rights, corruption and other national and political issues.

12 | P a g e These women are born in my hometown Ruse and they are really respected in my country because of everything they did and the will they had. In relation to the anniversary, an idea to invite them in the Parliament came to my mind. I cherished it with Angel Dzhambazki and he approved. I was the one who was communicating with the women and with the Chair of the Municipality Council.

They had a lecture about the whole event. The retrospection to this period of time in Bulgarian

history is crucially significant to be passed on, therefore, all of the video and written material that

they got was published in the European archive. I was really honored to host an event like this and

to be a part of such a memorable moment. These ecological protests were the start of something

big, the start of a new political reform and my responsibility was to pass this knowledge on a

supranational level in order not to be forgotten. Attached one could see a photo of me and the

women responsible for the first (ecological) protests in Bulgaria in 1989, having dinner after the

successful day in the Parliament.

13 | P a g e Challenges for Beekeeping in the EU: Long-term Solutions (December 2019)

Honeybee colonies play an essential part in the environment and in agriculture by making plant reproduction possible through pollination and with beekeepers supporting the rural economy.

Beekeeping is present in all EU member states and the EU is the second most important honey producer in the world. The guest speakers were Mariya-Gabriel – the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and the Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. My job was to welcome the guests to give them gifts (Bulgarian honey and other goods) and the schedule of the event. After this, I had to make notes because those notes were published in TV and media.

2.4.Researching in the context of current topics in European policy-making and common office work

In relation to the event of the challenges for the beekeepers, I had to make a detailed research on all kind of information in the context of beekeeping and agriculture. I had to find information about the most successful beekeepers in Europe and to make a statistical representation of the numbers of bee families in Europe, to explore how they are dealing with the environmental change and to analyse and summarize all of this data in order to be useful for the event in December 2019.

Other full-time assignment which I had to finish with until the end of my internship was summarizing all of Angel Dhambazki’s parliamentary activities in one document.

Angel Dzhambazki assigned to me to make a table with the names, political preferences, date and place of birth of all members of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.

2.5.Other tasks assigned by the assistants of the MEPs or by the MEPs themselves Western Balkans: A Rocky Road to Enlargement

The event was back to back with the EP Western Summit. The EU and the Western Balkans are

engaged to an Enlargement path since 2003. Key areas as the Rule of Law and Democratic

Governance are leading. Negotiations with Serbia and Bosna and Herzegovina are already on-

going. The meeting was about the future of the relationship between the EU and the Western

Balkans. The main issues talked about and obstructing the Enlargement process are democracy,

14 | P a g e immigration, youth, inside political problems, corruption. I was representing Mr. Dzhambazki because he is a substitute of the Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. I made notes on the speeches and I sent them to my colleagues.

The name of North Macedonia

There is an on-going dispute around the name of the country of North Macedonia. The meeting was about the Prespa agreement that changes the name of the Republic of Macedonia into Republic of North Macedonia. Angel Dzhambazki was in Washington on a business trip so I had to represent him since he is a member of the Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. I asked questions previously stated by him and I had to make notes on the whole meeting.

3. Conclusion

To conclude, my work in the Parliament was very dynamic and diverse. I’ve learned a lot in respect to my professional and academic growth. I’ve made many new friendships and long-lasting strong professional relations with my colleagues and other respectful political figures in international politics. For students who would like to seek a placement in the future with Angel Dzhambazki or Andrey Slabakov, or any other member of the European Parliament, I would rather advise him/her to do it. Furthermore, it will be more useful if students applying for an internship in the Parliament write a strong representation paper (cover letter). It is a privilege and a great honor to work in the Parliament. According to my future professional perspectives, I already have proposals from Bulgarian employers, however, I am more oriented to working in non-governmental organizations with focus on European matters. My internship in the European Parliament enriched my political and social culture. I’ve grown not only mentally but professionally as well. This placement contributed the writing of my thesis and helped me prove its main arguments and assertions. The interdisciplinary character of my master programme positively contributed to the fulfillment of my office tasks. My activities during the placement were 100% connected to the track of my studies.

Althought there were days when I stayed in the office or on events until almost midnight, I would

rather conclude that I did not have any critical problems or issues with my colleagues. The working

atmosphere in the office was calm, and moreover seeing how motivated and determined my

15 | P a g e colleagues are in achieving success, this could only make me more happier that I am a part of this team.

4. References

1. European Parliament, ‘European Parliament Calendar’, Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/european-parliament-calendar Accessed on 28 January 2020

2. European Parliament, ‘Committees’, Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/about-committees.html Accessed on 28 January 2020

3. European Paliament, ‘MEPs’, ‘Angel Dzhambazki’, Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124873/ANGEL_DZHAMBAZKI/other-

activities/written-explanations#mep-card-content Accessed on 28 January 2020

4. European Parliament, ‘Welcome to the European Parliament’, Retrieved from

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en Accessed on 27 January 2020