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AFCO.
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CULT.
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DEVE.
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ECON.
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EMPL.
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ENVI I.
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ENVI II.
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IMCO.
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INTA.
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ITRE.
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JURI.
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LIBE I.
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LIBE II.
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REGI.
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SEDE.
By Donagh O’Callaghan
The European Union has not had the easiest of starts to this century. The worldwide financial crisis coupled with the immigration crisis at the latter end of the last decade and the beginning of this one triggered a new era of intense scrutiny and subsequently popularised Euroscepticism in many nations across the continent. Brexit and criticism from recent populist and nationalist governments made one thing abundantly clear, the current state of inner workings of the Institutions of the EU is not up to the standard required. As such, AFCO have spent their week identifying what areas the EU is in need of upgrading and how they can go about implementing positive changes. AFCO established that the perception of the existence of a ‘Democratic Deficit’ within the union has proved to be a serious point of contention amongst citizens of the EU and that there is a need for a more directly democratic process when it comes to appointing key decision-makers within the Institutions. The failure of the Spitzenkandidat process this year in particular highlighted a shortcoming in this regard.
AFCO. of the legislative process by suggesting measures that can delay and block legislation. AFCO is aiming to make the understanding of the EU more accessible by the citizens and as such is suggesting increases to the accessibility of understandable information and is planning to rename the European Council as a means to eradicate unnecessary confusion. In an effort to further ensure clarification, AFCO aims to prioritize the use of European Parliamentary Parties in MEP elections. The committee developed a plan to facilitate the initiation of a legal framework with which the Spitzenkandidat Process can be legally binding. Overall AFCO has brought forward a resolution which aims to foster a more collaborative and democratic future for the Union.
The committee identified that there has been an alarming amount of media coverage which has led to misinformation about the EU being misconceived by its citizens as fact. AFCO also is aiming to tackle the issue of European voters voting for MEPs on the basis of their political affiliations on a national level rather than the aims of the group within the European Parliament that the MEP candidate belongs to. Amongst their many solutions, the committee intends to implement measures which can give the European Citizens a greater level of control 3
CULT. By Zain Mumtaz
The Europe of today is not the same as it was in the past. Remembering the past is still a very sensitive topic. Especially recognising the detrimental impact on society at large that still influences us. The past might have passed but it is still important to reflect on it so it doesn’t get repeated in the future CULT have outlined that there are two main problems within the topic: a lack of consciousness on past events and the unbiased education on history in today‘s Europe. The committee emphasises a solution to start from the ground up. It‘s important to understand that to each respective countries school curricula are often biased and without acknowledging their most critical legacies. The committee sees that it‘s important for the EU to suggest Member States to implement more general unbiased European history to increase the understanding of how it has impacted today‘s European society. They want to introduce legislation in the education system to foster neutral political discussions in the classroom that is free from non-partisan. To be able to achieve this, the committee distinguishes education between schools and social society. They aim for more concrete solutions by supporting projects that promote inter dialogue exchange between the countries with conflicted past. This should be applied to both youth and teachers. 4
It‘s important to give teachers the right of unbiased educational training before the knowledge of history is passed on. The second main problem that the committees identified is on the conscious of the general public. There‘s an emotional attachment from the past that needs to be addressed appropriately. The committee sees that it‘s important for the perpetrating Member States to apologise to those who were victimised through their actions. However, to also prevent history from repeating itself, the committee wants the EU member states to sanction a legislative stance towards extreme ideologies. To increase the awareness on remembering the past, the committee emphasises the perspective of single minding thinking in Europe and emphasises the importance of having a “European Remembrance History Day” in all the Member States. This should be a day when public institutes should be open to the public like museums, workshops or anything else connected to European history and be encouraged by the government to be part of this remembrance day.
DEVE. By Dušan Janković Africa is developing rapidly. Contrary to what most people think, its economy and population are growing exponentially, and as such, they pose a new challenge for the existing geopolitical landscape. Some countries have already jumped on the bandwagon of investing in Africa, with China vowing to invest a further $60 billion on top of the nearly $300 billion it has invested over the span of the last 13 years. Things seem to be looking up for what currently is the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent. However, the inconsistency of human rights values and working conditions within the continent, as well as the absence of a safe investment climate, still cause Africa to be looked down upon by European investors. Having endemic poverty, severe corruption, and lack of democratic institutions also doesn’t help the issue. Yet, if the European Union doesn’t react quickly and establish itself within the continent, it may get the short end of the stick in the future geopolitical scene. This is what the Committee on Development has tried to tackle in the past three days of Committee Work. The Committee has attempted to address the issue of China’s expanding influence over Africa in a way that aligns with European values and agenda. They suggested directing European investments towards the labour market, as opposed to infrastructure that has already been taken care of by other parties. That way, the European Union
can ensure a thriving African labour market that would yield less economic migrants and possibly lead to an equal partnership in trade. The difference in production costs between Africa and the EU were considered, which is why the committee proposed the introduction of protective tariffs to provide partial and temporary protection of domestic markets against global competition. Education was also discussed. The committee stressed the importance of higher education, and suggested investing in educational programmes that will reflect the needs of the job market, as well as European educational exchanges that would simultaneously harmonise the rather tense relationship between the continents. Overall, the resolution focuses on assisting Africa in its growth, in addition to promoting the European Union’s values and presence within it. It is crystal clear that entirely ignoring the problem and allowing for other parties to take over the African infrastructure and market will lead to a disadvantageous political and economic position of the European Union. 5
Taxation in diversity Nobody likes paying taxes. Taxes are not just impositions by the governments but they have a direct impact on citizens’ life as they represent the main revenue for the state. Governments can consequently ensure adequate services for their citizens as long as the gap between expected and actual incomes doesn’t become too significant. Whenever we are talking about taxes, it is important to bear in mind the difference between the concepts of tax avoidance and tax evasion. Tax avoidance is legal while tax evasion is not. While tax evasion is simply the illegal practice of not paying taxes, the effectivity of tax avoidance lies in the existence of loopholes in different national legislation systems. In any case, both practices have a significant negative impact on everyone’s life. During the past days, ECON has been analysing the issue in all its different aspects. As the consequences for both the Single Market as well as the independent Member States’ national economies are enormous, the committee’s overall concern was to take all stakeholders’ perspective into account.
By Alessio Pollastrini
6
ECON.
The resolution focuses on preventing individuals and companies from being involved in fiscal dumping, intended as the practice of setting lower tax rates to attract companies in a specific country, rather than punishing them afterwards. One suggestion by the committee is the creation of a point-based reward system for credit card purchases. However, taxation shall not be perceived as a threat to the individuals’ liberties, but rather as a tool which aims at ensuring them an adequate standard of life. ECON has thus tried to find a balance between the promotion of companies’ transparency and accountability and the respect of individuals’ privacy. Especially when talking about tax avoidance, the main concern ECON has encountered is the existence of different taxation models and schemes, that governments implement according to their needs and aims. For this reason, the committee wants to encourage further debate on the possibility to implement the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base. Additionally, Member States have shown little willingness to work together on a common goal in the past. For this reason, ECON suggests to provide further tools to foster cooperation among the Member states themselves as well as a dialogue between them and the European Commission. Furthermore, the committee strongly believes that cooperation with European institutions will be necessary to take action against current tax havens countries outside the European Union.
The process of digitisation and the technological advancements are happening at an exponential rate, which makes the Fourth Industrial Revolution a much bigger concern and a more controversial topic. While there is no doubt that the transition to an automated world will bring great improvement in the quality of life, increase in productivity and efficiency and better social and economic environments, it will also come along with many hurdles challenging the future of employment. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has been working on this topic, trying to find ways to tackle the issue as smoothly as possible. All the members of the committee agree on the fact that automation is inevitable and will continue to happen, what is left to do is to adapt to the changes it is causing and make a profit out of it. The main worry of the committee is to make sure that even if employees experience a job loss during the automation process, they are still self-confident and motivated enough to look for new workplaces and are protected and encouraged by different programmes or platforms specialised in these specific cases. Moreover, they emphasize that many workers are not in full awareness of the chances they have to upskill their competences and to stay in the job market. That is why the committee thanks the EU for already carrying out a network of this
sort (the Vocational Education and Training) and further encourages Member States to incorporate systems of career advice in the early education institutions and programmes for educators for a long-term learning, as well as to come up with media campaigns with the sole purpose of informing the workers on the necessity for trainings and requalifications. Another fact disturbing the members of EMPL is the inaccessibility of Gig workers to traditional employee benefits and their concerns regarding taxing and current labour laws. Taking into consideration the recent directives of the European Parliament and the Council on transparent working conditions, the committee encourages the EU government to implement a benefit package with health insurance, maternity leave and pension included. Furthermore, to avoid any profit inequalities within companies, it is suggested to have a release of all salaries of staff members and also prove the functionality of the Universal Basic Income (UBI) and the feasibility of its introduction into EU member states.
By Eva Çupi
EMPL.
7
Climate change has been one of the most discussed topics in modern society due to its already visible effects on the environment. Besides that, its impact is particularly harmful to the least economically developed countries, whose populations keep growing at an extremely fast rate. Bearing these facts in mind, the committee wrote a resolution that aims to tackle our climate issues while supporting the least developed countries. The committee rapidly recognised that the EU has done little to tackle climate issues. To tackle the subsidisation of fossil fuels, particularly by the Member States, and the insufficient use of renewable energy resources, the committee decided to urge Member States to implement incentives for the use of renewable energy sources. The fact that transportation remains a major source of greenhouse gases within the EU created a deep sense of urgency amongst the committee. They urge the European Commission to expand the EU’s Emissions Trading System to incorporate more carbon-emitting sectors such as transportation, and to measure companies’ emissions so as to acquire an accurate calculation of pollution from companies whose headquarters are located in the EU. The committee appreciated the work of multiple climate finance organisations but also recognised the inefficiency of multiple funding entities. ENVI I urge the European Commission to establish a European Climate Finance Fund which
ENVI I.
gathers all the funding institutions under one roof and is aimed at investing in climate technology and support least developed countries. Concerned by the demographic aspect of the topic, ENVI I noted that the least developed countries are the ones with the highest rate of population growth. They are also the ones who suffer the most from extreme climate events given that most of their economy depends on natural resources. In order to tackle this, the committee requests the Leonardus fund to invest in the development of technologies which help these societies with dealing with climate emergencies more effectively. Nevertheless, the committee also encourages the transition to non-climate sensitive economies in the least
developed countries b y developing multi-sectoral economies using the funding of professional training programmes, carried out by the European Universities Network and by companies, for the secondary and tertiary sectors.
By Artur Matos 8
ENVI II. Se-
lective breeding has been a common technique employed by humanity. Modern farming techniques for plants and animals. The logical next step is finally just becoming reality: extending the practice to humans. ENVI II is faced with deciding on the extent modern medicines could be allowed to directly interact with the human genome. Currently, most medicine available is focused on treating symptoms and diseases overall. They are meant to counteract an issue. Modern medicine is currently developing tools though, that would allow for a different form of treatment. Instead of the “medicine” combating the disease, the disease itself could be altered, in a way that it becomes non-harmful to the organism (human) that is housing it, or the organism (human) could be changed in a way that it is immune to the disease from the start. CRISPR is one of the tools currently in development for such processes. The so-called “gene-scissors” allow doctors to alter the genetic make-up of cells in the ways described above. The issues the committee has discussed are aplenty: Is it ethical to possess a (helpful) technology and not use it? Who and what for should such altering technology be used for? What is already being done and is it properly regulated? ENVI II is of the opinion that such groundbreak-
ing technology should be used, it is after all a tool that can help significantly reduce the pain and suffering for many people. They want this treatment to be an optional alternative offered to patients, next to the “classic” remedies. Similarly to existing medicine, proper informed consent is required though, with a special emphasis on the risks involved. Operating on embryonic cells and thereby altering the gene pool moving forward is not an option at this point in time given the knowledge available on the topic. It has been emphasised many times that there needs to be a clear distinction between necessary treatments of diseases and “cosmetic” or “enhancement” treatments. The latter, being banned for as long as there is no full understanding of the long term ramifications as well as to avoid discrimination against people with disabilities. In a similar vein, it is important to them that this method is only used in cases where the genecode involved is clearly researched and wellknown. This goes hand in hand with encouraging a continued effort in research on the topic in order to allow for a better understanding. Giving Member States the option to weigh in on the procedures, by having the national governments formulate a clear stance on this issue, as well as allowing for an opt-out altogether are also part of their plan forward. A Pan-European agency is supposed to take care that the rules laid out are followed by everyone involved. An overarching goal meant to tie the whole topic together is the establishment of clear guidelines for all involved parties.
By Tobias Satlow 9
IMCO. Large companies produce a significant portion of their revenues from targeted online advertisements with the assistance of data analytics. In order to prevent companies from misusing that data and to protect consumers’ rights, the European Union introduced the General Data Protection Directive (GDPR) in May 2018. Essentially, the GDPR enables consumers to gain more control over their data while legally obliging companies to justify everything that they do with it. IMCO noticed that the implementation of the Directive has faced numerous obstacles. Firstly, it is difficult to monitor whether the companies actually comply with the GDPR. For the companies themselves, the process of actually complying requires a significant amount of time and money. Start-ups and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) particularly struggle to find the resources needed. Furthermore, due to the fact that the GDPR’s legal scope is limited, third party companies are able to access personal information without its regulation and, therefore, several breaches of personal data have occurred but not all of them were easily spotted and penalized. Besides, it is again quite hard for small companies to afford the penalty fees compared to the bigger ones. Also, a lack of proper data encryption has come to attention, leaving a lot of personal data vulnerable and thus easily breached. Thus, the IMCO Committee thinks it is important that a stricter implementation of the GDPR, as 10
well as a better monitoring mechanism, is established to spot breaches and gain a better understanding of them. Furthermore, the committee suggested that the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs supports the SMEs and startups by providing focused guidance while adjusting the fining fees according to their capacity, as opposed to a flat fine for all the companies regardless of their size. Moreover, the enforcement of proper encryption guidelines by the European Commission is encouraged to ensure that no data is left unprotected. Lastly, the committee proposes an effort to raise awareness on the consumers and their data rights to educate the public on data protection matters. To conclude, IMCO points out the need to adjust the GDPR to support both the consumers and the companies. It goes without saying that this requires coordinated action and the vigilance of the public regarding the safeguarding of their rights to data protection and privacy.
By Vasiliki Theodosiou
The Committee on International Trade discussed the topic of EU-China relations with a specific focus on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an international infrastructure and investment programme by the Chinese government, currently active in 152 countries. The BRI aims to connect Eastern Asia with Africa and Europe to improve regional integration, trade links and economic growth. Whilst INTA is not against the spirit of the BRI itself, they are not fully on board with the initiative either. Instead, the committee outlines a list of clear conditions that need to be met to ensure EU-China cooperation is mutually beneficial economically, politically, and respecting human rights. Economically, INTA concentrated on infrastructure, loans, and market access. The committee recognises the initiative could strengthen and diversify Europe’s trade opportunities, yet might also create destabilising situations for economically developing countries due to debt-trap diplomacy. This refers to the tactic of trapping another country in unsustainable credit and upon failure of paying back the debt, the lender makes claims and demands for political concessions in return. Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port is a prime example of this and INTA is deeply alarmed by the threat this poses to countries’ national sovereignty. The committee, therefore, calls upon the
European Commission to support more infrastructure projects in both EU and non-EU countries as an alternative to the BRI. Equally, INTA is frustrated by the unequal treatment of foreign companies in China and demands the country to open up its market to European companies the same way Europe is open to Chinese companies. Politically, INTA wants to tackle internal EU tensions by urging key stakeholders to adopt a unified European response to China’s BRI. The committee particularly asks the European Council to adopt a favourable yet cautious common stance towards the BRI whilst considering the needs of EU membership candidates as well. INTA is particularly sceptical about the BRI’s real intentions despite China’s alleged trustworthiness and thus asks Member States to restrict their involvement in BRI projects if China isn’t willing to increase overall transparency. As a potential alternative to Europe’s dependence on Chinese critical infrastructure, INTA also calls upon the European Commission to deepen its trade relations with Japan and South Korea instead. INTA notes that Chinese industry often runs in contradiction to established conventions on worker’s rights and child labour laws. As for the environment, INTA wants to make sure that the BRI’s infrastructure projects are built as sustainable as possible. It recommends transportation projects using more eco-friendly freight trains yet is equally alarmed by more pollution-heavy projects such as the building of coal power plants and mining facilities. Ultimately, INTA wishes to strike a balance between cooperating with China on the BRI without harming the EU’s long-term economic interests, fundamental democratic values and respect for human rights.
By Ioana Diac
INTA.
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ITRE. The transition to a renewable and more sustainable Europe is a long term process which requires constant investments in research and innovation, as well as cohesive implementation. By acknowledging the flaws the EU still has in this field including a high dependency on imported energy, the usage of fossil fuels, the low rate of efficiency and energy interconnection, ITRE came to the conclusion that the EU should unify the energy market by establishing a Pan-European energy network and fur-
thermore improving the international transition infrastructure. Nevertheless, the lack of energy storage which is leading to a lack of energy security and losses during transmission of electricity are pressing matters. Also, among the Member States, there are different goals regarding the transition process, which raises questions regarding nuclear energy and the usage of coal. To address these issues with feasible and impactful solutions, the committee has decided that an energy network consisting of a group of experts responsible for the logistics, should connect the different actors of the energy market and take over the energy distribution. Moreover, taxing 12
By Stefana Grosu
fossil fuels more and reducing taxation on renewables will facilitate a smooth transition. Further, the need to invest in renewable energies and encourage self-sufficient systems. The private sector plays a major role in the energy sector as well, therefore supporting investments and research is fundamental in this area. The committee also emphasises the need for improving the energy grid in Europe, so that the transmission gets easier and more efficient to consumers. In the end, the transition will have to take place sooner or later, so the steps taken are necessary steps. The energy market has to face the difficulties and improve on a Pan-European level. This will need a lot of effort, investment and also further education on this topic of society.
By Simon Lenze
Big Data analysis is a relatively new and powerful development with a great and unforeseeable impact. JURI discussed the implications of Big Data for the balance of privacy and safety. They considered the flaws of its analysis since it can be biased and unreliable. Big Data can easily be misused for malicious purposes if it falls into the wrong hands. It reaches into many areas of our lives and does not only include online behaviour but also very sensitive data like medical records. JURI considered the risks of data leaks and breaches as well as their consequences. When a server containing Big Data is hacked, whole countries might be at risk. JURI acknowledges that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) contains a lot of the solutions needed for a sensible approach to Big Data analysis. They aim for more public awareness on the existing measures and about how Big Data can affect European citizens. They also require transparency from governments in the form of clear guidelines for Big Data analysis. As data analysis makes the possibility of mass surveillance more immediate, governments should be transparent on what occasions they surveil their citizens and how. This requires clear information on what kind of suspicion is needed for surveillance, since computers cannot decide what is a crime and what not.
JURI.
Due to the internet of things and the everyday use of online platforms, there is a vast amount of data available on users, who can be sorted into categories based on patterns of behaviour. Individuals can then be micro-targeted based on their data for political reasons which is a questionable way of influencing voters. One of the most pressing issues for the committee is making Europeans aware and achieving widespread knowledge about Big Data and its risks. Therefore they ask Member States to incorporate these topics into their school curriculum. The committee r e -
alises that the GDPR is not fully enforced everywhere and is mainly focused on companies. They advocate for a stronger focus on governments and for the regulation to be continuously implemented while improving the comprehension of terms and conditions. To ensure a responsible use of Big Data they require clear guidelines on which stakeholders could collect what information under which circumstances. To prevent devastating and dangerous data breaches, the committee suggests decentralising servers and improved measures to minimise damages. The committee also plans to establish working groups and work with QA engineers (white hat hackers) to question the security and quality of European cyber systems. 13
LIBE I. At their core, illiberal democracies are contrasting liberal democracies. While liberal democracies believe in liberal values such as civil rights, political freedoms and property rights, Illiberal democracies either reject these values fully or only respect them partially, not considering them intrinsic to democracy. LIBE I feels strongly united in avoiding the spread of illiberal democracies, through preventing their rise to power, tackling the reasons that lead people to vote for them. Parallel to prevention, the committee acknowledges the need for protecting citizens in cases where illiberal governments are already in power, looking to secure liberal values from attacks by these governments. The committee believes the current political climate and the stalemate in the institutional framework of the EU, such as Poland and Hungary supporting each other, not vetoing decisions that go against liberal values, hinders the EU from interfering in order to avoid furthering Euroscepticism. Taking this into account the committee supports an institutional reform. Bearing in mind that this is a lengthy process, the committee aims to establish short term solutions in order to start this process. One particular concern is the lack of use of established institutional solutions, therefore suggesting a focus on the Rule of Law Framework, which offers solutions to deal with these issues striving to avoid the use of Article 7 of the Treaty of Europe (TEU). With this resolution, LIBE I suggests the support of NGOs at a national level, working with local activists in order to avoid simply imposing measures. The committee emphasised 14
By Carolina Sandeman
the importance of youth engagement and education, focusing on education curriculum and youth-driven think tanks on illiberal democracy, in order to prevent illiberal ideals of continuing with future generations. The committee agrees with the implementation of the European Values Instrument, a fund currently under review by the European Parliament and the European Commission that is to be included in the 2021-2028 Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, that supports civil society organisations and fundamental European values. The committee also recommends judicial reforms, striving to guarantee the independence of the courts, having observations made in order to assure this. LIBE I is also in support of working with the Illiberal Democracy indicator, re:constitution, funded by the Mercator foundation. In conclusion the Committee on Civil Liberties I agree that it is important to tackle the core issue of why people vote for illiberal democracies, striving to ensure that these types of governments no longer come into power.
LIBE II. Asylum Seekers. Healthcare. Individually, these two topics are already heavily discussed. Should asylum seekers be welcomed or reprimanded when entering the EU? Should healthcare be funded privately or by the state? All of these policies are far from being harmonized within the EU,
especially since new problems arise when putting these issues together. Asylum seekers face hurdles that most of us never have to experience and these problems do not stop when entering a doctor’s office. Questions in healthcare revolve around which treatments are covered for free, how to clearly communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your language and how to get through the mentally challenging experience of settling into a new country. Both the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Charter of Human Rights guarantee access to healthcare, but these rights aren’t always respected. The issue is complex as the future status of some asylum seekers is not clear. Apart from that, a variety of psychological health problems creates needs that healthcare systems simply can’t cater to. Moreover, language and cultural barriers might lead to improper treatment whilst asylum
By Eike Phlak
seekers are neither aware of their rights nor on how to claim them. So how does LIBE II plan to take care of this variety of issues, whilst bearing in mind the current discrepancies in both healthcare and asylum policies? The first and most obvious solution the committee proposes is the proper implementation of current EU directives as they often go beyond what the Member States currently deliver. Therefore, these laws need to be enforced and European oversight supported while respecting the Member States’ right to self-govern. The committee further demands that asylum seekers need to get access to information about their rights in various forms. Member States need to create better guides and give the opportunity for asylum seekers to inform themselves about the functioning of their respective healthcare systems. These guides will be accompanied by integration programmes such as buddy groups that give guidance and draw upon the experience of asylum seekers which already went through these processes, thus bringing communities together. LIBE II looks forward to implementing the methods of the future, such as using big data to analyse patterns and improve healthcare overall. Mental health issues need to be diagnosed before they can be treated. Therefore, the committee recommends a questionnaire assessing the status of arriving asylum seekers to offer the opportunity for psychological therapy. Through these measures, the Committee aims to create a better, more just, and inclusive healthcare system throughout all EU Member States. 15
REGI.
By Catarina Bustorff As globalisation and the continuous shift towards the tertiary sector of European economies cause detrimental social, economic, and environmental effects to previously industrialised regions, the committee on Regional Development analysed different approaches to bring dismissed areas back to life. It defined its primary aim as adapting European regions to competitive, sustainable, and innovative standards. The committee recommends research and development in Artificial Intelligence and automation as a means to modernise European industry and therefore allow it to compete with foreign businesses and be more cost-efficient. Collaboration between European research groups and the private sector is essential. Furthermore, with Small and Medium Enterprises being the drivers behind technological innovation and job creation in European economies, REGI encourages the support given to entrepreneurs for innovation, such as the European Technology Platform and the opportunity for knowledge-sharing that these represent. Secondly, the committee acknowledges the opportunity for transforming post-industrial sites to cultural hubs, entrepreneurial clusters and public buildings such as purification infrastructures for air and water to reduce the negative impact of brownfields. To reduce the costs of renewing such sites for local municipalities, REGI requests additional funding and asks for the expansion of the “Environmental Rehabilitation of brownfield sites in central Europe”-project to all Member States. Additionally, REGI is concerned by the fact that industries and manufacturers constitute the most polluting sector in European economies and pose threats to the landscape and biodiversity of the regions they are present in. Moreover, as a side effect of globalisation, industries are 16
keen to move production to countries with lower environmental protection standards, leading to a relocation of greenhouse gases emissions. The committee, therefore, reinforces the importance of controlling and reducing the impact of industrial emissions on the environment through the Industrial Emissions Directive and urges Member States to stop supporting non-environmentally sustainable industry. Lastly, the committee points out that in order to avoid deindustrialisation and a loss in workplaces or the redundancy of workers’ skills in so-called knowledge societies leading, Member States ought to further invest in the education of their workforce. Through implementing additional programming and digital literacy courses in the second level educational curriculum, re-educational programmes for blue-collar workers and specialisation programmes, workers will be better prepared to adapt to the future. Lastly, digitalisation and cyber security add another layer to the problem of re-industrialisation as cyber-attacks on sensitive industrial data have become more frequent. The committee urges the European Commission to implement the “European Cybersecurity Research and Competence Centre”-proposal which has been presented in the past. Education is also viewed as a tool to tackle this issue and Member States are asked to put more focus on cybersecurity and data protection in their national educational programmes.
The threat of foreign hostile governments and organisations to the EU has exponentially increased in the last decade. Moreover, decentralised threats in the military sector have required solutions to be more flexible and versatile. This means that even though the EU is currently not in active warfare, its ability to defend or prevent attacks e.g. in the areas of cybercrime and data infiltration is not nearly sufficient. SEDE has been tasked to tackle aspects in which national militaries are not enough due reasons ranging from a lack of advanced equipment, or a lack of cooperation with neighbouring countries, to a poor flow of intelligence. The committee has aimed to strengthen the EU defence strategies to a point where possible threats in the future can be prevented before truly arising. The committee emphasises the importance of having a strong united front throughout the EU. Therefore, the committee suggests enhancing the European defence strategies by increasing the cooperation between the Member States in regards to military investments, intelligence, and crisis management.
To address the problems, the committee categorised the matter into three different aspects: Firstly, structuring the cooperation in the aftermath of Brexit on the European Defence Funds. Secondly, increasing cyber defence intelligence and diplomacy to include intelligence sharing between national and international stakeholders. Thirdly, increasing innovation in the European defence market. The committee concludes that cooperation should be facilitated by stimulating the European Defence Industry. The committee stresses the necessity of this stimulation, as there is currently a dependence on non-EU countries on the one hand and monopolies in the European Defence Industry for military equipment on the other hand. The improvement in the cooperation of the Member States is aimed to be achieved by facilitating meeting points and fora to gather different countries and EU based manufacturers together to display the benefits of cooperation. These particular challenges entail an extreme variety of actors even though a lot of them share the same targets. Cooperation isn’t self-evident in this field due to a lack of trust. It has been the committee’s goal to take the first steps in the right direction, taking as many stakeholders as possible into account.
By Emir Lise
SEDE.
17
Venue Partners
STADTTEILSCHULE HAMBURG-MITTE
Main Partners Gefรถrdert mit Mitteln der Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur
Initiators
The Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organisation of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). EYP Germany is a National Committee in the EYP network.