UK visitors to the European Parliament

Sometimes things do not go exactly as planned, sometimes they turn even better. There would not have been a surprise if it had not been for the old friendship of two Lithuanian schoolboys from Panevežys...

What scenario do you think of when you put the words "police officers" and "witness" together?

During 10 months of 2009 the European Parliament in Brussels was visited by almost 160, 000 people. Approximately 400 visitors come every month from the UK. Every MEP can sponsor up to 100 visitors a year.

U3A students from Suffolk have organised a group on current issues, but "we do not have a lecturer, so we talk about political, social, philosophical issues ourselves. We were pleased to find out that one of our MEPs could sponsor a visit to the European Parliament".

The YFC visitors came from different UK regions. That's why it was impossible to arrange meetings with all their local MEPs, so they decided to meet with MEP Robert Sturdy and MEP Richard Ashworth, both from the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

The spring activities of 43 youngsters belonging to a Peacemakers group from Oldham started with a visit to the European Parliament. Peacemakers are very diverse. There is no surprise therefore that such a group one day got the idea to visit the European Parliament. 

When colleagues in Brussels informed us that they were expecting members of The Rotary Club of Swansea Bay to visit the European Parliament, we thought it would be a group of men of a certain age. We were mistaken...

School trips are often seen as a good way to have fun with one's classmates. Yet sometimes the teenagers take more pleasure from the didactic part of a visit than their teachers. The two groups of London students who recently went to the European Parliament are a good illustration of this approach.

A couple of weeks ago, 24 members of the National Farmers Union travelled to Brussels to visit the European Parliament and meet officials from the European Commission. Although it was not the first time for all of them, they enjoyed the trip and most of all, the contact with MEPs.

Their interest: history and politics. Their age: 16 to 18. Their names: Julia, Lucy and Glen. Of the 35 students from Barrow Sixth Form College who went to Strasbourg last month, three came forward to comment on their visit to the European Parliament. Reactions on the spot.