Resolution Booklet of the Åland National Session of EYP Finland 2022

RESOLUTION BOOKLET Åland 2022 - 28th National Session of EYP Finland

2.–8.2022

Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

Table of content THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI)

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THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (AGRI)

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THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE II (SEDE II)

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THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS II (EMPL II)

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THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CULT)

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THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (REGI)

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THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY (ITRE)

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THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE I (SEDE I)

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THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS I (EMPL I)

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

Programme of the General Assembly Saturday 6.8.2022

11:00

Opening of the General Assembly

11:30

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

12:15

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

13:00

Lunch

13:45

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Security and Defence II

14:30

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs II

15:15

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Culture and Education

16:00

Coffee break

16:15

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Regional Development

17:00

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

17:45

Dinner

Sunday 7.8.2022

9:15

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Security and Defence I

10:00

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs I

10:45

Closing Ceremony

12:00

Transfer to boat

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

General Assembly Procedure Procedure and time settings 1. Presenting of the Motion for a Resolution 2. Silent reading (1 min) 3. Defense Speech (3 min) 4. Position Speeches (2 x 2 min) 5. Response to the Position Speeches from the floor (1.5 min) 6. Three rounds of general debate: all responses from the floor (1.5 min per response) 7. Time to discuss and submit amendment to the board (2 min) 8. Board reading out accepted amendment 9. Amendment and summation speech (1+2 min) 10. Voting procedure 11. Announcing the votes

Roles in the General Assembly Position speeches The Position Speech is a speech held by any other committee but the proposing one. The speech can either agree with the proposed resolution or the speech can thoroughly disagree with the proposed resolution. In either way the rationale behind the position should be elaborated on.

The Position Speech should not pick at individual clauses or details but rather is used when a delegate fundamentally agrees or disagrees with the content of the resolution. The Position Speech is held from the podium.

Open debate Any committee with a question, comment, or suggested amendment on the resolution can raise their committee placard and, when recognised by the Board, pose it to the proposing committee. The Board will take 4-5 points from the floor before allowing the proposing committee to respond to all of them. During

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

each debate, committees must raise the placard with their committee name to show that they want to speak and wait for the Board to recognise them.

Proposition Speech(es) During this time one member of the proposing committee will go to the podium and deliver a speech on the resolution. The proposing committee presents the rationale and context of the resolution and their solutions rather than defending it to the GA. Response to Position Speech(es) A delegate from the proposing committee has the chance to respond to the Position Speech(es). The response will be delivered from the floor. It should last for about 90 seconds and address the main questions and concerns raised in the position speeches.

Response to Open Debate A delegate from the proposing committee has the chance to answer the questions, comments, and suggestions brought up in the most recent round of open debate. The responses will be delivered from the floor, including the last round, and the committee will be given one minute to prepare their responses a er each round.

Amendment Speech and Summation Speech a. During a short amendment speech, a delegate from the proposing committee will explain to the Assembly why they chose to change or add an amendment or why they chose not to accept any amendments. b. During the Summation Speech, a delegate from the proposing committee has the final chance to use all rhetorical energy and skill to convince people to vote for their resolution.

Please note both speeches are given from the podium and that the microphone may only be passed once.

Amendment Officer(s) The proposing committee will have the opportunity to develop amendments based on constructive suggestions made in the rounds of Open Debate by the other committees. Amendment Officers are responsible to keep note of the suggestions made in GA and then phrase into possible amendments prior to the end of Open Debate for the committee to then decide upon.

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

There will be four rounds of debate, circa 4 points per round. The board will recognise a varying number of committees depending on time before returning to the proposing committee for a response, depending on the time taken to make points.

The Chairperson will raise their placard to indicate that they have a point. The Chairperson is responsible for ensuring the order of speakers within the committee. Committees may use their Direct Responses to jump the queue only in this portion of the debate. Points should refer to either aims, political statements, or Operative Clauses of the resolution, focusing on one singular cohesive idea.

Delegates are encouraged to propose alternative solutions and enrich the debate rather than simply asking for clarification.

Direct Responses This placard can only be used to directly answer a point of the Open Debate. The Direct Response should refer to the core of the last point made and not just be on the same topic. The Direct Response can only be raised once per debate. If a Direct Response is misused, it still counts as used.

Voting Procedure The votes will be collected by the Chairpersons, and will be announced to the GA. The Chairperson will raise their placard to indicate that all votes have been collected.

Amendment Procedure Purpose and Goal The goal of an amendment procedure is to raise the quality of the debate by giving delegates from all committees the opportunity to have an impact on the resolution by making constructive points. Delegates should be engaged and motivated to express their opinion and let valid criticism go hand in hand with suggesting improvements. The Proposing Committee however should stay in charge of their own resolution and should not have to defend something they donʼt stand behind. It will then be up to the GA to convince the Proposing Committee in the debate that an amended version of their resolution would better affect the change they seek. Such a procedure would combine engagement, a more constructive debate and the possibility to shape the resolution for delegates of other committees.

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

Format and Procedure 1. During the Open Debate, constructive comments and feedback should be given. The other committees can make Amendment suggestions to the Proposing Committee as a regular point in the debate; 2. The Proposing Committee is required to do the following throughout the rounds of Open Debate: a.

When a round of Open Debate finishes, they respond (nothing new here!

b. During all the rounds of debate the Amendment Officer(s) picks up on and phrases the possible amendment(s); 3.

Then, a er the final response to open debate the Proposing Committee gets 2 minutes to discuss if they wish to use any of the potential amendments mentioned in the GA. This time can be used by the other committees to reflect on the wider conversations on the resolution;

4. A er the 2 minutes are done, the Chairperson raises their placard, and informs the Board about the decision; 5. The Proposing Committee proceeds to the amendment and summation speeches from the podium.

The amendment speech in this case reflects why the committee chose why they did or did not have an amendment; 6. If there will be an amendment, it needs to be phrased before the end of the responses to the last round of debate; 7. It is up to the Chairpersonʼs discretion to accept the Amendment or not: a. If the Chairperson accepts the Amendment, it is then passed on to the Board, b. It is then up to the Boardʼs discretion to either accept or reject the Amendment; 8. If the Amendment is accepted by the Board, then it is instantly re-phrased (if necessary) and added to the Resolution; 9.

Following this, we move on to the amendment and summation speeches;

10. A maximum of one Amendment can be made by the Proposing Committee; 11. Finally, the GA votes on the resolution as a whole.

Rules and Guidelines for Amendments The purpose of amending a resolution is to improve its quality based on the debate. The general spirit of the resolution must not be changed! (No unfriendly amendments).

Amendments need to be a result of the debate on the resolution. Only if the general idea of the amendment was mentioned in the debate, the amendment is valid. An amendment can only have impact one clause.

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Åland 2022 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 6.-7. August 2022

Amendments can change, add or replace a clause. The vast majority of the Proposing Committees work in phrasing and deciding on amendments should be happening during the debate not at the end!

This can be achieved by the delegates who are assigned the role of amendment officers, working silently through GA via online documents, noting the suggestions made during open debate, deciding whether or not they are in the spirit of the resolution, and phrasing possible amendments.

The committeeʼs chair can also be of help to the amendment officers in this process and use their expertise to streamline their work during the debate. There will be assigned roles for Amendment Officers in the committee.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI) Treasure hunt: The Baltic Sea holds up to 282 million barrels of untouched conventional oil.

Many nations and companies now roam the region with their oil extraction and transport operations, but their ships spill more than 100 tons of oil on a yearly basis. How can the EU regulate these operations in order to decrease oil spillage?

Submitted by: Veera Jokimies (FI), Robin Kelly (IE), Sofianna Kläusler (FI), Henry Maula (FI), Thy Nguyen (FI), Dan Vermaak (IE), Fred Wachmeister (SE), Mikko Xu (FI), Fiona Hafferl (ES, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to decrease oil spillage in the Baltic Sea, the health and ecological hazards it involves, as well as the overall oil dependency of the EU. In order to achieve this, it aims to encourage international cooperation between the EU and third countries that operate in the region, increase the usage of greener energy resources, and ensure human and environmental safety during oil production,

because ● Oil spills are harmful to the fishing industry in the Baltic Sea region, ● In 2021, ships leaked approximately 10,000 tonnes of oil into the environment, ● Exposure to oil spillages poses a health hazard to people living on the coasts of the Baltic Sea, ● Oil spillage is a grave environmental hazard, which highly contributes to the rapid dwindling of diversity in marine ecosystems, ● Sunken cargo ships from World War II contain tanks with up to 1,5 million litres of oil, which if leaked will be detrimental to the Baltic Seaʼs ecosystem, 7

● Orphan oil rigs1 run a high risk of leaking or deteriorating and damaging the environment, ● Human error remains a notable cause of oil spillage in ships, ● Toxic waste brought on land from oil drilling operations can pollute drinking water, ● Oil and petroleum products hold the biggest share of the EUʼs energy supply, ● Annually, ocean-crossing oil tankers emit about 125 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, ● Tensions between Russia and the EU have led to reduced cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, reflected by Russia withdrawing from the Council of the Baltic Sea States2 in May 2022 and the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM)3 suspending all meetings;

by 1. Requesting the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)4 to establish designated fishing areas in the Baltic Sea and prohibit cargo ships from entering them by providing alternative routes; 2. Suggesting MARPOL to prevent the consumption of contaminated seafood by enforcing rigorous testing on seafood imported from chemically tainted waters in the Baltic Sea; 3. Asking Member States to publish accessible information about the pollution levels near Baltic Sea beaches so citizens can make their own risk assessment; 4. Calling upon the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety5 to eliminate petroleum contamination in drinking water by using petroleum eating bacteria such as marinobacter, oceanospirillales, pseudomonas or alcanivorax; 5. Calling upon the European Commission to further invest in the development of oil spill containment methods;

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Orphan oil rigs are deactivated and abandoned oil wells.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is an intergovernmental forum for regional cooperation in the Baltic region.

3 HELCOM is an intergovernmental organisation bridging policies and science matters related to the protection of the environment of the Baltic Sea. 4 The MARPOL is a sub organisation of the International Maritime Organisation that defines important regulations regarding ships and shipping pollution within the Baltic Sea. 5 The Directorate General for Health and Food Safety is responsible for EU policy on food safety and health and for monitoring the implementation of related laws.

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6. Urging the European Commission to re-evaluate the achievability of their 2050 Long-term Strategy6 goal and strengthen its regulations accordingly; 7. Encouraging the European Commission to consider and invest in projects such as the Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation7, which explores and extracts the sunken ships' oil from the seabed and surrounding sea; 8. Suggesting MARPOL to further decrease the spills caused by human error by incentivising the automation of ships in the Baltic marine sector; 9. Recommending the European Commission ratify and update the LeaderSHIP 2020 policy8 by: a) requiring all newly built ships to emit lower carbon emissions by using low sulphur fuels and utilising exhaust scrubbers9, b) lowering docking and maintenance fees for ships entering drydocks10 within the Baltic Region belonging to the EU; 10. Suggesting the European Maritime Technology Industry11 to create artificial reefs to preserve marine life by removing hazardous material from orphaned oil rigs in the Baltic Sea; 11. Urging HELCOM to improve diplomatic relations with Russia by resuming official HELCOM meetings to preserve the previous progress made.

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The 2050 Long-Term Strategy aims for the EU to be climate-neutral by 2050, hence also fossil fuel free.

The Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation is a private, independent foundation aimed at stimulating concrete measures that improve the environmental quality of the Baltic Sea. 8 The LeaderSHIP 2020 policy is a strategic vision, as well as short and medium term recommendations for the EU shipbuilding industry.

9 Exhaust scrubbers are devices installed on board marine vessels that remove harmful sulphur oxides from exhaust gases.

10 A drydock is a dock which can be drained of water to allow the inspection and repair of a ship's hull.

11 The European Maritime Technology Industry consists of shipyards, ship design companies, marine equipment manufacturers and maritime service providers, such as maritime consultancy and engineering companies.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (AGRI) Farming for clean water: Over 97% of the Baltic Sea is affected by eutrophication, which disrupts marine ecosystems, decreases the water quality and leads to macrofauna death. With unsustainable agriculture being identified as the main cause of eutrophication, how can the EU and relevant partners stem this pollution in the Baltic Sea?

Submitted by: Leotrim Deliu (FI), Kaj Hlushchuk (FI/UA), Fanni Niskala (FI), Pyry Nuottanen (FI), Veikka Ormio (FI), Oleksandr Kostiuk (FI/UA), Dình Minh Trãn (FI), Thomas Wirta (FI), Gráinne Condron (IE), Chairperson

The European Youth Parliament aims to reduce eutrophication in the Baltic Sea caused by excessive nutrient runoff from agriculture. It hopes to bring about collaborative research and education to farmers and governments on sustainable farming practices, especially optimal usage of fertilisers, in order to reduce needless runoff. Additionally, it encourages Member States to regulate land usage in farming, so unnecessary pollution and erosion can be avoided. These targets are to be reached,

because ● Both pastoral and arable agriculture in countries which surround the Baltic Sea cause nutrient runoff into the water system, leading to increased eutrophication, ● High levels of eutrophication cause hypoxic zones12 loss of biodiversity, and water toxicity, ● The onset of climate change has created ideal conditions for eutrophication, worsening its effects,

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Hypoxic zones are areas with low oxygen concentrations with little biodiversity.

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● Improving the health of the Baltic Sea is of important socioeconomic value, in relation to recreation, tourism, and employment, leading to a total annual economic benefit of 4 billion euro in surrounding Baltic Nations, ● Exposure to toxins caused by eutrophication are deeply harmful to human health, o en resulting in nausea, irritation, and neurological damage, ● Nutrient pollution from individual agricultural practices is untraceable, leading to a lack of accountability in agricultural industries, ● Nutrient run-off is a large expense to agricultural workers, due to fertiliser overuse, ● The security of livelihoods in fish farming in Baltic waters are under threat due to eutrophication-based fish stock depletion;

by 1. Drawing the attention of the Baltic Farmersʼ Forum on the Environment to urge the Baltic farmers to use slow-working fertilisers, whose prices are comparable to traditional ones and more beneficial to the environment; 2. Recommending that the European Commission Directorate-Generate for Research and Innovation invest in methods to make conversion of cyanobacteria13 into biofuel more economically viable; 3. Requesting that Baltic States dra legislation requiring a green zone of perennial vegetation14 to be included in future zoning plans to prevent nutrient runoff; 4. Calling upon the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) to create a programme to evaluate water filtration systems in order to replace outdated ones; 5. Asking that the DG AGRI partner with Baltic Member States to introduce new regulations for agriculture, which would : a) prevent the usage of fertilisers on sloped ground exceeding an angle of 10 degrees, b) discourage farmers from the spreading of fertilisers on wet soil, c) prevent the granting of building permits to projects located closer than 10 metres from the shore, 13 14

Cyanobacteria are a type of aquatic microorganism, also known as blue-green algae.

Perennial vegetation are plants that live for more than two years and do not die in the winter.

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d) penalise the use of estranged fertilisers on ground water protection areas declared as buffer zones15 or where the presence of groundwater is essential for the local ecosystem to survive; 6. Urging DG AGRI to establish a research group to create localised recommendations for optimal yet sustainable usage of fertilisers in Member States; 7. Further urging that NGOs which represent agricultural workers, such as Copa-Cogeca promote the results of said research group; 8. Encouraging the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Configuration to increase Marine Protected Areas by regulating trawling and using nets with larger holes to promote sustainable fishing practices and thus preserve biodiversity in Baltic Waters; 9. Recommending that the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Committee establishes a subcommittee to regulate Baltic waters against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

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Buffer zones are areas adjacent to a body of water in which the application of fertilisers is banned.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE II (SEDE II) Retaking the Peace: With war occurring in the European continent for the first time in over 20 years and several Nordic nations applying for NATO, how should the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) be updated to suit the diverse needs and humanitarian commitments of Member States?

Submitted by: Anastasiia Datsko (UA/FI), Sofiia Datsko (UA/FI), Felix Emmesberger (FI), Ida Irz (SE), Vera Kvist (SE), Abby Lalor (IE), Daniel Nikkar (FI), Nella Salminen (FI), Hanna Toivanen (FI), Jinbo Wan (FI), Jonathan Yong (SE), Emily Kautto (FI, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to ensure the safety of the citizens of the EU, as world tensions are rising and the relationship between the EU and NATO has changed. We aim to alter the existing frame of the Common Security and Defence Policy to suit the changing security conditions in the EU and the need for further European Defence,

because ● The Member States must vote unanimously in the CDSP to approve any civilian and military operation, which results in inefficiencies, ● The decision process has to pass through the Council of the European Union and the European Council before it can go into effect creating unnecessary expenses while delaying civilian and military operations, ● There is a lack of funding, fighting personnel and specialists for The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions leading to low long-term impact of its missions, ● There is an absence of guidelines with regards to the amount of funding and personnel each Member State needs to contribute to the CSDP, ● The lack of interoperability between the military equipment of different Member States creates unnecessary expenses for all involved p lack of funding, fighting personnel and specialists for The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and complicates the cooperation between the Member States,

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● The Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO16) initiative have structural similarities that could increase the risk of disputes due to potential military competition between NATO and the EU, ● EU Member Statesʼ increasing reliance on NATO prevents to the EU from having a reliable security and defence system to defend itself in the case of NATO as a defence option weakening, ● The existing framework for cybersecurity is not an effective defence mechanism against rising threats from China and Russia; by 1. Calling upon the Higher Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission to investigate the possibility of separating CSDPʼs military and civilian mission institutions for Member States to differentiate their participation; 2. Asking the European Commission to establish a fund for students specialising in fields relevant to the CDSPʼs civilian missions; 3. Calling upon the European Council to make military and civilian missions more effective by: a. setting a mandatory minimum amount of contributions that could be determined by the Member Statesʼ GDP per capita, b. prioritising in ongoing missions ober future ones, c. changing the voting for the deployment of the CSDP missions from unanimous to a qualified majority vote17; 4. Encouraging the Member States to coordinate their purchasing of new military equipment from the USA and other EU Member States in order to: a. standardise and centralise equipment in the search for cheaper and interchangeable military resources between Member States, b. bolster cooperation between the USA and the EU;

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The Permanent Structured Cooperation is the part of the European Union's security and defence policy in which 25 of the 27 national armed forces pursue structural integration.

17 Qualified majority vote in the EU means that 55% of member states must be in favour of a proposal and represent 65% of the total EU population in order to decide on an EU law or to reach a decision.

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5. Urging the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS18) to focus and invest in further research and development of next generationʼs military equipment in the EU; 6. Encouraging Member States to do annual military equipment checks; 7. Encouraging the European Council to adopt a more efficient decision-making system in the CSDP by sending the operation request directly from the European Council to the European Defence Agency19; 8. Urging the PESCO to further collaborate with NATO whilst prioritising its own agenda to avoid potential future disputes and to keep both organisations available for Member States; 9. Suggesting the EUʼs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to prepare an emergency plan of potential measures in case of the event of NATO losing ground in Europe; 10. Calling on Member States to ensure and maintain democratic standards in light of further security and defence collaboration across the EU; 11. Strongly recommending the CDSP update its cyber security system before renewing its strategic compass20; 12. Urging Member States to have frequent and regular cyber security attack drills.

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The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS) leads the European Commission's activities in the Defence Industry and Space sector.

19 The European Defence Agency is an agency of the European Union that promotes and facilitates integration between member states within the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy.

20 The strategic compass of the CSDP provides an analysis of our strategic environment and seeks to bring greater coherence and a strong common sense of purpose to the EUʼs security and defence efforts.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS II (EMPL II) Machine Earning: Automation threatens to replace up to 12 million workers in the EU by 2040.

Considering many workers would face difficulty in finding new jobs and our increasing use of robots and Artificial Intelligence in our economy, how should the EU respond to the threat of automation to its labour sector and ensure automation is implemented for the common good of its people?

Submitted by: Ida Greta Aarum (FI), Elizaveta Bugrova (FI), Callista Chapelle-Daniel (FR), Alvin Engstrom (SE), Katherine Hlushchuck (FI), Emilie Huotari (FI), Henni Juotasniemi (FI), Maria Karimo (FI), Frederick Lalu (FI), Carl Ostberg (SE), Rosalie Trilling (DE), Áilill Park-Sullivan (IE, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to smooth the transition to an automated labour force by equipping workers with the resources necessary to adapt and protecting society from the risk of increased inequality. EYP aims to provide vulnerable demographics and those with mental health difficulties with particular support and to ensure that socioeconomic polarisation is avoided,

because ● Member States may be unwilling to compromise their ability to attract foreign investment by taxing profit earned through automation, ● Only large commercial entities may be able to benefit from automation due to high start up costs, risking a less competitive job market, reduced labour union power, and greater inequality, ● Digital economic activity is difficult to tax effectively as it is o en not categorised according to a specific location, thus, human labour is taxed more than automated capital, ● Ambiguous definitions of artificial intelligence (AI)21 hinder its categorisation and taxation,

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Artificial intelligence is a computer system able to perform complex tasks that normally require human input, such as visual perception, text analysis, and decision-making.

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● Automation22 will globally create 97 million jobs whilst replacing 85 million, ● 34% of European jobs are at risk of being lost to automation and Europeʼs five biggest economies will lose 12 million jobs by 2040, ● Certain demographics are more likely to be made unemployed, such as middle aged women and disabled people, ● The ongoing decline of middle-income jobs increases socioeconomic inequality, ● Changes in the labour market will require up to one billion workers to reskill, but many may not have sufficient personal resources to do so, ● Unemployment may exacerbate mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, ● Automation has tremendous potential to improve quality of life;

by 1. Urging the Directorate General of Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN)23 to support and redistribute the profits of automation by working with Member States to establish sovereign wealth funds in order to purchase shares in automated companies; 2. Encouraging Member States to adapt their taxation system to the modern labour market by including targeted taxes on profits gained from automation; 3. Urging the DG ECFIN to improve the correct taxation of AI by assisting Member Statesʼ ability to tax profit earned through automation rather than primarily human labour; 4. Advising that the European Commission encourage the uptake of national Universal Basic Income (UBI)24 trials across Member States; 5. Urging Member States to help workers adapt to automation by introducing legislation requiring profitable companies to provide unemployment benefits and re-education opportunities for former workers whose jobs have been lost to automation;

Automation is the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically and thereby replacing the need for human labour.

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The DG ECFIN is a body responsible for the EU Commissionʼs policies promoting economic growth, higher employment, stable public finances and financial stability.

24 UBI is a process by which all residents within a certain country or jurisdiction receive a sum of “free money” every month regardless of their job or income status.

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6. Asks the Digital Action Plan25 to continue their efforts to aid European citizens who seek re-education through digital education services; 7. Recommends that Member States prepare students for a changing labour force by updating school curricula in cooperation with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)26;

8. Calls upon the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition (DSJC)27 to help job seekers adapt to the changing labour market by providing evidence-based training; 9. Calls upon the European Commission to support people whose mental and physical health conditions are exacerbated during unemployment by expanding the activities of Mental Health Europe, the European Public Health Association, and the Youth Employment initiative; 10. Encourages Member States to improve the general welfare of their citizens by using the increased productivity of automation to reduce working hours without reductions in salary.

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The Digital Education Action Plan is a renewed European Union (EU) policy initiative that sets out a common vision of high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe 26 ISTE is a non-profit organisation that focuses on accelerating innovation in education through the smart use of technology in education.

27 DSJC is an EU initiative bringing together Member States, companies, social partners, non-profit organisations and education providers, who work to address the lack of digital skills in Europe.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CULT) Copyfights: In 2020, 99.2% of artists made an unlivable wage from Spotify stream royalties. Given current copyright laws and dominance of major streaming platforms, how can the EU facilitate a more open and sustainable environment for artists across Europe?

Submitted by: Adam Aurell (SE), Ellen Katrine Klarup Voetmann (DK), Julia Sivén (FI), Karolin Paloots (FI), Nea-Sofia Rikala (FI), Mona Lehto (FI), Saren Ismail (FI), Rebecka Pimenoff (FI), Topias Jeynes (FI), Tomas Winegar (FI, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to foster a diverse and prosperous environment for Europe's digital artists. We set out to provide rightful compensation to all artists allowing for them to make a fair living. Further, we focus on securing the future for today's aspiring artists increasing their opportunities to reach new audiences. Simultaneously, we work to ensure that copyright rightfully protects digital artists from the while supporting a robust concept of fair use28 for transformative artists in the EU,

because ● Current copyright laws are o en misunderstood by both artists and consumers, ● Exploitation of aspiring artists is common in the industry, ● Digital art piracy costs artists over 40 billion euros annually, ● The target demographics and novel content formats make new media platforms especially prone to copyright infringement, with platforms hosting up to 50% unlicensed artistic content, ● Art is becoming less accessible to consumers due to rising costs with the 100 largest concerts increasing in price threefold in the last 25 years, ● Fair use laws and their enforcement differ between Member States, ● Working under contract or as freelancers results in artists lacking financial security,

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Fair use is an exception to copyright laws where copyrighted material can be used in a limited manner with the permission of the copyright holder to allow for example for criticism, parody, news reporting or teaching.

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● The royalty rate percentage29 received by artists is between 13-20% when working with major record labels, ● Revenue from live performance arts continues to be low a er the COVID-19 pandemic, ● A large percentage of artists continue to suffer from debt acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic, ● Aspiring artists lack opportunities to connect with industry professionals such as producers and managers;

by 1. Calling upon the Directorate-General for Communications, Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT)30 to increase public knowledge of copyright laws by requiring user content hosting platforms create separate easily accessible copyright briefs; 2. Calling upon Member States to protect the original content of artists from misuse by following Germanyʼs example in more vigorous enforcement of anti-piracy laws; 3. Asking the DG CONNECT to develop a framework for an EU-wide fair use policy similar to Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act in EU copyright law; 4. Appealing to Member States to ensure fair compensation to artists from by: a) setting legal limits ensuring artists own at least 51% of their licensed art, b) requiring artists receive a minimum of 51% royalty rate percentage; 5. Urging musiciansʼ unions to counteract the exploitation of artists by: a) promoting the use of existing whistleblowing channels within unions, b) advocating Member States fully implement the EU Directive 2019/1937 mandating whistleblowing channels for all companies with more than 50 employees; 6. Asking the Member States to implement a COVID-19 pandemic recovery period for live performance arts by lowering their culture taxes on performance art tickets; 7. Calling upon Member States to recognise creative careers as an entrepreneurial profession by:

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Royalty rate percentage is the percentage of money received by the rights holder from the use of oneʼs artistic property, for example, through radio or streaming plays of a song.

30 The DG CONNECT has the exclusive competence to regulate the European Digital Single Market.

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a) allowing artists to apply for entrepreneurial grants, b) following the example of Sweden where artists receive financial support allowances as long as they are continually producing new art; 8. Encouraging artistsʼ labour unions in the EU, such as the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers, to help in connecting aspiring artists by hosting networking events open for members; 9. Calling upon Member Statesʼ regional level cultural ministries to provide resources for aspiring artists by offering creative equipment in public spaces such as libraries; 10. Asking the Member States' Ministries of Education to develop programs for performing arts schools supporting internships, networking and full-time job opportunities in arts.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (REGI) Moving for opportunities: With some rural areas, mainly in the Baltic States, losing 45% of their population due to economic migration to cities, how can Europe ensure these less densely populated regionsʼ communities remain socially and economically viable for future generations?

Submitted by: Narmin Abbasova (FI), Daniel Asalf (NO), Jagoda Baczkun (PL), Rebekka Barry (FI), Juho Hupli (FI), Ava Lindfors (FI), Kuba Nowaczyk (IE), Atte Rantanen (FI), Aino Summa (FI), Meeri Technau (FI), Julianna Willberg (FI), Raya Giger (CH, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to reduce migration from rural areas into urbanised districts by improving the overall quality of life. This should be achieved by raising the quality of social services such as education, investing in infrastructure and furthering the local economy. Member States should further develop transportation options, to increase mobility across different areas. Moreover, we want to tackle the issues faced by the agricultural sector by incentivising farmers across the Member States. In this process, we aim to make rural areas more sustainable for the environment, increasing access to renewable energy,

because ● Rural areas make up over 80% of EU territory but contain only 30% of EUʼs population, ● Rural areas have a significant cultural and economic importance for their countries, ● The share of the EUʼs population in age groups below 50 years of age are the lowest in rural areas, ● Migration to cities is more common among young people, leading to the vicious circle of decline31 of rural communities, ● The lack of opportunities in the educational and industrial sector as well as the absence of public services like healthcare in rural areas lead to migration to areas that are able to offer these services,

31

Vicious circle of decline describes the phenomenon of mostly young people emigrating from rural areas, which in turn leads to negative natural growth through decreasing birth rates and an ageing population.

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● Economic migration from rural areas leads to an increase of brain drain32, ● Rural shrinkage results in a lack of workforce in the field of agriculture, which contributes to food shortages, ● Rural areas are equipped with less functional infrastructure, especially in the field of highways and railroads, ● The absence of a functioning network for public transportation in rural areas makes them less accessible, ● Only 60% of EUʼs rural residents have access to high speed internet, ● Only 48% of rural residents have at least basic digital skills, compared to 62% of the urban population;

by 1. Calling upon Member States to give young people of rural areas a stronger voice introducing youth councils in rural communities; 2. Urging Member States to introduce an aligned curriculum for compulsory education, including opportunities to participate in online courses; 3. Suggesting that Member States collaborate with local governments to offer more internship possibilities in rural areas to vocational school students; 4. Requesting local governments to provide grants to initiatives in rural areas that target a transition to more environmentally sustainable practices or aid the local community; 5. Directing Member States to encourage the use of electric cars by introducing tax reductions on CO2 emissions and removing toll fees for registration; 6. Calls upon Member States to incentivise companies to move to rural areas by: a) increasing the amount of business spaces in rural areas, b) creating a framework for businesses transferring; 7. Instructing the Directorate General on Agriculture and Rural Development (DG-AGRI) to support farmers across the EU by: a) reducing the cost of fuel for farmers only, 32

Brain drain is the departure of educated or professional people from one area to another, for better pay or living conditions.

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b) proposing Member States lower the legal age of driving a tractor to 15, c) giving out grants to farmers who are willing to make their work more sustainable, d) initiating schemes such as Rural Environmental Protection Scheme33 and Green Low Carbon Environmental Scheme34 that promote the preservation of land and use of low carbon or green energies to improve the production of produce; 8. Urging Member States to improve the connection of rural areas both within themselves and to the rest of the country by: a) allocating parts of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) towards revising and improving the quality of roads in rural areas, b) increasing the availability of means of public transport such as trains and busses; 9. Inviting Member States to facilitate the use of cars for young people in rural areas by: a) introducing grants for students from rural areas that are pursuing drivers licences, b) lowering the legal age for driving to 16 years in rural areas; 10. Calling upon local governments to increase the amount of available public meetings points, including recreational activities and public spaces for leisure; 11. Encouraging international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to host meetings and events such as festivals, conferences and forums in rural areas; 12. Instructing Member States to increase the amount of medical facilities in rural areas making at least one emergency facility available within a 15km radius; 13. Asking the European Commission to increase the sustainability of new housing in rural areas by introducing EU-wide regulations on housing plans; 14. Requesting Member States to improve working conditions and benefits of workers in rural areas by dra ing a nationwide plan; 15. Suggesting Member States implement proportional taxation, that is lower than in urban areas, for companies being established in rural areas; 16. Inviting Member States to consider the creation of technology hubs with lower taxes in remote areas;

33

The Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (R.E.P.S) is a policy in Ireland that aims to conserve natural features on farmland through voluntary grant schemes on a nationwide basis and within certain designated areas.

34 The Green Low Carbon Environmental Scheme (GLAS) is a policy in Ireland that targets the objectives of climate change, water quality and biodiversity with focus on farming.

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17. Congratulating the European Commission for the national Common Agricultural Policy plans aiming to make the internet accessible to the whole rural population by 2025; 18. Encouraging Member States to include the teaching of digital skills in public educational institutions as well as in other easily accessible public spaces such as libraries.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY (ITRE) Gatekeeping Information: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine halted international research collaborations such as the eROSITA telescope program, resulting in significant financial and knowledge costs. Considering that international collaborations are required for advanced technological research, can the EU ensure that knowledge sharing and scientific advancements are commonly enjoyed despite political interests?

Submitted by: Jonas Frombach (DE), Elisabeth Gienapp (FI), Aava Holopainen (FI), Olga Knuth (FI), Talemwa Nanyange Kyambadde (FI), Ryan Page (SE), Sofie Savander (FI), Trove Tiedemann (FI), Anastasia Vakaloudi (IE), Verna Valli (FI), Hanna Zwinger (FI), Andrea Soteriou (CY, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to ensure access to knowledge to everyone, and the continuation of scientific cooperation despite the ongoing political climate. Through encouraging cross examination, peer assessment of publications, and global cooperation, we provide more resourceful scientific research. Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine has halted several international research projects. Even so, a clear distinction between Russian scientists and the Russian Government can be made. Therefore, we aim to gradually restart these projects to remedy the loss of funding, information, and innovation,

because ● The importance of international research cooperation is not highlighted enough by the fact that EU expenditure on Research and Development (R&D) has risen with a steady yet slow growth, and comprises only 2.3% of GDP, ● National governments prioritise domestic interests in determining how research is released and providing funding to universities and research institutions, ● Limitations on the dissemination of scientific information stops cross examinations and peer assessment, which contributes to the risk of inaccurate results and the spread of misinformation, ● Issues such as global warming have global and non-excludable effects, and as a result do not stop at the EU border, making international collaborations crucial, 26

● The scientific communityʼs urgent and collaborative response to COVID-19 showcased the international capacity to cooperate on pressing issues, ● Non-collaborative research leads to a non-efficient use of resources, whereas Research and Innovation (R&I) collaborations such as the CERN project would not have been possible without international collaboration, ● Only 11.7% of the money going into R&D is publicly sourced, with two thirds of investment in innovation funded commercially and privately, ● Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine led to 56 academic research projects and grants between Russia and the EU being cancelled by May 2022, such as the eROSITA project35 between Germany and Russia, ● The European Commission has decided not to enter any scientific agreements with Russia and Belarus under Horizon36, ● Russia has announced its plans to leave the International Space Station (ISS), and will begin to withdraw access to fundamental elements in the mission such as attitude control and debris avoidance manoeuvres, ● The invasion of Ukraine discontinued scientific collaborations with Ukrainian research institutes, and disrupted the flow of skills and knowledge between Ukraine and the rest of Europe, while destructing tech and innovation facilities in Ukraine, ● The European Commissionʼs Directorate-General for Research and Innovation37, as a result of cancelled or discontinued research programmes, experienced considerable financial loss; by 1. Advising the European Commission to dra a directive which will harmonise the research priorities of EU countries in order to: a) allow for more collaboration, b) aim for R&D to account for at least 4% of GDP by 2030; 35

eROSITA is a telescope mission jointly funded by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and Russiaʼs Roscosmos, which aimed to make the largest ever map of black holes in the universe.

36 Horizon is the EUʼs main funding and framework programme for R&D in 2021-2027, with a budget of EUR 95.5 billion.

37 The European Commissionʼs Directorate-General for Research and Innovation is responsible for the EU policy and allocating funding for research, science and innovation.

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2. Increasing public access to scientific publications via online, hybrid and in-person conferences and forums, which will: a) be co-organised by the International Science Council38 (ISC), and the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF)39, b) ensure that the publicised information is not put to malign use by requiring Academic credentials from participants; 3. Urging Horizon to support public knowledge and research sharing, by subsidising: a) institutions which research and publicise their results on publicly enjoyed welfare, health, and environmental concerns, b) private researchers which have committed to information sharing on Capacity4Dev40 and Open Research Europe; 4. Calling upon the Council to collaborate with the COVID-19 response team to dra framework for public healthcare and environmental research, in order to:

a

a) learn from the practices used to combat the pandemic, b) expand on its capacity to tackle public scientific concerns; 5. Inviting a collaboration between Capacity4Dev and Open Research Europe, which will enable information, tool, and knowledge sharing online for research facilities, and: a) be monitored by an objective international body, which will assess which research could be disseminated publicly without being put to malign use, b) have the potential to be funded by Horizon, at the consideration of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation; 6. Suggesting that the European Commission revises the method used to determine the cost of research projects, so that: a) it can be universally used throughout Europe, b) researchers can better estimate whether they meet the eligibility criteria for funding programmes,

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The International Science Council (ISC) supports a vision of R&D as a global public good, collaborating with organisations such as the Inter-Academy Partnership, Global Young Academy, and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations to achieve this.

39 The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) created by EuroScience in 2004, is the largest biennial interdisciplinary meeting on science and innovation in Europe, for and with society.

40 Capacity4Dev is the European Commissionʼs knowledge sharing platform for International Cooperation and Development.

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c) more research can be publicly funded; 7. Encouraging EU Member States to restart collaborations with Russian scientists, while: a) ensuring the safety of European scientists, through collaboration with Amnesty International, b) keeping EU interests in mind, yet still contributing towards environmental and climate research, such as the study of the Siberian Arctic, c) considering relocating projects which are able to be moved, such as eROSITA, to the EU; 8. Further encouraging the collaboration between humanitarian organisations such as ReliefWeb41, the ISC, and scientific funding programmes like the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)42, in order to enable: a) the migration of scientists and researchers, b) the flow of research and knowledge programmes from conflict regions to the EU; 9. Advising the European Space Agency (ESA) to seek a continuation of collaboration with Russia on the ISS; 10. Requesting that the Member States to provide accommodation, funding, as well as protection and free visas for Ukrainian researchers temporarily moving to the EU Member States to continue their research; 11. Inviting the European Commission to expand the Open Research Europe43 platform to include a space to store and share data from cancelled projects so that the raw data can be repurposed or further researched; 12. Trusting the Council to introduce guidelines on how research institutions may prepare for the event of a cancellation of a project, and plan ahead for alternative uses for the cancelled projectʼs data, facilities and other already financed utilities.

41

ReliefWeb is a humanitarian information service provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

42 The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), is a funding organisation for research networks, which hosts collaboration between scientists in its 40 Member States.

43 Open Research Europe enables researchers to publish any research they wish to share, supporting reproducibility, transparency and impact. It uses an open research publishing model, where publications have an open invited peer review.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE I (SEDE I) Baltic security: The Baltic Sea is essential for enabling trade, energy security but mostly safety for the Baltic Sea Region. Taking into account the increased risks of Russia's presence in the Baltic Sea, how can the EU help improve the maritime defence and offence mechanisms of the Baltic Sea region?

Submitted by: Filip Bengtson (SE), Darragh Halpin (IE), Victor Sebastian Lihr Sandal (FI), Nikolina Mustonen (UA), Ville Niemi (FI), Maare Karmen Oras (EE), Sofus Johannes Otto (DK), Leo Pettersson (SE), Rebecca Teinilä (FI), Ina Väisänen (FI), Hannah Wessels (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament aims to strengthen the security and cooperation in the Baltic Sea, as this matter has gained more urgency a er the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Therefore, we urge the Baltic Sea region nations to take action in the domain of maritime defence, for example through increasing the naval security information flows between these countries,

because ● Russia has shown to be a hostile presence in the Baltic Sea, for example showing through several intimidating military operations in the exclusive economic zones of Baltic Sea region countries, ● There is a perceived increasing threat of cyberattacks from Russia in the Baltic Sea, mainly on onshore facilities like ports, ● Russiaʼs maritime intimidation in the Baltic Sea is o en not violating the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)44, enabling Russia to continue their hostile attitude without repercussions, ● The Kaliningrad Oblast45 proves to be a territorial advantage, given Russia may use it to cut off the Baltic nations from the rest of Europe Europe by land and sea,

44

The United Nations Convention of the Sea: The UNCLOS is an international agreement that forms the legal framework for all maritime activities.

45 Kaliningrad Oblast: Kaliningrad is a Russian region which does not share borders with the mainland of Russia, but instead with Poland and Lithuania, and lies at the Baltic Sea. It is the main hub for the Russian navy and it harbours nuclear missiles.

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● The Baltic Sea is of great economic and military value to the countries in the Baltic Sea region, creating both opportunities and pressure in the sea, ● Countries in the Baltic Sea region are highly dependent on Russian imports and energy, ● The Baltic Sea provides the Baltic Sea Region with trade routes, communication infrastructure and energy, making the sea particularly vulnerable to hybrid warfare46, ● Apathy towards Baltic Sea defence and the Baltic Sea region countriesʼ primary focus on land-based operations has taken away attention from the development of maritime defence in the Baltic Sea, ● Countries in the Baltic Sea region are insufficiently sharing data such as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR47), leading to a lack of uniform Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA48), ● Countries in the Baltic Sea region are highly dependent on third parties, like the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), for their maritime defence, which could lead to insufficient investments from the Baltic Sea nations in their own maritime defence capabilities, ● Maritime naval operations o en rely on the airforce in order to effectively conduct operations; by 1. Asking the United Nations to organise an assembly to identify and reconsider what constitutes as peaceful or hostile maritime behaviour in the UNCLOS; 2. Urging the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)49 to use the EDF to invest in the domestic naval defence systems of the Baltic Sea region states, with priority to the regions that surround the Kaliningrad Oblast;

46

Hybrid Warfare: When conventional warfare methods are used in combination with unconventional methods, we speak of hybrid warfare#. For example, when a state does not only use traditional military strategies but also commits cyberwarfare.

47 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance: The collecting and processing of information and intelligence that support the decision making processes of military commanders.

48 Maritime Domain Awareness: The understanding of any factors associated with maritime domain that can impact the security, safety, economy or the environment by collecting, analysing and sharing data.

49 The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space: leads the European Commissionʼs activities in the Defence Industry and Space sector.

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3. Advising Baltic Sea region Member States to further divest from Russian energy sources by increasing their financial allocation for alternative energy sources; 4. Calling upon DG DEFIS to support the improvement of naval cybersecurity in the Baltic Sea by increasing the budget for the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)50; 5. Further asking NATO to provide progressive financial aid the Baltic Sea region countries to improve their domestic maritime defence equipment; 6. Calling upon the Baltic Sea region countriesʼ Ministers of Defence to design more military programmes that place a special importance of the air force and the navy in the Baltic Sea region; 7. Calling upon DG DEFIS to further develop frameworks for procedures in the event of a maritime security crisis; 8. Requesting the to stimulate the MDA information flows between the countries in the Baltic Sea region by: a) supporting the construction and expansion of the analytical centre in Rostock, Germany, b) funding Member States to improve their maritime ISR through the European Defence Fund (EDF)51, c) starting a combined naval operation centre located in one of the Baltic region Member States; 9. Encouraging the countries in the Baltic Sea region to improve their naval defence interoperability by organising a summit involving their heads of state and military high command to discuss future actions in the maritime and air defence domain.

50

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity: The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) contributes to EU cyber policy and enhances the trustworthiness of ICT products, services and processes.

51 The European Defence Fund (EDF): The EDF supports projects to develop European defence capabilities and increase defence research.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS I (EMPL I) Landlording it over us: With Rents across the EU 10% higher than 2010 and house prices having increased 42% in the same time, what can Europe do to ensure access to truly affordable housing is available to all citizens?

Submitted by: Ksenia Hlushchuk (FI), Cléo Huotari (FI), Johan Hurtig (FI), Peppi Huttenun (FI), Trine Johanssen (DK), Simon Kalmus (SE), Aleksey Lyakhovetskiy (DE), Iilvari Mantere (FI), Eli Monami (BE), Iida Paavilainen (FI), Veera Vikman (FI) and Charlie Norah Anderson (SE, Chairperson)

The European Youth Parliament aims to ensure affordable housing to Member States, additionally refining the current system. Moreover, we recognise the complexity of this topic and are gravely concerned by the state of housing markets across the EU. We hope to create an accessible and discrimination-free housing market, with a focus on economically vulnerable people. These targets are to be reached,

because ● Urbanisation52 increases the demand for housing in cities, thereby reducing the availability of affordable housing, ● Member States have different rent regulation53, resulting in inconsistent rent prices across time, ● Insufficient aid is offered to people facing homelessness across Member States, ● Member Statesʼ policies assisting students, low income households, and immigrants and refugees who face unaffordable housing have varying levels of coverage and success, ● The ever-increasing value of housing over-encourages personal and corporate investment, leading to unoccupied accommodations which could otherwise be of use,

52 53

Urbanisation refers to mass immigration to a distinct area, resulting in a more urban area.

Rent regulation is a law system, ensuring the affordability of housing.

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● Gentrification54,the process of affluent people purchasing housing in poorer areas, contributes to housing stress55 and fearing eviction for low income tenants, ● The cost for construction, housing, and living has significantly increased in the past ten years, ● The lack of social housing and insufficient city planning is causing a socioeconomic division due to housing stress;

by 1. Inviting Member States to put a maximum limit on the annual increase of rent to 15% unless the value of the housing has increased due to actions taken by the landlord; 2. Calling upon Member States to regulate short-term housing rentals through: a. introducing limits for landlords on frequent, short-term rentals, b. limiting the amount of short-term rental properties by requiring permits; 3. Calls upon Member States to implement Finlandʼs regulation on terminating leases by: a. only allowing landlords to terminate the contract immediately if the tenant has damaged the housing, b. giving tenants who have been renting for more than a year a six-month timeframe to find new accommodation, c. giving tenants a three-month timeframe to find new accommodation if they have been renting for less than a year; 4. Inviting Member States to introduce random evaluations of landlordsʼ application process to ensure discrimination and irregular changes in contracts are hindered; 5. Inviting Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to provide logistic and financial assistance in rapid housing possibilities; 6. Calling upon Member States to assure social housing to those in need by:

54

Gentrification is the process of affluent individuals moving to poor urban areas, displacing current inhabitants.

55 Housing stress refers to when an individual or familiesʼ housing costs either through rent or mortgage payments exceed 30% of their total income.

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a. making laws about a certain portion of all housing being social housing in all areas in order to assure social diversity and to prevent pronounced inequalities between neighbourhoods, b. ensuring diversity between types of housing in all neighbourhoods; 7. Encouraging Member States to offer social funding to citizens experiencing housing stress by distributing financial support equally to households; 8. Urging Member States to expand student benefits and ensuring sufficient student housing by: a. providing loans, b. ensuring easier access to scholarships and counselling, c. governmentally and financially supporting them; 9. Further calling upon the Member States to implement a vacancy tax56 on apartments that have been vacant continuously for two months, ultimately being seized from the owner a er six months; 10. Inviting Member States to further distribute local governmental agencies and necessary infrastructure in rural and suburban areas; 11. Urging Member States to geographically distribute future higher education campuses throughout cities more broadly; 12. Requesting the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture (EAC) to introduce educational events to target socioeconomic isolation.

56

Vacancy tax is a financial penalty, assigned when landlords allow their residence to remain empty for a long time.

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