• 1) Wear your name badges all the time, including the two dinners.
• 2) Parliament
• A) The EP must choose a president (the first order of business when the EP meets in a Plenary Session). The oldest member of the parliament presides during the election. The committees must also choose chairs and probably, vice-chairs. Party groupings should discuss possible candidates. Party group heads will also have to be chosen. Committee rapporteurs (kind of like secretary, helps keep order, experts on the field, etc.) are appointed by the committee chairs. Think about a leadership role.
• B) Usually, rules of procedure are meant to facilitate discussion, attain some goal, and not to obstruct the flow of business like the U.S. Congress. Yes, some party groups/individuals may seek to "slow down" some of the business. But this is done through amending, etc.
• C) Quorum is 1/3 of current members.
• D) Rules are not "Roberts Rules of Order"; Additional rules will be determined by the committees and the Plenary session.
• E) You may seek to offer amendments to the existing legislation or you may merely alter words, parts of sentences, etc. (the "text"). Simple majority wins.
• 3) Council
• A) All council meetings are chaired by the Finns (currently the rotating president of the EU). Another minister should be designated as secretary.
• B) The start of the session begins with opening statements by all ministers (no more than five minutes). Tour de Table as it is known.
• C) Council sessions are conducted in an atmosphere that is not ruled by rigid adherence to formal procedures, but a more relaxed, conversational forum.
• D) There are some time limits as well (usually around two minutes).
• E) Voting – Vote on initiative of the President or any Council Minister. There are three procedures for voting: Simple majority (8 of 14 – and used for most procedural issues); Unanimity (required in most "sensitive areas of national interest" and when dealing with the EP); Qualified majority (weighted voting based on a system requiring 56 votes) – France 10; Italy 10; Germany 10; UK 10; Greece 5; Netherlands, 5; Portugal 5; Spain 8; Austria, 4; Sweden, 4; Finland, 3; Denmark, 3; Ireland, 3; Lux. 2; Qualified voting used on many issues.
• 4) Conciliation Committee – When the EP and Council come together toward the end of the simulation. The primary, overriding goal is to pass something. Compromises are usually found.

* Council and Parliament come together to negotiate a compromise in a conciliation committee (composed of equal numbers of reps from each institution). If they can agree, the instrument is adopted by a joint decision of the parliament. If there is no negotiated compromise, Council reviews document and can pass (with possible EP amendments) with qualified majority. The EP can then reject, with absolute majority, the Council's position. In this case, the resolution is dead.