As part of the class “Politische Institutionen in Europa” taught by Angela Wegscheider and Ilona Negro (Institute for Politics and Social Policy, JKU), the students’ first stop was a visit to speak with the Economic and Social Committee, followed by a visit to Parliament.

JKU professor emeritus and European PM, Josef Weidenholzer, spoke with the students about cohesion within the EU and migrations and refugee policies, giving them exciting insight into the daily life of an MEP (member of European Parliament).

Afterwards, students enjoyed a presentation about the EU commission’s legal foundations and competencies. The first day in Brussels included a controversial discussion about reaching a decision regarding advocacy and lobbying.

Presentations and Lively Discussions
Students were housed in the EU main commission building Berlaymont. On the second day of the trip, students attended exclusive presentations by commission experts about energy policy, Erasmus+, the new social rights pillar, security policies, and environmental policies by looking at examples in the area of waste prevention and plastic.

The field trip was funded by the Johannes Kepler University, the Upper Austrian government, and the Economic Chamber of Austria.