From 9-13 February 2015, the students of the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies programme at the College of Europe, Bruges campus, embarked upon tense negotiations to find a response to a crisis unfolding not far from the EU’s neighbourhood.
Whether in a hushed conversation in the corridor, over a cup of coffee or a meal, the delegates worked hard to agree on complex legal and political texts and paved the way for a common response to the crisis. With consensus emerging for a substantial EU role, the evolving crisis and ambiguous positions of third actors wrought new twists. Throughout the negotiations, the Ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee in Brussels had to coordinate with their Foreign Ministers in the capitals, who would have to defend the outcome of the Council negotiations before voters at home. Meanwhile, a team of high-level EU officials and their expert teams worked tirelessly to draft potential EU positions, chair meetings and provide expert advice to the member states in the face of an escalating crisis and antagonistic national interests.