From 6 to 10 February 2017, the students of the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies programme at the College of Europe in Bruges will embark upon tense negotiations to find a response to a crisis unfolding not far from the EU’s external borders. Whether in a hushed conversation in the corridor, over a cup of coffee or a meal, the delegates will negotiate hard to agree on complex legal and political texts and pave the way for a common response to the crisis. Throughout the negotiations, the Ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee in Brussels will have to coordinate with their Foreign Ministers in the capitals, who will have to respond to the outcome of the Council negotiations in front of their constituencies. Meanwhile, a team of high-level EU officials and their expert teams will be working tirelessly to draft potential EU positions, chair meetings and provide expert advice to the member states in the face of an escalating crisis and contrasting national interests.