Three British teenagers attended last week’s EU summit after winning a British Council essay-writing competition on the theme ‘What has the EU ever done for me?’ Below we publish their impressions of their trip
Arriving in Brussels
Richard Stockwell (13)
December 15: Today was our first day at the EU Council, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I anticipated a quiet room of bored-looking journalists with little to do, but in fact the whole building was a hive of activity. Everybody seemed to have a purpose, something they needed to do. A big red mark on the sides of their faces showed where their mobile phones had been stuck all day, and their fingertips were glued to laptops. I assumed most of them chose to turn down a career in rugby, as they barged their way to the front of the scrum of other journalists when a spokesman appeared. They used any means possible to get their Dictaphones within range; one man slid his along an overhead grating with his pencil, to gain those extra couple of inches.
We went in and out of the press centre plenty of times so we could show off our passes. The teachers seemed to enjoy this greatly, as it gave them a chance to wield some power! Today we’re off to the EU parliament, to see the heads of state arrive and have a guided tour around the famous buildings. We might even get a chance to see Monsieur Chirac!
Read Richard's prize winning essay
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