Leuven 2018 - Academic Preparation Booklet by Aleksa Antić

Overview Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) .................................................................................................................3 Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) ............................................................................8 Committee on Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ................................................... 13 Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE I) ................................................................................ 18 Committee on Industry, Research and Industry II (ITRE II) .......................................................................... 23 Committee on Regional Development (REGI) ............................................................................................... 28

Greetings from the President Dear delegates, It is my utmost pleasure to welcome you to Leuven 2018 - Regional Conference of EYP Belgium! I am so happy that you have joined us on this adventure, and I can assure you that the whole official’s team has been working as hard as possible to assure that you have a good time during these three days! Here in front of you lies the Academic Preparation Kit. My team and I have been working very hard over the past month to put together this booklet with care, and also assure that the academic output makes it easier for you to grasp the topics you will be discussing in Leuven. Academic preparation is one of the key things you need to do before this session, and we hope that this booklet will also give you a right direction for your further research. The more you understand the topic, the more fun and contribution you can have during the session, so start digging. Whether this is your first or fifth session, I hope that you will have fun during Leuven, but also learn, develop, and meet new people who will change your perspective of the world. After all, isn't that the reason why we are gathering in Leuven? So, get ready, because the session is right around the corner! With a big, welcoming embrace and masses of excitement, On behalf of the Chair’s team,

Aleksa Antić President of the Session

Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) Breaking the ice: Given that increasing global temperatures have eased the exploitation of resources in the Arctic Region, how could the EU work together with the other countries in the region in order to promote fair exploitation of natural resources, while preserving biodiversity and the ecosystem? By Karolina KuĹşniar (PL)

1. Topic video https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlYXuxAZQ8BH0OxNulUOpf57I-4UaO4ZW

2. Key Terms

Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety of living organisms found in any given area. The term refers to the variability in and the number of terrestrial and marine species living in the region, including microorganism, plants, animals and ecosystems. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in a physical environment. They can be located on land or underwater, can be of different sizes, and are not limited by any boundaries. The Arctic is the area around the north pole. More precisely, the region inside or near to the Arctic Circle, consisting of the ice cover, the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. The region has no official borders and does not belong to any country. The Arctic States are the countries that have their territories near to the Arctic. The countries that are recognised as Arctic States are Canada, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA (Alaska). Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone that extends no more than 200 nautical miles out from a country's own coastlines, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The area which falls under the EEZ of a state gives them full rights to explore and exploit the resources in it and alongside their continental shelf.

3. Relevance of the topic

As a consequence of accelerating climate change, increasing temperatures have caused the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers. The process made the ever so impassable resources hidden under the hard ice cover in the Arctic region gradually more and more accessible. The most recent research1 shows that the Arctic contains 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30% of its undiscovered natural gas. Bearing in mind the fast growth of the world’s population, it has to be noted that the demand for mineral resources will increase proportionally. That said, the Arctic region is a huge and untapped source of mineral resources. Hasty exploitation of the region could not only cause catastrophic outcomes for the local biosphere, but also significantly affect the petroleum market. The Arctic, over and above the great resource potential it shelters, is playing an increasingly important role in a global environmental context. As the Arctic sea ice declines, the conditions of numerous, already vulnerable species are becoming even more challenging. Apart from existing stresses on local biodiversity, such as the development of tourism, economic developments, climate change, and wildlife trafficking, the exploitation of Arctic’s resources will be an additional burden. Apart from existing measures, the Arctic is lacking a multilateral binding body that will govern the region and provide supervision over the sustainable management of local resources and ensure international co-operation on protecting fragile Arctic biodiversity.

4. Key Conflicts

Most of the world sees the melting of a frozen Ocean as a disaster, but for Arctic States, this brings an opportunity - access to valuable resources, and as a result, gaining power. The issue of the Arctic region is notably complex. Currently, the official borders that are placed upon the region are the default maritime borders of the Exclusive Economic Zones. The rest of the water area that doesn’t fall within EEZs can be demanded as property of a country that can prove it belongs to them, on the grounds of the area being part of the country’s continental shelf. The region is of major strategic and economic importance and has been a catalyst for a global race to exploit Arctic resources. The

Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3049/fs2008-3049.pdf

claims on the region are evaluated by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. However, the issue can be only solved only by the negotiations between the countries. Most of the claims overlap2 significantly and the countries are not willing to fairly share their claimed continental shelves. Although some attempts have been made, diplomatic discussions have not prevented nations from protecting their interests in the region. Some of the States have begun to undertake serious actions, such as establishing military bases3 in the region, which may be a forecast of an increased conflict potential in the region.

5. Measures in place

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea4 (UNCLOS) regulates the use of the sea and their resources and provides a framework for settling territorial issues. One of the main rules that has a major influence on the Arctic region is sovereign rights in the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area of EEZ. One of three main goals established by United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992, is the conservation of biodiversity. For a significant amount of time, there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any special focus on the region, since the update of the Convention in 2011, there is a list of recommendations regarding specifically the Arctic. Organisations such as EU and WWF argue that there is a need for an Arctic treaty concerning the region of the Far North, similar to the Antarctic treaty. Despite already existing UNCLOS, some parties claim that there is a need for an international agreement regarding exclusively the Arctic, as the majority of Arctic States disagree with the claim, since further legislations would limit their opportunities.

6. Key Actors

The Arctic Council (AC) is an intergovernmental forum consisting of Arctic States and Permanent Participants representing the indigenous peoples. The AC creates guidelines and recommendations based on scientific inquiries and assessments, but it has no regulatory power. The AC has launched The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) - a group that works on conserving Arctic biodiversity. It provides a mechanism to develop common responses to issues of importance for the Arctic ecosystem such as the industrial development, economic pressures, and conservation opportunities.

IBRU: Centre for Borders Research, (2015), Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic region

Mortimer C., (2017), Russia is building up its Arctic military presence and Nato should be worried, says new report, The Independent 4 UNCLOS

The United Nations (UN) is an international organisation, currently made up of 193 Member States. The UN is responsible for introducing treaties, such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and they have an objective to achieve by 2030, called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which covers both the issue of biodiversity loss, as well as combating climate change. One of the bilateral agreements with EU and the Arctic States is The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC). BEAC is a platform for international cooperation on the matters concerning the Barents region, an essential part of the Arctic. Its main objectives are cross-border cooperation and defusion of environmental threats. Similar to the Arctic Council, BEAC does not have any decision-making powers, and therefore is incapable of settling disputes. Even though it doesn’t have actual jurisdictive power over the region by the UNCLOS, the European Union’s activities and policies can significantly affect the Arctic Region. The EU has launched a project called the Arctic Climate Change Economy and Society (ACCES), which has as its main objective to assess climatic change impacts on marine transportation, fisheries, marine mammals and the extraction of oil and natural gas in the Arctic Ocean. Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have a significant role in tackling this issue: - The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) that launched the WWF Arctic Programme, designed specifically for the Arctic. Having their offices in almost every Arctic State, they work on circumpolar issues like governance, oil and gas and climate change; - Greenpeace leads numerous actions to preserve the Arctic’s biodiversity, such as Save the Arctic, with its main objectives being the protection of Arctic wildlife as well as indigenous communities, and ceasing oil drilling in the region.

7. What’s next?

Although existing measures to preserve the biodiversity of the Arctic region, many Arctic species are forecasted to become extinct in the near future. The global race to exploit the resources of the region will probably only accelerate this process. Not to mention the political unrest linked to the disputes over the resources, which may be a serious international threat. Hence the situation is in urgent need of an intervention, that would not only protect fragile ecosystem, but also prevent from global conflicts to emerge. Key questions: 1. What actions should EU undertake to further ensure the conservation of biodiversity in the Arctic? 2. What would be the balance between exploitation of resources and protection of the ecosystem in the Arctic and how could the EU provide it? 3. How could the EU prevent the emergence of potential global conflict over the resources in the Arctic?

Links for further research: Academic: The EU website on external affairs including the sustainable development in the Arctic https://eeas.europa.eu/arctic-policy/eu-arctic-policy/20952/sustainable-development-arctic_en A website containing supplementary information on the topic https://www.cfr.org/interactives/emerging-arctic?cid=otr_marketing_usearctic_Infoguide%2523!#!/emerging-arctic?cid=otr_marketing_use-arctic_Infoguide%2523! One of CAFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiatives that focuses on the promotion of conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity https://arcticbiodiversity.is/congress Media: An article providing some general view on the topic, yet particularly informative https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jul/04/natural-resources-arctic-q-and-a An article elaborating on one of the key conflicts - the global race to exploit the Arctic region https://www.businessinsider.com/the-competition-for-arctic-resources-2014-6?IR=T A short, yet informational forecast of the future of the Arctic region https://carnegietsinghua.org/2013/06/09/what-future-for-arctic-pub-52137 The view on the changes of Arctic region throughout the decades, and further view on the EEZs and claims of Arctic States https://www.vox.com/a/borders/the-arctic

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) Harvesting a better Europe: With recent reforms aiming to make agriculture in the EU more competitive and sustainable, how should the EU support farmers in the light of increasing global competition? By Daniela Matias (CH)

1. Topic video

“Is EUROPE ending PROTECTIONISM in AGRICULTURE? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcE8VMe7r8Y (Note that the video has a fairly libertarian point of view)

VisualPolitik

EN”:

“Too much milk in Europe | DW Documentary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KPWLSVn0ko Watch until 14:07 and from 23:02 on.

2. Key Terms

Agricultural subsidies are financial aid provided by governments to farmers in order to stabilise food prices, ensure food production and make sure that farmers receive a basic income5. Free trade is an economical policy which enables imports and exports from foreign countries without further costs. This means that tariffs, quotas, or prohibitions are not applied on the goods that are traded6. Trade protectionism is the opposite of free trade: it describes government policies which restrict international trade by implementing tariff imports and quotas. One of the aims of this policies is to protect the country from international competition7. Sustainability is the idea that goods should be produced in a way that does not damage the environment and that uses only renewable resources with the aim of being able to produce such goods for an undetermined period of time8. Economic competitivity is the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country9. 5

USLegal, Agriculture Subsidies Law and Legal Definition, Webpage

Investopedia, Free Trade, Webpage

Investopedia, Protectionism Definition, Webpage

Cambridge Dictionary, sustainability Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Webpage

World Economic Forum, What exactly is economic competitiveness?, Webpage

3. Relevance of the topic

Defending and supporting farmers has been a concern of the European Union for as long as it has existed. When the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was implemented in 1962, providing access to high-quality food to all Europeans was one of the political biggest concerns. Thus, farmers became pillars of the European economy and society. Still nowadays, 7% of the European territory belongs to farmland and agriculture is the sector of the EU its budget is the more dedicated to. Indeed, the CAP cost €58,82 billion in 2018 or about a third of the EU budget10. If the EU grants so much money to agriculture is, among other reasons, to make sure that farmers are paid reasonable prices for the food they produce. Due to its subsidies, the CAP became a safety net for farmers who have to face many challenges related to modern farming such as being at the mercy of market demand on which they have to base their production, weather conditions and other commodity changes that affect fluctuating market prices. If it wasn’t for CAP subsidies, many farmers would be producing at a loss. On top of this, farmers have to adapt their production to a changing climate and environment, and a smaller accessibility to natural resources. Because of this, the CAP has been reformed in order to address this concerns and become more sustainable.

4. Key Conflicts

The CAP has undergone many reforms through the years. One of the biggest reforms concerns subsidy cuts. Indeed, the subsidies went from representing 73% of the EU budget in 1985 to 41% in 201611. Furthermore, current events such as Brexit - which means the loss of EU’s third biggest contributor to the CAP budget and which will leave a €12 billion hole in the EU budget12 - and the prioritisation of other sectors are forcing a reconsideration of EU’s spending to the detriment of the agricultural sector. Indeed, subsidies will endure a further 5% cut from 2020 on13 : CAP subsidies will then represent less than 30% of the total EU budget14. These subsidy cuts do not please farmers who lately suffered drops in revenues and whose income depends on subsidies. Indeed, France’s Agriculture and Food Minister says that “it poses an unprecedented risk to farms’ viability by seriously impacting farmers’ incomes”15. Although, others argue that CAP subsidies are not sufficiently justified by social benefits to the european society. 16 Besides, these subsidies are unevenly shared: 80% of CAP subsidies are granted to only 20% of european farmers17. This is due to the fact that direct payments are granted in relation to land area. This means that big farmers and 10

European Commission, The common agricultural policy at a glance, Webpage

European Commission, (2018), CAP expenditure in the total EU expenditure, pdf

Simon Marks, (2017), Commission looks to sacrifice agriculture to plug Brexit budget hole, POLITICO

European Commission, Future of the common agricultural policy, Webpage

Sybille de la Hamaide, (2018), EU proposes to cut farm subsidies, France says unacceptable, Reuters

Tejvan Pettinger, (2018), Farming subsidies in the UK, Economics Help.

Patrick Barkham, (2018), EU in ‘state of denial’ over destructive impact on farming on wildlife, The Guardian

agribusinesses are favoured : they receive more and can thus invest more in efficient food production whereas small and less intensive farmers - usually, family-run farms - receive less. This, unfortunately, puts them out of business. This practice is deplored by environmentalist groups. Indeed, small farmers are considered more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, studies conducted by such environmentalist groups have, shown that the CAP is hurting the environment through destructive farming practices18, even though the EU claims otherwise19. Indeed, the numbers and varieties of birds and insects are dangerously declining. This has been attributed to higher subsidies granted to big farmers instead of small farmers and inefficient environmental measures. Furthermore, only a small portion of the CAP subsidies support green measures while basic payment rules hurt the environment and cash granted for environmental friendly farming may be cut in the next CAP reform.

5. Measures in place

Trade agreements and promotion of EU farm products : Recently, The EU decided to improve its free trade agreements and open the doors to further international competition. Indeed, the EU signed new bilateral trade agreements with Canada, Mexico and Japan. These new agreements have had a pretty good impact on the European agricultural sector: they have increased EU imports, have given consumers access to products at lower prices, have boosted agricultural exports and have supported jobs in the agri-food sector. Besides, the EU has launched a promoting policy named “Enjoy! It’s from Europe” which advertises for european farm products within Europe and abroad. This has been put into place with the aim of helping producers to sell their products in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace: the campaigns’ objective is to open up multiple market opportunities for farmers and supporting already existing businesses. For this, the EU has made available €179 million in 2018 for promotion and has made non-EU countries with a high potential of growth the main targets of the campaigns.

Patrick Barkham, (2018), EU in ‘state of denial’ over destructive impact on farming on wildlife, The Guardian

European Commission, Integrating environmental concerns into the CAP, Webpage

CAP : This policy is described as “a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers”. The aim of the policy is to ensure that Europeans are provided with high-quality food by guaranteeing a good agricultural productivity and by ensuring that farmers have a fair standard of living. This is done through a system of direct payments granted to farmers under certains conditions and rules. Extra payments are granted to farmers under the age of 40 and to farmers whose practices are beneficial for the climate and the environment. Last June, The European Commission presented new legislative proposals on the CAP which will be implemented from 2020 on. This reform was incentivised by Brexit and the shift of EU’s priorities and its aim is to adapt the CAP to present and future challenges. The legislative proposal consists of 9 objectives that will continue to ensure access to good-quality food and support farmers20. The reform also states a fairer redistribution of subsidies between small farms and big farms which should be implemented by Member States themselves.21

6. Key Actors

Farmers are the biggest key actors of our topic. Indeed, they are the pillars of the agricultural sector. Thus, everything that affects negatively the sector will also negatively affect them and vice versa. COPA-COGEGA (farm lobby) advocates for farmers’ interests. They have a lot of influence over the EU decisions concerning agricultural policies: a COPA’s committee and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development regularly meet to discuss the CAP’s development and other matters related to farmers. The European Commission is responsible for EU strategy by proposing new legislation - that is new laws and policies -, monitoring its implementation and managing the EU budget22. The Commission is an important actor for it is responsible for implementation of the CAP and its reforms, and the budget which is dedicated to the agricultural sector. This means that the Commission has a total control over the policies which constitute the CAP.

European Commission, Future of the common agricultural policy, Webpage

Peter Teffer, (2018), Hogan’s carrot: reform to soften CAP cuts, euobserver

European Commission, What the European Commission does, Webpage

Member States are also important actors to our topic, because they are the ones who fund the CAP subsidies. Furthermore, they are also responsible for applying CAP measures in their countries.

NGOs are organisations which address social or political issues without being controlled by the government. These are important actors concerning the topic because one of the aims of the CAP is to ensure sustainable food production and to protect the environment: environmentalist NGO’s conduct researches on the environmental impacts of the CAP and point out which measures need to be rectified in order to make the policy greener and more sustainable.

7. What’s next?

The time has now come to think about innovative ways of supporting EU farmers while keeping in mind everything that has been considered through this Topic Overview. For instance, the first topic video suggests that the EU should open its market and to further conclude trade agreements: would this been an efficient way of increasing competitiveness and would this be beneficial to EU farmers? Concerning the CAP and its direct payments: are farm subsidies essential to effectively support farmers and ensure that they gain enough? What are the shortcomings of the CAP and how can they be resolved? Here are some links for further research : “How to fix Europen farming”: https://www.politico.eu/article/symposium-how-to-fix-european-farming-experts-insidersagriculture-cap/ “Future of the common agricultural policy”: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/futurecap_en “What Italy wants from EU agriculture”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyDZtQNWFMk “Farmer’s suicides: the rising human cost of the EU’s agriculture - reporter”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBwvda9FkE

Committee on Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) The economics of sustainability: Considering the Digital Single Marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth potential, how can the EU ensure this growth does not jeopardise its environmental policy and nurtures a digital generation of green businesses? By Mireia Marquillas Sans (ES)

1. Topic video

Why the single digital market is important, European Commission https://europa.eu/!xb46tX

2. Key Terms

Digital Single Market is a policy belonging to the European Single Market that covers digital marketing, E-commerce and telecommunications.23 Its aim is to tear down regulatory walls and finally move from 28 national markets to a single one. It is composed of three pillars: access for consumers and businesses to digital goods and services across Europe, right conditions for digital networks and innovative services to flourish and maximising the growth potential of the digital economy. Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and their websites to connect with current and prospective customers.24 Cross border e-commerce also known as international online trade, it is the system which involves the sale or purchase of products via online shops across national borders. Therefore, the buyer and the seller may not necessarily be located in the same country, not be ruled by the same jurisdiction, use different currencies and speak different languages. Sustainable growth is the satisfaction of the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.25 Being emerged as the guiding principle for long-term global development, the implementation of the Digital Single Market can not be understood without respect for sustainable development.

The EU and the Digital Single Market, European Comission: http://publications.europa.eu/webpub/com/factsheets/digital/en/ 24 What is digital marketing?, Hubspot Blog: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-digital-marketing 25

Sustainable development, International https://www.iisd.org/topic/sustainable-development

Institute

for

Sustainable

Development:

Green investments are investment activities that focus on companies or projects that are committed to the conservation of natural resources, the production and discovery of alternative energy sources, the implementation of clean air and water projects, and/or other environmentally conscious business 26 practices.

3. Relevance of the topic

We live in a digital Europe that is constantly evolving and where 433 million citizens use the Internet every day27. New technologies are transforming our world; but up until now, EU citizens and businesses have often faced barriers when using online tools and services. The Digital Single Market opens new opportunities, as it removes key differences between online and offline worlds, breaking down the barriers to cross-border online activity. Unfortunately, our globalised world is dealing with serious issues that have become a threat. It is accepted that one of the most serious issues that the world has to deal with is climate change, which not only affects our environment, but also the economy and human health. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, the environment is already considered the major factor in 20% of all deaths in Europe.28 Thereupon, as the concept of sustainability is becoming more relevant every day, the Digital Single Market should follow a sustainable growth in order to help building a unified Europe that respects the environment using more renewable energies, promoting efficient transport and reducing excessive consumption. In conclusion, it is a big challenge to combine a globalised EU that aspires to benefit from digital tools to build a competitive environment with measures and rules that control that the new Digital Single Market is guaranteeing a sustainable growth without supposing a threat to the environment.

4. Key Conflicts

It is estimated that completing a Digital Single Market, where online transactions and activities are exercised freely and fairly across the EU, could generate up to â&#x201A;Ź415 billion a year to the EU economy29, and is expected to enhance competition and choice, benefiting both producers and consumers. Nevertheless, this could be negative for the environment unless institutions and

Green investments, Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/green-investing.asp

Internet World Stats: https://www.internetworldstats.com , June 2017

Environment and Health (WHO/Europe): http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-andhealth/pages/environment-and-health 29 Digital Single Market (European Commission): https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-single-market

enterprises are aware of what are the possible direct and indirect threats to sustainability in the Digital Single Market. Every internet activity involves huge amounts of data that need to be stored somewhere. This would not be a problem if these facilities did not consume enormous amounts of energy, which will treble in the next decade, putting an enormous strain on energy supplies30 and dealing a hefty blow to efforts to contain global warming. It is broadly believed that environmentally friendly policies have a negative impact on businesses, as they do not produce direct returns in the form of profit. Consequently, as the DSM grows and items are more demanded, especially the big companies will find the need to produce more while earning as much money as possible, not considering the option to use sustainable sources. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that sustainable businesses are in fact more profitable 31. These companies manage to produce greater profits thanks to great energy efficiency and the strength of eco-friendly productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets. The cross border e-commerce aims to allow a customer from any European country to buy a product built in Europe, no matter where. As much as it increases, more transport will be needed, which means more CO2 emissions and pollution if the way of transport is not sustainable. The e-commerce channel, on average, tends to produce a relevant amount of emissions per item for three reasons: it requires additional packaging, customers purchase fewer items per online transaction, and multi-item orders often result in multiple deliveries.

5. Measures in place

The Digital Single Market was launched in May 2015 by the European Commission with a report on its guidelines named the DSM Strategy. Specifically, the document was composed of a set of 16 legislative and non-legislative targeted actions to be delivered by the end of 2016. Even though later in May 2017 proposals in each of the 16 actions were submitted -one of the most widely known is the abolition of roaming charges- there is still important EU action to be expected in the years to come.

Data centres to consume three times as much energy in next decade, Independent, https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/global-warming-data-centres-to-consume-three-times-as-much-energyin-next-decade-experts-warn-a6830086.html 31 The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Sustainable Companies 2017 (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2017/01/17/the-worlds-most-sustainable-companies-2017/#7214529c4e9d

The EU is following the Environment Action Programme to 2020 (7th EAP) which aims to tackle environment threats identifying three key objectives: to protect, conserve and enhance the Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural capital; to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy; and to safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing. More recently, the United Nations drafted the Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of 17 global goals set by the General Assembly that are the key to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2020. Among its goals, responsible production, climate change and decent work and economic growth are the ones that should be highlighted in order to link it to the sustainable Digital Single Market.

6. Key Actors

The EU, especially the European Commission, is in charge of legislating the functioning of the Digital Single Market and regulating anything that has an impact on it. Therefore, it becomes a key actor proposing specific measures ensuring that the DSM is growing sustainably. The European Environment Agency is the organization of the European Union in charge of providing independent information on the environment. Its objective is to support sustainable development and contribute to achieving a significant and quantifiable improvement of the European environment by providing updated, specific, relevant and reliable information to those responsible for environmental policy and the general public. Local governments and institutions can also have a big impact in the sustainable growth of the DSM by investing money in research. They would allow to discover new ways to consume less energy while using the Internet or more environmentally friendly ways of transport. Without investing in research and development, it is difficult to advance in a sustainable world. Apart from the European Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direct intervention, businesses need to take action and prioritise sustainability above making profit. In fact, using environmentally friendly alternatives such as Green IT or using renewable energies is more efficient than it may seem. Citizens are also part of the change with every decision that they make: for instance, they can choose which product they want, which may be the most environmentally friendly one. They can also reflect if they really need a product, and how they are going to discard it. Finally, they can get more informed about how can they help the DSM grow in a sustainable environment.

7. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next?

It is expected that completing a DSM, where online transactions and activities are exercised freely and fairly across the EU, would enhance competition and choice, benefiting both producers and consumers. However, the EU institutions need to prioritize that the DSM has a positive impact on the environment above profit. It is time to introduce sustainability policies in a progressive way, ensuring that businesses do not abuse the environment, enough money is invested in investigation and development, and clear guidelines are designed in order to maintain sustainable growth. Key questions: 1. How can the EU regulate sustainable measures in order to ensure a correct DSM growth without removing businessesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; liberties? 2. How can the DSM encourage the consideration of sustainability among EU businesses and citizens? 3. How can we prevent small companies being disadvantaged in front of bigger ones in ecommerce? 4. How can we reduce constantly growing energy consumption from data servers? 5. How can we engage businesses to incorporate sustainable alternatives?

Links for further research: Why do we need a Digital Single Market? https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/dsm-factsheet_en.pdf Digital Single Market strategy http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4919_en.htm Complete report DSM strategy https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52015DC0192&from=EN Environment Action Plan 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/factsheets/7eap/en.pdf How to Cut Carbon Emissions as E-Commerce Soars https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-cut-carbon-emissions-as-ecommerce-soars/ Dear Future Generations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE I) Reach for the stars: With dense orbiting debris making space inaccessible, how should the European Space Agency, in conjunction with the international community, combat the issue of existing space debris and its future prediction. By Mateja BojiÄ&#x2021; (RS)

1. Topic video

On this link you can find a brief playlist with informative videos, which I advise you to watch you continue reading the Topic Overview. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAtyyhsnBIQAt1n-q3jIjr1E72oozdGPG

before

2. Key Terms

Space debris - A term which originally referred to the natural debris in the solar system (Asteroid, comets and meteoroids). However, with the beginning of the NASA Orbital Debris Program in 1979, the term also includes Orbital debris . Orbital debris represents any man-made object in orbit around the earth which no longer serves a useful function (spacecrafts, launch vehicle stages and fragmentation debris). Kessler syndrome - A theory which states that two colliding objects in space generate more debris that then collides with other objects, creating even more junk until the low Earth orbit becomes an impassable batch of super high-speed materials. This phenomenon could cause the end of all space exploration. Smallsats - Satellites of low mass and size, mostly under 500 kg. Because of their smaller cost of development, their popularity has grown immensely over the last decade (Cubesats particularly). Many smallsats were never heard from after their launch and some of them donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a propulsion system. Which generates additional debris. Solar maximum - The period of greatest Sun activity during the 11year solar cycle. This increase in solar activity causes more energy to be deposited into the atmosphere, which in turn is heated and expands. As a consequence, the atmospheric density at a given altitude is increased, thereby increasing its drag. This makes the debris lose energy and fall into a lower orbit.

Residual fuel - The main cause of in-orbit “explosions”. It refers to the fuel that remains in tanks or fuel lines. Due to the harsh “space environment”, the mechanical integrity of internal and external parts is compromised, which leads to fuel leaks and self-ignition. The resulting explosion can destroy the object and spread numerous fragments into the surrounding area.

3. Relevance of the topic

It all began in the fall of 1957, when citizens of the world were mesmerized by the looks of the first artificial star. Even though many people were assured that they were seeing Sputnik, what they saw was actually the body of the rocket or in other words Earth’s first piece of space junk. More than 500,000 pieces of debris are tracked as they orbit the Earth32. They all travel at speeds up to 28,000 km/h33. At that speed even smaller pieces of orbital debris, would be able to generate serious damage to a satellite or a spacecraft. Space shuttle windows often had to be replaced because of damage received from collisions with man-made debris smaller than 1 mm. The amount of debris in space threatens both manned and unmanned spaceflights. Even if we stopped launching spacecrafts right now, the debris tally would remain stable until 2055. Which means that, if humanity does nothing, there might not be any new missions to Mars or any other space exploration missions in the near future. Furthermore, this issue could also lead to knotty legal, political and military problems, since a defunct satellite remains the property of people who launched it. Many experts predict that the tension circling around space debris could cause alarming international conflicts. Furthermore, the European space economy, including manufacturing and services, employs over 230,000 professionals. Its value was estimated at around €50 billion in 201434. As space debris collisions are preventing further exploitation of this economic branch, could this represent an economic threat as well?

4. Key Conflicts

Low Earth orbit is presently the most congested orbit. Some scientists believe that it may have reached its saturation point, requiring active debris removal activities to mitigate the problem over the long run. If “orbit littering” is continued, all three orbits (LEO,MEO and HEO) are going to become more congested over time. Factors contributing to this increase in congestion include rising commercial interest in space and the rapid increase of the use of smallsats. There are certain political challenges (e.g. satellite ownership rights) connected to space debris which represent a huge conflict. One of our best solutions in this scenario would be to remove defunct objects and other trackable debris particles from orbits. But even when defunct, objects remain the 32

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, (2017), Space Debris and Human Spacecraft.

Rick Noack, (2018), China’s failing satellite is just one example of massive space debris problem, The Washington Post.

The European Council, (2018), EU Space Policy.

property of launchers and they shouldn’t be moved without owners consent. So should we move past this in order to ease the tension or is this an issue which needs to be observed right away? We also have to bear in mind that due to “innovations” (e.g. Cubesats), there are many new players in the space business (Poland, Romania, Hungary, Pakistan etc.). Most of them are entering the Earth’s orbit without establishing a set of ground rules. With this being said, the Earth’s orbit could soon get extremely crowded and messy. Should they be allowed to continue sending new satellites into space or do we need a global set of rules pertaining to Earth orbiting satellites and space travel?

5. Measures in place

Outer Space Treaty (1967) - An international treaty binding the parties to use outer space only for peaceful purposes. Under the terms of the treaty, parties are prohibited from placing nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Nations also can’t claim sovereignty over the Moon or other celestial bodies. This treaty represents the backbone of current space law, but many experts believe that it needs to be updated. Space Liability Convention (1972) - A treaty that expands on the liability rules created in the Outer Space Treaty. Countries bear international responsibility for all space objects that are launched within their territory. Which means that countries are responsible for any damage made by their launches. In addition, if an individual is injured by space objects and wishes compensation they must arrange for their country to make a claim against the accused. ISO 24113 - The code that defines the primary space debris mitigation requirements applicable to all elements of unmanned systems launched into or passing through near-Earth space. The prime ambition here is to reduce the growth of space debris by ensuring that spacecrafts and launch vehicle stages are designed, operated and disposed in a way that doesn’t increase the orbital debris. ISO is a non-governmental international organization which consists of 162 national standards bodies and there is only one member per country. RemoveDebris is a British satellite which has uses five meter wide net to capture space debris and drag it with its weight into the atmosphere. On September 19 2018, its first test was carried out successfully. Even though this sounds like a perfect solution, there are a couple of difficulties. Since rocket fuel is quite expensive, scientists are trying to find an alternative. Besides, RemoveDebris there are a dozen of other pioneering projects and ideas related to this issue (e.g. ArianeGroup).

6. Key Actors

European Space Agency (ESA) - Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and to ensure that investments in space continue to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. It can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. The Council is the ESA’s governing body. The Council also provides the ESA with basic policy guidelines within which it develops the European space programme.

European Commission - an institution of the European Union responsible for proposing legislations, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing day-to-day business of the EU. Furthermore, the Commission plays a vital role in specifying new plans for tackling the orbital debris and also in determining which prospective projects will be funded. European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) - The main mission control centre for the ESA and is located in Darmstadt, Germany. Its primary function is the operation of unmanned spacecrafts on behalf of the European Space Agency. ESOC is also engaged with space debris by coordinating ESA’s debris research, by the provision of warning services and by cooperating with agencies worldwide. Space Surveillance and Tracking system - A system that detects space debris and catalogues debris objects. Data generated by an SST system can be used to predict hazards to operational spacecrafts or to infrastructure on the ground. The central product of an SST system is an object catalogue, which contains up-to-date orbit information for all objects over a certain size. ESA’s SST team is based at ESOC, but it also works closely with European and international partners. Furthermore, Space Surveillance Network plays a vital role in tracking space debris as well. It is operated by the U.S Army, Navy and Air Force.

7. What’s next?

The lack of legal acts and frameworks remain the prime friction concerning orbital debris. Nevertheless, existing treaties and conventions are relatively outdated and require certain modernisation. As a result of the lack of clear rules, it is easy for companies to launch their own objects. Furthermore, current tracking systems are not able to identify objects under approximately 10 cm, which could generate enormous damage to space objects. This means that in the future, there might not be any more space expeditions. Moreover, most government space agencies still do not have recoverable sounding rockets. Finally, it is necessary to point out that even the global economy is under threat due to this raging phenomenon, since economic branches like transport, energy and telecommunication are all highly dependent of satellites orbiting Earth. Key questions: 1. What measures should be taken to reduce space debris, while avoiding political and military conflicts? 2. How can the EU and its space programmes (e.g. Copernicus) overcome the issue of untracked objects in the orbit? 3. Is there an alternative method of boosting the EU’s affected economic sectors? 4. With many experts asserting that existent treaties and laws require changes, should we listen to their advice and implement changes? 5. How should we fix the lack of mitigation measures that government agencies currently possess?

Links for further research: Outer space treaty: http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html https://www.mcgill.ca/iasl/centre/research/space-law/liability-convention Space debris: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris Further EU space policies: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-space-programmes/ International code of conduct to strengthen security and sustainability in outer space: https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/8466/security-and-sustainabilityouter-space_en ESAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space debris segment: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris RemoveDebris: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45565815

Committee on Industry, Research and Industry II (ITRE II) “Oppenheimer’s deadly solution”: In the EU’s current status of emission reduction goals and the EU population’s growing need for secure energy, should the EU take another look at the promise of nuclear energy? By João Carrola Costa (PT)

1. Topic video

Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? - Kurzgezagt https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_87629279&feature=iv&src_vid=HEYbg yL5n1g&v=rcOFV4y5z8c

2. Key Terms

Nuclear Energy: The energy that can be harnessed out of the nucleus of an atom. Most commonly, this type of energy is used to produce electricity, however it can be used for medical, environmental35 and warfare purposes.

Nuclear Fusion: The process that fuels the stars. By combining light elements, such as Hydrogen, into heavier elements, such as iron, a substantial amount of energy is released from the nucleus of the atoms. Contrary to nuclear fission, high activity, long-lived nuclear waste is not a product of this reaction.

Nuclear Fission: The process used by current nuclear power plants to produce electricity. Heavier atoms, such as Uranium, are split by neutrons, forging lighter ones and releasing a big amount of energy. The atoms that result as fission products are extremely unstable and radioactive.

Nuclear Waste: The waste that is formed in current nuclear fission reactors. The smaller atoms produced are often called fission products, and they are dangerously radioactive. These products are usually stored underwater, stored in deep geological storages or recycled.

Energy efficiency: “The amount of energy required to provide a certain product or service.” Of course, scientists and engineers aim at delivering the best performance possible with as little energy use as possible for economic, environmental and technological reasons. This is the way to reach sustainable and secure energy supply, reduced import bills, and lower greenhouse gas emissions36. Its importance has been recognised worldwide and it plays a crucial role on the global energy market. 35

World Nuclear Association, (2017), The Many Uses of Nuclear Technology (http://www.world-nuclear.org/informationlibrary/non-power-nuclear-applications/overview/the-many-uses-of-nuclear-technology.aspx) 36 European Parliament, (2018), Energy efficiency (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/69/energyefficiency).

3. Relevance of the topic

Ever since the Industrial revolution, the demand for energy has been rapidly increasing worldwide. Nuclear energy was once the promise of a low-carbon, abundant and reliable energy source. However, its relation to warfare and disasters, such as the Chernobyl meltdown, the invasion of Iraq, the current relations with North-Korea and most recently the Fukushima disaster, has created doubts around the fulfillment of the peaceful potential of nuclear energy. The EU remains the largest importer of energy worldwide, importing more than half of its energy. Most of the solid fuels, crude oil and natural gas are imported from Russia37. Currently, more than 25% of the electricity produced in the EU comes from nuclear power plants38. Further investment in it could be a step towards energy independence. The characteristics of nuclear energy as a reliable baseload supplier39 of electricity make it an option to consider for the future. However, the path remains unclear. Right now, there are two roads the nuclear industry could invest in: Nuclear fusion, the reaction that fuels the Sun, competes with generation IV nuclear fission reactors, such as molten-salt reactors, that appear to be the more realistic and affordable options.

4. Key Conflicts

Nuclear power is able to divide people because of its benefits and hazards. Many look at it and see a source of energy that is not worth the risk of having more catastrophes. The unavoidable nuclear waste produced in nuclear fission reactions is seen as a burden left for the next generations to deal with. Others focus on the benefits of having a well-known technology at hand that could produce huge amounts of energy with low-carbon emissions. Public perception has the ability to change the acts of policy makers. Disasters, such as Fukushima, and the thought of the use of nuclear power on weaponry have forced governments to support other sources of energy. The lack of subsidies has made the progress in the field of nuclear energy slow down, lowering its competitiveness. Finally, finding a common approach on EU-level concerning nuclear power will not be an easy task to do. Within the Member States, the energy policies vary from one extreme to another. Germany is

European Commission, (2018), Shedding Light on Energy in the EU, Eurostat, 2.3.

European Commission, (2018), How Much Nuclear Power Does The EU Generate? (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20180504-1?inheritRedirect=true), Eurostat. 39 Canadian Nuclear Association, Baseload Supply (https://cna.ca/why-nuclear-energy/reliable/baseload-supply/).

going to phase out nuclear power entirely, planning to finish the process in 202240. Whereas, France still has 75% of its electricity derived from nuclear41 energy sources. These different approaches have the capability to increase the tension between Member States. Some have nuclear power plants close enough to their borders for their neighbours to fear the risk of another catastrophe related to reactor meltdowns on their own territory.

5. Measures in place

On 2015, the EC launched the Energy Union strategy. The goal is to enable Europe to have safe and low-carbon energy, focusing on security, the internal market, decarbonisation, efficiency and research42. The 2020 Energy strategy sets the target of reducing greenhouse gases emissions by 20%, and increasing the percentage of renewable energy to 20% of the overall consumption43. Nuclear energy is not discarded from the plans, the EU intends to become more competitive on that field. However, one of the main worries is the safety of nuclear plants and the future of nuclear waste. The promotion of a sustainable development of nuclear energy is an objective of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). The project focuses on facilitating the dialogue and cooperation between experts and policy makers on issues such as sustainable planning, development and deployment of nuclear energy44.

6. Key Actors

The European Commission plays a key role in creating the strategies of nuclear energy. It aims to promote the safety of nuclear installations and waste management. The EC is also focused on ensuring nuclear materials are used only for the declared ends. Furthermore, avoiding future intentional malicious acts is still on the agenda, by protecting nuclear material and installations. Energy falls under the shared competences between the EU and Member States. The choice to add nuclear energy to the mix of energy sources of each countries, depends on its own government. The EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future regarding nuclear will always be truly dependant on the different Member States policies.

World Nuclear Association,(2018), Nuclear Power in Germany, (http://www.world-nuclear.org/informationlibrary/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx). 41 World Nuclear Association, (2018), Nuclear Power in France, (http://www.world-nuclear.org/informationlibrary/country-profiles/countries-a-f/france.aspx). 42 European Commission, Building The Energy Union, (https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy-andenergy-union/building-energy-union). 43 European Commission, 2020 Energy Strategy, (https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy-and-energyunion/2020-energy-strategy). 44 International Atomic Energy Agency, International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, (https://www.iaea.org/services/key-programmes/international-project-on-innovative-nuclear-reactors-and-fuel-cyclesinpro).

The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) was created in 1957, it has the same members of the EU, being governed by the Commission and Council. The Euratom Treaty defines the purpose of the Community: the development of a powerful European nuclear industry. The tasks declared on the treaty are supposed to be implemented by separate entities, such as Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) and the European Commission45. On 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established as an independent institution, however the Agency reports to the United Nations. It has the objective of promoting and accelerating the atomic energy contribution to peace, health and prosperity, it also seeks to ensure that it is not used for military purposes under the Agency’s supervision or assistance46. The EU is a member of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), an ambitious project that aims to create a nuclear reactor that recreates the reaction that fuels the stars: Nuclear Fusion. It is expected to be the first fusion reactor to produce more energy than required to keep the nuclear fusion reaction running47. The success of this project would be the answer to a lot of the disadvantages that are closely linked to the current use of nuclear energy, such as the nuclear waste produced and the risk of having nuclear meltdowns.

7. What’s next?

The EU is facing the challenge of reconsidering its sources of energy. A lot of options exist that try to guide the way on the quest for a secure and clean source of energy, such as renewable and nuclear energy. The EU’s future energy mix is still a mystery, however a path must be chosen. Key Questions: 1. Is nuclear energy a viable option? Will it be able to compete with renewable energy? 2. The hazards of nuclear power should never be underestimated, is it worth the risk? 3. How can the EU find a common approach, taking into consideration the totally distinct views of Members States on the subject? 4. Is it time to fulfill the promise of nuclear energy, or should the EU opt to phase out of it entirely?

European Union, (2016), The Euratom Treaty Consolidated (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/29775/qc0115106enn.pdf). 46 International Atomic Energy Agency, (1989), Statute (https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/statute.pdf). 47

Version,

ITER, What Is ITER?, (https://www.iter.org/proj/inafewlines).

Links for further research: Nuclear power in the world today - World Nuclear Association http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-powerin-the-world-today.aspx Global risk of radioactive fallout after major nuclear reactor accidents - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/4245/2012/acp-12-4245-2012.pdf How should we manage nuclear energy? - BBC http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170622-how-will-we-manage-nuclear-energy-in-the-21stcentury Energy - European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/energy.pdf

Committee on Regional Development (REGI) Sustainable integration: With migration becoming an integral aspect of modern European cities, how can local stakeholders prevent cultural division and best account for cultural diversity within urban societies? By Jef Druyts (BE)

1. Topic video

The Social Inclusion of Migrants in Europe by Annachiara Destro https://youtu.be/XliOglQkXf8

2. Key Terms

Migrant: A person who chooses to move not because of a direct threat or persecution but mainly to improve their lives and can be economically, culturally, socially and politically motivated. Unlike refugees who cannot return home safely, migrants can return to their native country, while still enjoying government protection48. Integration: The act of joining a new society, by adapting to suit the way of life, habits, and customs of the country where the individual is moving to49. Social inclusion: A process where efforts are made to ensure equal opportunities for all. The multidimensional process aimed at creating conditions which enable full and active participation of every member of society in all aspects of life, including civic, social, economic, and political activities, as well as participation in decision making processes50. Nationalism: A sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups51. Far-right parties: Right parties have a strong sense of national and cultural identity which can be a positive thing, but the far right takes this further and perceives integration with other cultures as a threat to their sense of identity. They reject the concept of diversity and see those of different races or cultures as a potential danger to their country.52

Habitat for Humanity, (n.d.), Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Migrants: A Crucial Difference. Retrieved from https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/blog/2016/09/refugees-asylum-seekers-migrants-crucial-difference/ 49 Integrate. (n.d.). In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/integrate 50

IGI Global. (n.d.) What is Social Inclusion. Retrieved from https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/social-inclusion/27360

Nationalism. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/nationalism

Carleton-Taylor. (2017, July 7), What Exactly Do We Mean By â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Far Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Retrieved https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/roanna-carletontaylor/what-exactly-do-we-mean-b_b_17393486.html

from

3. Relevance of the topic

With the recent elections in Sweden53, the antiimmigration Sweden Democrats gained more political power in parliament than ever before. The country is one of many in Europe whose nationalist and far-right parties have made significant electoral gains. These parties have common themes, such as hostility to immigration, anti-Islamic rhetoric and Euroscepticism. Although these far-right parties are antimigration, 7.5 percent of inhabitants54of the Member States were foreigners at the start of 2017. That is more than 38 million people and with the recent refugee crisis of 2015, that number is only going to increase in the near future. When immigrants arrive in their new country of residence, they face numerous problems and obstacles which can obstruct the integration process, such as discrimination

different

areas

society.

Currently, there are two major models of integration being implemented in Europe, the assimilation model and the multiculturalism model55. The assimilation model, which is mainly used by southern governments, requires immigrants to fully adopt the culture of another country and fully becoming part of a different society. Whereas the multiculturalism model, which is mainly used by northern governments, is based on the right of its citizens to live according to their culture, beliefs, and religion. Both models are trying to achieve the same thing in different ways, equality among its citizens. But four out of ten Europeans believe their government is not doing enough to integrate immigrants into society.56

Chambers, G. (2018 September 10), Swedish election results: Who are the Sweden Democrats?. Retrieved from https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/swedish-election-results-who-are-the-sweden-democrats-a3931451.html 54 Eurostat. (2018, June 22), Migration and migrant population statistics. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Migration_and_migrant_population_statistics 55 Greenway, H. D. S. (2007, May 3), Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Integration problems, The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/opinion/03iht-edgreen.1.5548944.html 56 European Commission, (2018, April), Integration of immigrants in the European Union, Eurobarometer, pp. 26.

4. Key Conflicts

Across the EU, various Member States have approached integration in different ways, as been seen in the two most popular integration models. There is currently no universal agreement on what integration means57 and on how to achieve it sufficiently in the EU and its Member States. Furthermore, nationalist and far-right parties are on the rise in Europe. Most of those parties publicly stated to be anti-migration, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t helpful for the integration process of immigrants. These parties are not only gaining power in the decision-making process, but they are also exerting influence in the public discourse58. This trend can have serious consequences for the integration of migrants in the Member States. Equally important, one of the most prominent problems immigrants face is discrimination when looking for work and housing, or when accessing health care and social services. Immigrants also face discrimination at the workplace and in education. According to a survey carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, almost a fourth of all migrants felt discriminated59 multiple times within the last year. Although, it is important to note that 77 percent of migrants felt comfortable in their country of residence60. Most noteworthy is that only a minority of Europeans say they are well informed about immigration and integration, which can lead to incomprehension. Europeans tend to overestimate the proportion of immigrants in their countries, in some cases significantly. Overall the report of the Eurobarometer61 shows that citizens of the EU Member States still have concerns about integration and migration in their country, keeping in mind that migration will likely remain a feature of the 21st century.

5. Measures in place

The European Union has an immigration policy62 which deals with both legal and illegal immigration. Regarding legal immigration, the EU decides on the conditions for legal entry and residence, while the Member States keep the right to decide how many people are coming in from non-EU countries. 57

Alfred, C. (2017 June 30), The Debate Over Integration: An Explainer. Retrieved from https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/articles/2017/06/30/the-debate-over-integration-an-explainer 58 Williams, M. H. (n.d.), The Political Impact of the Radical Right. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190274559.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190274559-e-16 59 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, (2017, November 23), Discrimination: Experiences from immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU. Retrieved from http://fra.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/infographics/discrimination-experiences-immigrants-and-ethnicminorities 60 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, (2017, November 23), Inclusion: Experiences from immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU. Retrieved from http://fra.europa.eu/en/publications-andresources/infographics/inclusion-experiences-immigrants-and-ethnic-minorities 61 European Commission, (2018, April), Integration of immigrants in the European Union, Eurobarometer. 62

Schmid-DrĂźner, M. (2018, May), Immigration policy, European http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/152/immigration-policy

Parliament.

Retrieved

from

In 2016, the European Commission adopted an Action Plan on the integration of third-country nationals63. It provides the Member States with a framework and support in strengthening and further developing their integration policies, while also including measures in the fields of education employment and social services which are vital for the integration of immigrants. Also, topics such as active participation, social inclusion, and discrimination were addressed. Especially valuable is that the European Commission launched an initiative called Employers Together for integration64. Its goal is to give visibility to what major employers are doing to support the integration of refugees and immigrants into the labour market. Further, the European Partnership for Integration65 was signed by the commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and the commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, in 2017. It mainly focuses on the integration of immigrants and refugees into the labour market of the country of residence, because the inclusion in the labour force is vital for a sustainable integration.

6. Key Actors

The European Commision supports national and local authorities with policy coordination, exchange of knowledge and financial resources in order to achieve an effective integration policy of migrants in all Member States. The Member States or national governments are primarily responsible for the integration of migrants into their country. The governments of the Member States are allowed to organise their own administration and thus their own integration policy (as long as they are in line with the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsidiarity principle). NGOs are key for the integration process of immigrants in local and national societies. They work closely together with these individuals to help them integrate in the country of residence. These organisations can gather at EPAM which is the meeting-place of European non-governmental organisations seeking to contribute to the development of asylum and migration policy in the EU. It has an expertise on asylum and migration and many members have large networks within Member States and beyond, working at national and local level with refugees, asylum seekers and migrant communities66. There have been initiatives in several Member States which aim for a more effective integration 63

European Commission, (n.d.), The Action Plan on the third country-nationals. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/legal-migration/integration/action-plan-integration-thirdcountry-nationals_en 64 European Commission, (n.d.), Employers together for Integration. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/homeaffairs/what-we-do/policies/legal-migration/european-dialogue-skills-and-migration/integration-pact_en 65 European Commission, (n.d.), Integration in the labour market. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/legal-migration/integration/integration-labour-market_en 66 EPAM, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ngo-platform-asylum-migration.eu

progress of immigrants on national and regional levels. One of the notable examples is the organisation Atlas67 located in Antwerp, which offers assistance in finding work, classes for minors and adults to learn the local language, different integration courses, information about social services and encourages participation in associations in the local and national societies. Migrants actively contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of European societies68. Their successful integration into society in the host country is the key to maximising the opportunities of legal migration and making the most of the contributions that immigration can make to EU development.

7. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next?

The amount of migration in and to Europe is most likely not going to decrease in the future. In a globalised world, migration and integration will play a significant part in the different European societies. Keeping in mind the increase of migration in and to the EU, how can Europe insure sustainable integration? Key questions: 1. How can the EU insure sustainable integration, while still respecting the Member States right to organise their own administration? 2. What stance should the EU take on far-right parties who are aiming for a society where immigrants do not have a place? 3. What can the EU do to further help the Member States to increase their efforts to integrate immigrants into their societies? Links for further research: Video which shows Norwegianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muslim migrants taking classes to integrate in the country and their views about these courses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKY600o3CXw A clear view on how countries define the word immigrant in different ways: https://youtu.be/ggG4BR7FI3I A detailed view of the two integration models in the European Union: https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/european-issues/0449-models-of-integration-in-europe More information about the Action Plan on the integration of third-country nationals: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/the-eu-and-integration/framework https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/main-menu/eus-work/actions Detailed statistics about immigration in all the EU Member States: https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-migration-refugees-where-migrants-are/ Fact sheets on the European Agenda on Migration: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/backgroundinformation_en 67

Atlas, (n.d.), What is this integration programme about?. Retrieved from https://www.atlas-antwerpen.be/en/new-in-antwerp/what-is-this-integration-programme-about 68 European Commission, (n.d.), Integration. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-wedo/policies/legal-migration/integration_en