Forging Europe's Security: EU Council Simulation on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP)
Conference Information
The Model European Union Conference (MEUC) will take place as a simulation of the Council of the European Union in the Winter Semester 2025/2026.
Modern challenges underline the urgent need for a stronger, more resilient and more competitive European defence industry. Fragmented procurement structures, limited production capacities and dependencies on external suppliers pose significant challenges to the timely availability and supply of defence products – and ultimately to Europe’s security.
To adress these challenges, the European Commission has proposed the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP, 2024/0061 (COD)), a new framework designed to strengthen Europe’s defence industry in response to urgent security challenges. With a budget of €1.5 billion, EDIP aims to boost joint procurement, cross-border cooperation, expand production capacity, improve supply chains, and support Ukraine’s defence industry. To further cement these goals, EDIP also proposes a voluntary legal framework for establishing standardised procedures for cooperative programmes throughout the entire lifecycle of a defence product (SEAP) and a security of supply regime in the area of defence (SOS).
As negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union begin, differences become visible concerning the extent of EU and Member State control over defence design authority, supply chains, and eligibility rules. While some emphasise the need for flexibility in sourcing from non-EU allies in order to meet urgent capability requirements, others advocate for a stricter “buy European” orientation, presenting it as a path to a “sovereign Europe”. These debates ultimately reflect a broader tension between short-term expedience and long-term industrial and political consolidation within the European defence sector.
Disagreements also concern the budget size, with some MEPs pushing for a larger budget linked to the broader Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme.
In their role as representatives of the member states or an EU institution, participants of the MEUC will discuss these and other issues and try to develop a version of the regulation on which a consensus can be reached. In doing so, they will not only gain a deeper insight into the structure and legislative work of the European institutions but also improve their rhetorical and argumentative skills as well as their English proficiency.
The conference will take place on 12th and 13th December 2025. Participation includes a preparatory meeting, the conception of a position paper, as well as the final simulation at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).
The seminar is recognised as a key qualification of the Faculty of Law of HU and equals 2 BZQ-I points or 4 ECTS points.
Registration
You can register at meuc.rewi@hu-berlin.de (Isabel Aragón).
Registration is open to students of all semesters. However, in recent semesters we have had more registrations than capacity. Thus, we recommend that you include a statement of interest with your registration in case a selection process is necessary.
In addition to a statement of interest in participating, the following information is required:
- Name, first name
- Semester
- Matriculation number
- Possible previous experience (MEUC, MUN, Moot Courts, etc.)
- Role request (Member State, EU Institution, Chair)
Important Dates
- Registration deadline: 10 November 2025 (10 am)
- Preliminary meeting: 13 November 2025 (6 pm c.t.) - subject to change
- Conference date: 12 & 13 December 2025
- The conference will be held in English.
- The course is worth two BZQ-I points. For Erasmus or Master's students the course is worth four ECTS points.
Please note that if you have participated in the Council Simulation before, you will not receive BZQ-I points for your second participation. You will however receive BZQ-I points if you have only taken part in the ECJ simulation.