Role Play - Trade and the Single Market
Role-play activity: Trade and the Single market
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
- Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
- Maria Hughes, MEP
- Frank Townley, Businessman
- Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that, overall, the Single market is a good thing for the UK?
Your character is:
Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
You run a small business making wooden toys in the UK but you sell your products to countries across the EU. You think the Single market is a good thing for the UK because you can see the benefits it has brought to your business. There are fewer forms to fill in when you want to sell your products in EU countries and this means fewer delays for lorries – so your products can get to your customers faster. It also means that you don’t have to pay customs tax when you sell your products in the EU and this helps you keep your prices down and stay competitive. You’ve just been able to employ 10 more workers for your company and you think it’s because the Single market allows you to sell to a bigger market, quickly, reliably and competitively.
Role-play activity: Trade and the Single market
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
- Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
- Maria Hughes, MEP
- Frank Townley, Businessman
- Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that, overall, the Single market is a good thing for the UK?
Your character is:
Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
You are in favour of the Single market for several reasons. It means that you have a bigger choice of products to buy in the shops and you’ve heard that the Single market helps keep prices low. You are also interested in working abroad and the Single market means you can study or work in any EU country. You can’t understand why people are complaining about it, you think they just don’t like change.
Role-play activity: Trade and the Single market
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
- Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
- Maria Hughes, MEP
- Frank Townley, Businessman
- Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that, overall, the Single market is a good thing for the UK?
Your character is:
Maria Hughes, MEP
The Single market has made the European Union the biggest trading block in the world. This means that businesses can trade with each other without a lot of form filling or taxes. You believe it benefits consumers within the EU because the increased competition between companies in member states helps keep prices low. You know that all products made in the EU must meet high standards of safety and quality so consumers can feel confident and secure about buying EU products. You believe that it is better for countries that are neighbours to work together to improve the lives of their citizens – and the Single market does this.
Role-play activity: Trade and the Single market
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
- Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
- Maria Hughes, MEP
- Frank Townley, Businessman
- Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that, overall, the Single market is a good thing for the UK?
Your character is:
Frank Townley, Businessman
You think the Single market is a bad idea. You buy materials from the USA which you need to manufacture your products and you have to pay customs tax on these materials. You don’t think it’s fair that your competitors who buy their materials from EU countries don’t have to pay this tax. In addition to this, you have to pay your workers the minimum wage, which is a lot more than workers get paid in many other EU countries. This means your competitors are able to charge a lot less for their products and you are losing customers. If things don’t improve you may have to cut jobs in your company and make some people redundant.
Role-play activity: Trade and the Single market
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Tricia Bryce, Businesswoman
- Charlie Dixon, EU Citizen
- Maria Hughes, MEP
- Frank Townley, Businessman
- Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that, overall, the Single market is a good thing for the UK?
Your character is:
Joyce Raffington, EU citizen
You work in a small company that makes designer clothes. You love your job but you are under pressure to work longer hours and to work faster. You believe that this is because of the Single market, which allows businesses to employ workers from other EU countries. Many of these workers are used to lower wages in their own countries so they are prepared to work for the minimum wage. Your pay hasn’t gone up in the last three years because of this. You employer says she might have to move production to another EU country or close the company altogether, which means you would lose your job.
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Role-play activity: Consumer Protection - Toy Safety
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
- John Sutton, Market stall trader
- Grace Evans, MEP
- Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
- Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that all toys sold should have the CE safety mark?
Your character is:
Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
You are very pleased that the European Parliament passed the Toy Safety law as you believe it protects children across the UK against injury from dangerous toys. You have seen some very dangerous toys being sold in cheap shops or from market stalls. These include dolls that claim to be suitable for small children with parts that young children could choke on if they put them in their mouths and toy cars with sharp edges that could give a deep cut. This law, which requires toy manufacturers to have their toys properly tested for safety, means that children get fewer injuries like these. Part of your job at the Trading Standards Institute is to make sure that people selling toys don’t break the law.
Role-play activity: Consumer Protection - Toy Safety
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
- John Sutton, Market stall trader
- Grace Evans, MEP
- Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
- Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that all toys sold should have the CE safety mark?
Your character is:
John Sutton, Market stall trader
You have been selling toys on your market stall for 25 years. You sometimes sell toys without the CE mark on them because they are cheaper and anyway just because they don’t have the CE mark doesn’t mean they are dangerous. Of course you wouldn’t want to sell toys that would injure children but you think that the CE mark puts money into the hands of the toy safety testers; it’s just another level of bureaucracy. You don’t understand why the European Parliament has to interfere with what you choose to sell to UK consumers. Parents are sensible enough to be able to judge whether a toy is suitable for their own child.
Role-play activity: Consumer Protection - Toy Safety
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
- John Sutton, Market stall trader
- Grace Evans, MEP
- Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
- Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that all toys sold should have the CE safety mark?
Your character is:
Grace Evans, MEP
You believe that the Toy Safety Law is an important piece of legislation. The CE mark lets consumers know that a toy has been safety tested; toys that do not have the mark are breaking the law. Consumers need to be protected from fraudulent or dangerous manufacturers and the CE mark does this. You think it is an important task of the European Parliament to set standards of safety and consumer protection. You know that there are still some toys in shops without the mark and you would advise people not to buy them.
Role-play activity: Consumer Protection - Toy Safety
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
- John Sutton, Market stall trader
- Grace Evans, MEP
- Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
- Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that all toys sold should have the CE safety mark?
Your character is:
Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
You agree that toys should be safe and not injure children but you also like to get a bargain from the market. Last Christmas you bought some toys from your local market; they were much cheaper than the big toy shops and when you’ve got four children the price is really important. You didn’t check for the CE mark like most people don’t. All the toys you bought have been fine. You think that like most things the consumer ends up paying extra for the rules and regulations. You believe that you can judge yourself whether something is suitable and safe for your children. Anyway what about old toys? Your children play with toys that were given to them by their grandparents - are the trading standards people going to come round and confiscate them because they don’t have the CE mark on them?
Role-play activity: Consumer Protection - Toy Safety
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Anita Patel, Trading Standards Institute
- John Sutton, Market stall trader
- Grace Evans, MEP
- Charlie Stewart, Father of four children/toy buyer
- Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that all toys sold should have the CE safety mark?
Your character is:
Richard Bonfonti, Toy shop manager
The CE safety mark means that you don’t have to worry about the safety of the toys you sell. You feel that it protects you as the seller as well as protecting the consumer because of the thorough testing the toys go through. You do think that it has generally made the price of toys go up, but surely parents would think it is a price worth paying. You do acknowledge however that it is an impossible task to prevent all toys without a CE mark being sold; they will find their way onto the market somehow. This means that you face unfair competition from Market stall traders who aren’t as careful about sourcing toys with the CE mark and sell them cheaper than you can. You also wonder if the CE mark makes consumers complacent – they expect toys to be safe these days and therefore they don’t bother checking whether they carry the mark or not.
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Role-play activity: Animal Welfare - Testing cosmetics on animals
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Antonia Bryce, Neal’s Yard Remedies representative
- Lydia Robinson, Public Relations Officer, Sacherelle Cosmetics
- Chris Stanley, MEP
- Simon Edwards, Animal rights activist
- Lizzie Drake, Teenage cosmetics buyer.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that testing cosmetics on animals should have been banned?
Your character is:
Antonia Bryce, Neal’s Yard Remedies representative
You are delighted that the European Parliament has passed this law as you think it is unnecessary to test cosmetics on animals. All of Neal’s YardRemedies have been tested and are safe for humans without involving cruelty to animals and your products don’t cost any more than comparable brands.
Role-play activity: Animal Welfare - Testing cosmetics on animals
This is your chance to discuss some of the issues that the European Parliament makes decisions about. The characters involved in your role-play are:
- Antonia Bryce, Neal’s Yard Remedies representative
- Lydia Robinson, Public Relations Officer, Sacherelle Cosmetics
- Chris Stanley, MEP
- Simon Edwards, Animal rights activist
- Lizzie Drake, Teenage cosmetics buyer.
These characters are fictional (this means they are not real people) but there are people like them who have similar opinions.
Your discussion question is:
Do you agree that testing cosmetics on animals should have been banned?
Your character is:
Lydia Robinson, Public Relations Officer, Sacherelle Cosmetics
You and your colleagues at Sacherelle Cosmetics believe that testing cosmetics on animals is the safest way to make sure that products are suitable for humans. With the banning of testing on animals, your cosmetics have become more expensive for consumers as your company has had to find new ways to test products. As a result, Sacherelle Cosmetics are now considering moving its factory to a country outside the EU, if it meant that you can continue to test products on animals. You don’t think the European Parliament should interfere in this matter.