Brussels, 21 February 2025. Six Spanish university students, selected by Crue Universidades Españolas, participated on 20 and 21 February in ConSIMium, a simulation exercise organised by the Council of the European Union. This event, held in Brussels, brings together 27 student teams from EU Member States, allowing them to experience firsthand the negotiation process of European leaders and the decision-making procedures in Europe.
ConSIMium serves as an intensive crash course on EU policymaking and legislative processes. Throughout the simulation, the European Commission and the Council Presidency played their real institutional roles, ensuring an experience that accurately reflects actual EU procedures.
The Spanish students who participated in this edition were Paula Picallo Gestal (Universidade da Coruña), Elena Rodríguez-Manzaneque Carbonell (Universitat de València), Ángela Hernández Pozo (Universidad de Salamanca), Estrella Ornelas Quezada (Universidad San Pablo CEU), Lorenzo Bersellini (Universitat Ramon Llull), and Víctor López Ruiz (Universidad Pablo de Olavide). The Spanish team was coordinated by Rosa María de la Fuente Fernández, member of Crue-Asuntos Estudiantiles and Vice-Rector for Students at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, who, in addition to providing guidance and preparation, accompanied the team throughout the two intensive days of work in Brussels.
The third edition of ConSIMium brought together a total of 189 students from the 27 EU Member States. Each team, composed of six students and a national coordinator, participated in a series of five meetings that replicated the EU decision-making process, including the European Council, specialised working groups, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), and a ministerial session. Additionally, the Spanish delegation will meet this afternoon, at the end of the second day, with members of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU (REPER).
In this year’s edition, participants debated the EU defence industry, joint procurement, and critical raw materials. As in real-life negotiations, delegations attended preparatory meetings with national experts and permanent representatives ahead of the ministerial session, in which they aimed to reach agreements among Member States.
ConSIMium represents a unique opportunity for university students to gain practical insight into the workings of the Council of the EU and the complexities of European negotiations, fostering learning and engagement with EU policymaking.
