After the 2014 European elections, the new EP is all ready to resume business and assert its post-Lisbon powers. This Parliament has high stakes for the next 5 years, among which EU trade agreements with key partners, energy, climate change, economic governance and the way out of the crisis. VoteWatch Europe can help you better understand the meaning of the new balance of power in the EP before the EP votes on issues that affect your sector.To this purpose, we are organising a training session on Friday 7 November 2014 (half a day, from 12:00 to 15:30). We use an interactive approach to show how the EU works, what’s the role of the EP in EU policy-making, how the current EP composition affects main EU policies and how can you use VoteWatch data in your advocacy strategy.The indicative programme includes:The 2014 European elections and its implications for EU policy-making, with Prof. Simon HixMapping the new EP: voting records of MEPs, relation between national parties and EP political groups, majority trends by policy areas, etc.Mapping the Council of Ministers: voting trends, relation between Council and EP votes, etc.How to use VoteWatch in your daily work and through social mediaPractical exercisesOur team will provide an insight into the voting data from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers that VoteWatch makes available on its website. They will also explain what each type of data means, how it is collected and how it should be interpreted. They will give concrete examples on how this data can be used to bring added value to the work of the participants.At the end of this training you will be able to:Gain in-depth knowledge about voting behaviour in the EP and the CouncilDiscover how to find the right political supporters for your campaignsUse VoteWatch as a useful information tool for your daily workEach participant will receive a certification of taking part in the course.The fee for taking part in this training is 200 euros (excl. VAT). Journalists, NGOs and EU institutions’ staff benefit from a 50% discount. The fee includes course materials, water and coffee, a sandwich lunch and Wi-Fi access. Participants should bring their own laptop/tablet to make the most out of this training.Deadline for registrations is 10 October 2014, but in order to ensure the participants an optimum experience, the number of seats is limited.