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Published on Sunday, 03 March 2013 10:44

 The NSTF Mini European Assembly was launched in 1989. The main objective is:

“to complement the formal education process of post-secondary and tertiary level students through debate on relevant European institutional and current affairs and training in team-work, research, presentations, public speaking and mutual respect”

The Mini European Assembly is an educational simulation exercise, open to teams of students from post secondary and tertiary level institutions, where they discuss various issues related to European Affairs through the political perspective of the European country they represent both at Committee and Plenary Sessions.


About 60 students take part during each edition of the Assembly. Another 15 past participants are involved in the running of the project. Each Plenary session is chaired and addressed by a European personality. Presidents, Vice-presidents and Members of the European Parliament, European Commissioners, Secretary Generals and Presidents of the Council of Europe as well as Presidents and Ministers have addressed this Assembly over the past eighteen years.

Past participants guide new participants in their workings each year. Introductory, training and team building sessions are held at the NSTF premises. For each new topic every month, Committee Meetings are also held at the NSTF premises. The Plenary Sessions are held at different venues - including the House of Representatives, the Courts of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mediterranean Conference Centre, the Archbishop's Curia amongst others.

Participants are evaluated throughout the year by an adjudication panel and the winners participate in a Prize Tour to the major European Institutions in Brussels & Strasbourg organized by NSTF. The most commendable students are nominated “Ambassadors of the NSTF Mini European Assembly” and are given the opportunity, by the Foundation, to participate in similar even overseas, namely the European Youth Parliament and the Model European Parliament.

Throughout the years, the Assembly has served as an information platform for a considerable number of Maltese students to become well versed in European policies and institutions. It helps them formulate ideas for political measures about current affairs and demonstrates the range and variety of practices of intercultural dialogue. The Assembly is a means to assist the students in acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to enable them to deal with a more open and more complex society. It raises awareness to the importance of developing active European citizenship which is open to the world, respectful of cultural diversity and based on common values held in Europe. The Mini European Assembly also highlights the contribution of different cultures and expressions of cultural diversity to the enhancement of the way of life in the participating states. Many of these students go on to attain principal and influential roles within society, both locally and overseas, crediting the NSTF Mini European Assembly for preparing them for their significant work later on in life.

In December 2007, the NSTF Mini European Assembly was awarded second place in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) prize for organised Civil Society. This was a great prestige for the Foundation as it meant that its efforts to educate Maltese youth on European issues, equip them with many skills necessary in today’s world and instill in them broadminded attitudes has been recognized.

In both 2012/2013 and 2014/2015, NSTF MEA was selected as the national winner of the Charlemagne Prize.

Applications for NSTF-MEA 2016-2017 are now open and close on Friday 28th October 2016 noon.

Kindly fill in the application here. 

Kindly find the updated rules and regulations here.

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