Kuopio 2015 - Preparation Kit by EYP Finland

Kuopio 2015

Regional Session of EYP Finland

Preparation Kit for Delegates Kuopio, Finland 6th - 8th November 2015

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

Letter from the President Dear delegates, dear participants of Kuopio 2015, With this Academic Preparation Kit and the committee you have chosen the Chairs’ Team of Kuopio 2015 aims to empower you to research further and ultimately synthesise your own informed opinion under the theme “Science and Research – the Key to Innovation”. Be it a specific conflict in your topic, the exact workings of an intriguing institution relevant to it, or pondering upon how your topic relates to the EU’s role in the world: what gets you thinking? What would you change? Trust that the things you have found to be important are important. The foundation of the session rests on your opinions. Research and innovation are instrumental for the future of the EU; a future that is expected to elevate the EU to an international leader in applications of innovative thinking and research. The scientific community of the EU has been faced with a multitude of challenges which range from access to finance and administrative burdens to growing gender disparity and applicability of inventions to the market. The Chairs’ Team has worked passionately on making this as accessible as possible to you, and will continue to do so in the future. I am certain that you will use the cooperative approach we have taken to this session as an incentive to go all the way with our work.

We are delighted to embark upon this session as a joint venture with all of you, and cannot wait to get to know you in person.

On behalf of the Chairs’ Team of the session: Anja, Armine, Ella, Elina, Henriikka, Ioana, Irem, Iuliia, Kristen, Maya, Melissa, Mirjam, Naomi, Nicola, Phoebe, Riikka, Storm & Yannick,

Truly yours,

Fahad Saher President of Kuopio 2015 – Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland

European Youth Parliament Finland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org â&#x20AC;&#x201C; info@eypfinland.org

European Youth Parliament (EYP) The European Youth Parliament represents a non-partisan and independent educational project, which is tailored specifically to the needs of the young European citizens. European Youth Parliament Finland, established in 2001, is the National Committee of the EYP in Finland. The EYP encourages independent thinking and initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since its inauguration, many tens of thousands of young people have taken part in Regional, National and International Sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond borders. The EYP has thus mad a vital contribution towards uniting Europe. Today the EYP is one of the largest European platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The EYP consists of a network of 41 European associations in which thousands of young people are active in a voluntary capacity. The EYP is a programme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation.

European Union (EU) The European Union is an economic and political union of 28 Member States. The EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 upon the foundations of the European Communities. The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws, which apply in all Member States, and ensures the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, including the abolition of passport controls within the Schengen area. It enacts legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Eighteen Member States have adopted a common currency, the euro. With a view to its relations with the wider world, the EU has developed a limited role in foreign and defence policy through the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Permanent diplomatic missions have been established around the world and the EU is represented at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the G8 and the G-20. The EU operates through a hybrid system of supranationalism and intergovernmentalism. In certain areas decisions are taken by independent institutions, while in others, they are made through negotiation between Member States. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community formed by six countries in the 1950s. Since the, it has grown in size through enlargement, and in power through the addition of policy areas to its remit. The last amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU came into force in 2009 and was the Lisbon Treaty.

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

The Institutions of the European Union The European Council is responsible for defining the general political direction and priorities of the EU. It comprises the heads of state of government of EU Member States, along with its President (currently Donald Tusk from Poland) and the President of the Commission. The Council of the European Union (commonly referred to as the Council of Ministers) is the institution in the legislature of the EU representing the governments of Member States, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The exact membership depends on the topic: for instance, when discussing agricultural policy the Council is formed by the 28 national ministers whose portfolio includes this policy area. The European Parliament is directly elected parliamentary institution of the EU. Together with the Council, it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the EU. The Parliament is composed of 751 MEPs. The current president is Martin Schultz from Germany. The European Commission is the executive body of the EU. It is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union. The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 28 commissioners. The Current President is Jean-Claude Juncker from Luxembourg. Other important institutions of the EU include the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Central Bank. The EU also has several agencies and other institutions. The Fundamentals of the European Union This section will provide an insight into the aims, processes and rules of governance of the European Union. The following videos introduce key aspects of EU procedural mechanisms and provide fundamental information in many of the current topics on the EU agenda. The EU Institutions Explained by their former Presidents https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Iow8MXFI A view from the inside: the former Presidents of the main European Union institutions share their views on how the EU actually works. Who does what? What’s specific to each institution? What is the role of the President? How do they see Europe’s future? How it works: European Laws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypMvDKW5qm0 This animated video guides the viewer through the Ordinary Legislative Procedure and highlights the procedures that lead to the adoption of a new piece of legislation. The animated guide also clearly distinguishes the areas of jurisdiction

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

of all the institutions included in the EU legislative procedure. How it works: European Parliament http://europarltv.europa.eu/en/player.aspx?pid=24dd4d92-1193-4ebc-b5d8-9f2800a4a40e European Parliament explained: who its Members are, how their work is organised, what powers they yield and the impact of all this on the daily life of Europeans. How it works: What will the Lisbon Treaty change for the Parliament? http://europarltv.europa.eu/en/player.aspx?pid=37423070-7f65-4d37-bc7d-2aa05a8825c0 The European Parliament stands to gain the most from the Lisbon Treaty. Not only will the number of MEPs increase, but also their powers to decide together with the Council on matters such as agriculture, justice and home affairs, and the budget. The Parliament’s political control of the European Commission will also be strengthened. Horizon 2020 – General Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CimJI88c4fE Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly EUR 80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014-2020). Find out more about Horizon 2020 in this three-minute animation which will give you a general overview of the programme.

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Committee Topics 1. Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) Chairpersons: Iuliia Drobysh (UA) & Nicola Ortu (IT) The key to innovation? How can the EU build on platforms, such as Open Education Europe, to further stimulate research, practices, and the use of innovative technologies in online and offline education?

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

5. Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Rights (FEMM) Chairperson: Melissa Forss (FI) The deficit in research and innovation: with the EU failing to meet its goals of more equal gender representation in leasing public sector reseatch positions, how can the EU ensure gender equality and gender mainstreaming in research?

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

1. Committee on Culture and Educatio (CULT) Chairpersons: Iuliia Drobysh (UA) & Nicola Ortu (IT) The key to innovation? How can the EU build on platforms, such as Open Education Europe, to further stimulate research, practices, and the use of innovative technologies in online and offline education? Executive Summary The 21st century is often considered the age of the ‘digital natives’. People who are born or brought up in the age of digital technology are familiar with computers, as well as other online and offline digital technologies from a very early age. As a result, these innovative technologies have increasingly been introduced to a range of fields, including education. However, teaching in Europe is still mainly lead through classical practices, which may not take into account the needs of the students from digital generation. With the quality of education and supply of skills increasing worldwide, Europe’s educational institutions need to keep up and take advantage of available technologies to ensure the future of the European youth in an extremely competitive labour market. Main Problem The use of the innovative technologies in education requires greater expenses than classical classroom practices. This is due to the fact that such innovative technologies are often expensive, require frequent technological updates, and require an Information Technology (IT) expert when technological issues need to be resolved. Therewith, financing the acquisition and use of technologies not only requires high short-term expenses, but also long-term expenses. Furthermore, the introduction of innovative technologies in school may cause resistance due to their comfort with the status-quo and as teachers may see incorporating innovative technologies in their teaching methods as something outside of their job descriptions. Some professors and teachers might not be technologically literate enough to understand these innovative technologies. This raises the question of whether teachers are able integrate technology and innovation into their teaching methods. Professors and teachers, thus, might need to invest significant efforts to be able to commit themselves to a new approach. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC): DG EAC is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for policy on education, culture, youth, languages and sport. It supports and enhances the quality of education across the European Union by spreading different methods of teaching and learning, funding a variety of educational projects, and increasing access to education. Students: Students in the European Union come from very different backgrounds and educational systems, but were all born in the digital generation. Consequently, traditional learning methods, such as frontal teaching, no longer suffice in the classroom. Students require access to innovative education, both online and offline, to learn efficiently.

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Educational institutions: Educational institutions in Europe vary greatly in their teaching methods. However, the majority of educational institutions in Europe still follow traditional methods of teaching, rather than keeping up with the needs of students. Educational institutions may be reluctant to change their ways, have staffs that are reluctant to change their teaching methods, or lack the funds to apply invest in innovative technologies. European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): The EIT aims to enhance Europe’s ability to innovate. This means that it focuses on how Europe should adapt to the rapidly developing field of technology and can provide innovative solutions to emerging and existing societal problems, as well as developing products that meet the needs of modern consumers. EU Member States: Different Member States are developing their own educational programmes, such as the Classi 2.0 programme in Italy, the Escuela 2.0 programme in Spain and the Capital programme in England. There is very little cooperation amongst Member States when it comes to education, as it remains the responsibility of individual Member States. Current Legislation & Policies Open Education Europa The European Commission launched Open Education Europa in September 2013 as part of the Opening Up Education initiative to provide a single gateway to European open educational resources (OERs). Open Education Europa offers access to all existing European OERs in different languages in order to share these with learners, teachers and researchers. Open Education Europa is an open-source technology, offering tools for communicating, sharing and discussing. Open Educational Policy for Europe Open Educational Policy for Europe is a project of Creative Commons that brings together a coalition of international experts to strengthen the implementation of open education policies across Europe. It aims to take advantage of the current high profile of open education in Europe, demonstrated by the prominent place of OER in the new educational initiative Opening Up Education. Communication on Rethinking Education Rethinking Education was set up in 2012 to reform education systems across the EU so as to meet growing demand for higher skills levels and reduce unemployment. The initiative focuses on reform as regards the quality, accessibility, and funding of education. It believes these reforms should be designed to raise basic skills levels, promote apprenticeships, promote entrepreneurial skills, and improve foreign language skills. Education and Training Monitor 2014 The Education and Training Monitor is an annually conducted report on the evolution of education and training systems across Europe, bringing together the latest quantitative and qualitative data, recent technical reports and studies, as well as policy documents and developments.

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Horizon 2020 Horizon 2020 programme will provide more than EUR 80 billion in funding towards Research and Development (R&D) between 2014 and 2020. Perspectives Students are generally open to changes in teaching methods and may find traditional teaching methods to no longer be appropriate. Modern technology offers today’s teachers new ways to interact with their students. Social media, mobile devices, and laptops – there are vast opportunities for creating engaging classroom instruction. The question that arises revolves around the role of the EU herein: how can the EU play an integral role in the future development of education? Furthermore, the DG EAC is working in order to improve the status of online education and educational practices across the Union, as part of the programme Horizon 2020 and the Digital Agenda. Teachers given the average age of teachers in Europe, show an overall reluctance which sees professors stuck to their own practices, which possibly could be out-dated. Does this call for alternative measures? And to which extent should teaching methods be harmonised in the Member States?

Key Words & Definitions Innovative technologies: Innovative technologies comprise new products and processes, as well as significant technological changes to products and processes. Offline education: Comprises all education that does not require the use of the Internet. Offline education can still be achieved through technological means, such as computers and tablets. Online education: Online education comprises all educational that is delivered via the Internet to students’ using. Usually, online degree programs and courses are offered through educational institutions’ online learning platforms, although some are delivered using alternative technologies. Digital natives: Digital natives are people who grew up in the Digital Age, using technology as a way to communicate, educate, and understand society. Most of today’s teenagers are digital natives, as they have had access to computers, mobile phones, email, and other forms of technology since a very young age. Digital natives speak the language of technology and are as comfortable with technology as past generations have been with pen and paper.

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

Links List of projects by the EU promoting ICT in education from the European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/ict-education A study on the use of ICT in schools from the European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/survey-schools-ict-education Transitioning from Pens to Tablets, an article from the BBC (2013). http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24015255 TedX talk on the role of technology in modern education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0s_M6xKxNc

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2. Committee on Development (DEVE) Chairpersons: Armine Khamoyan (AM) & Riikka Nieminen (FI) Beyond the domestic labour debate: with competitiveness and cheap labour pushing many European clothing and textile companies to manufacture their products abroad, how can the EU ensure that the presence of these companies abroad contributes to development in an empowering, participatory, and sustainable manner? Executive Summary “People spotted the opportunity to save money by manufacturing abroad, went after it and never looked back.” – Philip Green, the Chairman of the retail giant Arcadia Group The textile and clothing industry products are used by virtually everybody – private households and businesses alike. This entails large demands and subsequently, ever-continuing need of productivity and cost-cutting for the involved organisations. In view of the aforementioned and with the rise of globalisation and increasing trends towards the liberalisation of world markets, a number of European Union (EU) textile and clothing companies have moved their production abroad, which affected on the development of these countries. Main Problem In 2013 one of the deadliest industrial disasters took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh when the eight-storey Rana Plaza factory building collapsed, taking approximately 1.100 people’s lives and leaving over 2500 injured. Although it was not the first time this type of incident occurred, it caused a rapid increase of both companies’ and consumers’ awareness of the poor working conditions among the clothing and textile industry. According to the European Environment Agency, the EU becoming greener and reducing its environmental footprint can be explained by the results of outsourcing the production to developing countries. European laws do not bind the factories that are located in developing countries. This means that it is up to the producing countries to ensure that the factories do not utilise toxic colours or neglect the recycling of the garments. Outsourcing the production, hence, does not only increase the risk of unsustainable production, but also potentially jeopardises human rights by wilfully neglecting them. Currently, the promotion of safe work environment and more sustainable production is based on agreements and voluntary actions. There is no EU wide legislation that would demand that companies take responsibility on issues regarding human rights and sustainability. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts Consumers: The success of the companies is based on European consumers’ purchase decisions. This means that the ability to shape the business is strong among the consumers.

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European companies: Clothing and textile companies want to produce their garments in low-cost countries. This enables them to generate greater profit whilst selling their garments at a lower price with little to no attention for their respective consequences. International Labour Organisation (ILO): As a specialised agency of the United Nations, the ILO aims at ensuring that employees worldwide have decent working conditions. Low-cost production countries: In these countries the production of garments is often significantly cheaper (e.g. labour wages in Vietnam are EUR 0.22 per hour, EUR 0.40 in China, and EUR 15 in Germany). Current Legislation & Policies The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (the Accord): A legally binding agreement between global brands, retailers, and trade unions that was created soon after the Rana Plaza accident. It aims at ensuring that the working conditions at factories that produce garments for the European clothing and textile companies are safe. Not all European companies however are part of the agreement. Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP): The GSP was created by the EU to ensure that developing countries will have easier access to the European market. In practice this means that these countries will have reduced tariffs or no tariffs at all for their products. Framework Agreements: Agreements reached through social dialogues and negotiations between global trade union federations and multinational enterprises: they reflect shared principles that will guide the multinational companies and their supply chain. The main purpose of a framework agreement is to establish formal on-going relationships between the dialogue partners to resolve specific problems and to cooperate on broader issues. Key Words Clothing and textile industry, Outsourcing, Retailers, Foreign suppliers, Labour provisions, Lean retailing Definitions Offshoring: the practice of moving a company’s operating base to a country where labour costs are cheaper. Sweatshop (or sweat factory): a negatively connoted term for a working environment considered to be unacceptably dangerous or difficult to operate in. Sweatshop employees often work long hours for low wages. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): an investment made by a company or entity based in one country, into a company or entity based in another country.

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Value Chain (VC): the sequence of all activities required to make a product and bring it to the consumer. Local Economic Development (LED): a process that facilitates local government, the private and not-for-profit sectors, and local communities to work together to improve the local economy by focusing on enhancing enterprises’ competitiveness. Sustainable enterprise: an enterprise that operates a business so as to be viable, and recognises the social aspirations of people inside and outside the organisation, as well as of the impacts on the natural environment of its operations.

Statistics Selected origin of EU imports of textiles and clothing in 2013 Source: Euratex Link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/140841REV1-Workers-conditions-in-the-textile-and-clothing-sector-just-anAsian-affair-FINAL.pdf Employment becomes increasingly precarious for workers in producing countries Source: Oxfam International. Better jobs in better supply chains. Briefings for Business No5. Link: https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/b4b-better-jobs-better-supply-chains.pdf Sources of competitive advantage Source: International Labour Office. Sustainable enterprise promotion through good workplace practices and human resource management. Course reader - Draft III Link: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_143000.pdf Page 48 Supply chain pressures Source: Green, D. (2009). From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World. Oxfam International. Link: https://books.google.am/books?id=eit2lEhCSvkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=From+poverty+to+power+how+active+cit izenship&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Page 159 Perspectives Even though ECA has tried to make some improvement in the last few years on corruption within EU finances, leading NGOs (ActionAid, Eurodad and Oxfam) warned that placing the private sector at the centre of EU development policy shows ministers have failed to acknowledge its limitations. Most Auditors acknowledge that there are some serious problems concerning corruption, and they are determined to solve them all. Are their plans actually working, or are the NGOs right after all?

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki http://www.eypfinland.org – info@eypfinland.org

Links BBC’s news about the Rana Plaza accident, May 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-22476774 The Guardian’s article about EU neglecting the environmental issues. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/07/eu-still-ignoring-impact-of-low-cost-imports-likeclothing-and-commodities About The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (the Accord). http://bangladeshaccord.org/ About International Labour Organisation (ILO). http://www.ilo.org/global/industries-and-sectors/textiles-clothing-leather-footwear/lang--en/index.htm Sustainable Enterprise Promotion Through Good Workplace Practices & Human Resource Management, a paper by the International Labour Office http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_143000.pdf The role of textile and clothing industries in growth and development strategies, a paper from the Overseas Development Institute. http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/3361.pdf Workers’ conditions in the textile and clothing sector: just an Asian affair? A briefing by the European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/140841REV1-Workers-conditions-in-the-textile-and-clothing-sector-just-an-Asian-affair-FINAL.pdf

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3. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Chairpersons: Ella-Maria Palkoaho (FI) & Anja Todorovic (RS) Research in motion: with barriers in place hampering researcher mobility and foreign researchers’ access to national grants, how can Member States work together to create a more open labour market for research? Executive Summary An open labour market and platforms for international scientific research have been one of the focal points for the European Union (EU) in its efforts to build the European Research Area (ERA). Unfortunately, a great disparity exists between Member States in terms of researcher opportunities, standards, and provisions, hampering researcher mobility between Member States. Main Problem One of the main issues concerning the mobility of researchers within the EU and other countries is the inequality as regards social benefits and provisions. When a country lacks such benefits and provisions, researchers are unlikely to pursue their work there. On the other hand, more attractive Member States receive an influx of foreign researchers which is often described as the brain-gain effect. Member States often also do not have proper systems in place to facilitate researcher mobility which provides problems concerning moving between Member States and collecting documents required by the Member States researchers are moving to. Moreover, the difficulty of moving one’s family from one country to another and language barriers affect researcher mobility. Researchers might also receive a lack of recognition for their research experience, especially for their earlier research endeavours, in the countries they are applying to work, which affects their recruitment opportunities and career development. Furthermore, there is no system in place supporting competitive and open international recruitment for researchers, leading to many young people deciding not to pursue a career in science and research. Researchers also lack a proper international network between Member States, which makes information and data sharing difficult. Accessibility to research funding in the EU often requires either citizenship in one of the Member States, or that the applicant currently resides or works in the EU. The European Research Council which is in charge of funding different researches provides grants for non-European researchers but only under the condition that their research is conducted in one of the Member States or one of the Associated countries. Furthermore it is also difficult for European researchers to get funding or grants which are provided by individual Member States, if they are applying for research funding in a country other than their native country or country of residence. If the certain Member States do not provide funding or grants for research, and researchers are unable to move to or apply for a job in a Member State that does, it makes it extremely difficult for these researchers to receive funding for research. Individual Member States, understandably, may also be reluctant to fund the research of foreigners, for it might not be directly beneficial to the country itself. Scientific research might not be a priority for many countries, especially those still recovering from the economic recession. They may rather allocate their resources to other policy areas or social provi-

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sions, making themselves more attractive so researchers will have no motive to leave, instead of facilitating researcher mobility. On the other hand, those Member States considered more attractive may benefit from the brain-gain effect and not be eager to cooperate, as they receive an influx of highly-skilled researchers and giving them an edge over international competition. Furthermore, certain Member States may not be able to receive the perks of researcher mobility and participate equally as regards research and innovation because they lack the resources to do so. Despite the existence of multiple different programs such as the ERA and other efforts introducing more accessible national grants and international funding, the mobility of researchers and funding of foreign researchers are therefore pressing issues in the EU. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts The Directorate General for Research & Innovation (DG R&I) is the department of the European Commission that focuses on research and innovation, emphasizes the importance of researcher mobility and funding of scientific research. Its goals are keeping the EU competitive in the international market and improving the quality of life within the EU through research and innovation. Member States still carry a lot of individual responsibility in providing support for research, as they are the primary source of research funding. Some Member States invest more money into innovation and research, making them more attractive to researchers, whereas others may not have the resources to do so. Researchers themselves are often motivated to work abroad and conduct international research, but are hindered by the different rules of different Member States. Working internationally is a great way for researchers to gain more experience and improve future prospects. Research institutions, such as the Aalto University in Finland for example, often prefer a more international base of researchers, for it provides interesting insights, and better conditions for and standards of research. Furthermore, some Member States may be more attractive because their research institutions have better tools and premises for conducting research than others. Current Legislations & Policies The European Commission established the European Research Area (ERA) which aims to build an open market for the free mobility of Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST). This programme includes different projects, such as the European Career in Research (E*CARE), which aims to identify the main forces and obstacles in research mobility. The Commission also created EURAXESS, a Pan-European network that aims to make the sharing of information, data, and vacancies easier for researchers. One of the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest projects in this field is Horizon 2020, which aims to provide grants to all researchers in and outside of the European Union.

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Perspectives One could argue that it is important to preserve the internal market and competition, to ensure competition between Member States to attract researchers. After all, Member States have the right to decide independently on how they want to participate in research and develop the EU. On the other hand, there would be more competition between European researchers as for who gets the job and receives funding. As they can freely choose where they want to work, this may lead to many researchers moving to wealthier Member States, as they have more to offer. However, it could also be argued that as a Union, the Member States should level the playing field and therefore, develop a fairer system as regards the distribution of researchers. They would have to cooperate in order to help those Member States currently suffering from brain-drain to develop better systems for attracting and funding researchers. Is the further development of the ERA programme sufficient to create an open market for research? Should all of the Member States create an equal platform for research mobility and funding? Or should they decide independently how to best allocate their resources? Would it be fair to require Member States to fund foreign researchers? Is building an open market for research beneficial to the whole EU? Should the Member States work together to improve researcher mobility in the whole European Union, or should they focus on their own endeavours? Key Words & Definitions ERA European Research Area: A unified European area open to the world, in which scientific knowledge, technology and researchers circulate freely. Article 4 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union): The article declares the EU shall share competence with the Member States. In the areas of research, technological development and space, they are allowed to define and implement programs, as long as they do not prevent Member States from exercising their own competence. This usually results in directives, which set goals which Member States must meet, but can decide on how they achieve them themselves. Researcher mobility: The ability of researchers to move from country to country, as well as the ability to share their work and knowledge internationally. Open labour market: Employees can freely interact and are free to compete for the best jobs, whilst employers are free to compete for the best employees. Definitions Brain-drain: The term used when describing the outflow of researchers to other countries in order to pursue better career opportunities. Countries that are not capable of offering satisfactory living conditions and allocating sufficient funding often suffer from this phenomenon, as researchers seek to work in more attractive countries.

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Brain-gain: The term used when describing the inflow of researchers, which is in other words the opposite effect of braindrain. More wealthy countries, capable of offering better circumstances for research reap the benefits of this phenomenon. Links Analysis on Researcher Mobility in the European Research Area. https://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/pdf/archive/fp7-evidence-base/experts_analysis/a.%20inzelt_-_researchers’_ mobility.pdf Inside view on Researcher Mobility. http://www2.archimedes.ee/mobility/presentations/meyer_fulltext.pdf European Research Council’s policies on non-European researcher funding. http://erc.europa.eu/non-european-researchers European Commission’s analysis on access and portability of grants. http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/pdf/research_policies/access_to_and_portability_of_grants_may_2012.pdf Consultation on the European Research Area, Permanent Representation of Romania to the European Union. http://ue.mae.ro/en/local-news/806 Official page of European Research Area. http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm European Commission’s official page of Research and innovation. http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=dg Statistics and Funding by EUROSTAT 2007 – 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:National_public_funding_to_transnationally_coordinated_research,_2007-2011.PNG Statistics, Human Resources in Science and Research by EUROSTAT 2010 – 2013. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Human_resources_in_science_and_ technology,_2010%E2%80%9313_YB15.png

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4. Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Chairpersons: Naomi Foale (UK) & Kristen Rosario (SE) Harvesting a sustainable economy: how can the EU promote the transition from the linear ”Take, Make, Dispose” model to a circular model of economy that aims to eradicate waste through careful design? Executive Summary The consumptive process of the “take, make, dispose” model of a linear economy was never designed to recover or feed back resources into the environment safely. Inherently then, based on population growth and the finite resources of our planet, this model is neither sustainable nor desirable. By contrast, a circular economy provides an alternative model which is continuous and cyclical. However, the European Commission has failed to take effective and decisive steps towards this sustainable economy by excluding the Circular Economy Package from its 2015 Work Programme , instead postponing the creation of a bolder proposal until the end of 2015. Main Problem The greatest obstacle in the creation of a circular economy lies in its economic liabilities for companies. Whilst sustainability is no doubt an asset to a company, the cheapest method is rarely the most environmentally sound and is unlikely to feed back into the economy. There has been little change to our production model since the industrial revolution for a reason; from an historical perspective it has had economic success. But how long can that success continue whilst it is environmentally damaging and therefore unsustainable? And how long will we have the resources to support it? One of the major issues with the introduction of the 2014 Circular Economy Package lay in the opposition it faced from lobby groups, including Business Europe. How can we create a circular economy when it is not supported by private enterprise? Additionally, the disparity between the legislation of Member States means that companies can move their businesses to Member States where there are fewer restrictive measures. How can we ensure that will businesses willingly cooperate in the transition to the circular economy? Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts The Directorate-General for Environment is a department of the European Commission which proposes and implements EU environmental policy, as well as ensuring that Member States correctly follow EU environmental law. Environmental policy is a shared competence of the EU and Member States which means that legislation regarding the creation of a circular economy can be introduced at both a national and EU level. EU law therefore always has precedence over national law in this policy area and means the EU can create directives Member States must comply with. These usually establish legally binding environmental targets that Member States can choose how to meet. The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the EU that aims to provide an independently reliable and extensive source of information pertaining to environmental matters. This is targeted notably towards those who intend to develop, adopt, implement, and evaluate environmental policies, as well as the general public. Furthermore, they undertake the

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task of assisting Member States and communities in executing informed decisions on environmental issues, coordinating environmental considerations into economic policies, and striving towards sustainability. Member Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cooperation is vital for any effective implementation of EU legislation. They are divided between the need for a circular economy for environmental sustainability in the best interest of their citizens and business desire for profitability and cost effectiveness. Integral to the transition are local governments and institutions which tend to implement environmental policies including waste management and promotion of environmentally sustainable behaviour. Consumers drive production in terms of type of product, cost and quality. The main interest of consumers lies in value for money products. Whilst this does not necessarily mean consumers purchase based only on cost, it does make it an important factor. Quality and longevity of products balanced with cost usually results in the purchase of an item, rather than what is most environmentally friendly. Businesses and private enterprises are vital to economic growth and therefore the creation of a circular economy. Businesses tend to prioritise their balance sheets over the environment. However, unless businesses create products that are environmentally sound, consumers cannot make environmentally conscious decisions when purchasing products. Simultaneously, businesses cannot create environmentally sound products unless there is demand from consumers for such products. Current Legislation & Policies Developed in 2014, the Green Action Plan for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) aims to support SMEs and help them make the most of the opportunities presented by a circular and greener economy. The primary principle involves demonstrating to SMEs how to turn environmental obstacles into enterprising opportunities. The Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan (SCP/SIP) seeks to improve the environmental sustainability of goods and to boost demand for such products. It includes a number of proposals which encourage innovation in these fields, whilst additionally aiming to encourage companies and corporations to exploit opportunities to create and innovate. Aspects of this plan include the EU Ecolabel, the Green Public Procurement (GPP), and the Ecodesign Directive. Additionally, the Eco-innovation Action Plan (EcoAP) aims to encourage industry to adopt eco-innovative methods of operation. It includes a seven point action plan with initiatives such as: funding instruments specifically aimed at supporting SMEs, training schemes aimed at eco-innovation and partnerships between public and private sectors to encourage cooperation in eco-innovation. Furthermore, the 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) will influence and govern environmental policy in the EU until 2020. It establishes clear targets with the aim of creating an efficient, environmentally sustainable and competitive EU economy. The Horizon 2020 programme will provide funding between 2014 and 2020 of more than EUR 80 billion towards Research and Development (R&D) into the obstacles faced by European economies. This will therefore support the kind of innovation

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needed in order to create a more circular economy. The Circular Economy Strategy Roadmap describes the main obstacles associated with the creation of a circular economy, according to the European Commission. It also provides an overview of the development of the initiative, including consultation of stakeholders and impact assessment work. Perspectives The greatest priority of businesses lies in minimal expenses and maximum short-term profitability, which may not necessarily be compatible with the transition to the circular economy. Particularly given the fast-paced and highly competitive nature of the current market, changes to their business model provide an element of risk to their economic survival. How can the EU both support and facilitate change within businesses in order to make the transition, whilst still protecting the competitiveness of businesses? The changes to consumer behaviour of citizens are undoubtedly vital for the transition. Citizens, however, have the right to freedom of expression, which allows them to choose how environmentally sustainable their consumer activities are. How can the EU encourage consumers to change their behaviour without infringing the right to freedom of expression? The EU has difficulty legislating for the transition given the disparity of opinions both within and between Member States. How can the EU appease the many different of conflicts of interest that exist regarding the transition to a circular economy? Key Words & Definitions Linear economy: an economic pattern of growth based on the principle of “take-make-consume-dispose”. This pattern requires an abundance of resources which can be disposed of inexpensively. Circular economy: as opposed to a linear economy, existing materials are reused, repaired, refurbished and recycled. Biological nutrients: by means of decomposition biological nutrients can safely and cleanly be released into the biosphere. Technological nutrients: unable to be released into the biosphere, technological nutrients are designed to be re-used, repaired, refurbished and recycled in order to facilitate the growth of a circular economy. Eco-innovation: any form of innovation aiming at significant and demonstrable progress towards the goal of sustainable development. Treaties on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 4, subsection 2: highlights the shared competence between the EU and Member States in several sectors such as, but are not limited to, environment, internal market, social policy, consumer protection, energy.

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Statistics Eco-innovation and eco-industries from within the EU are worth EUR 1 trillion and make up one third of the world’s market for environmentally friendly technology. This is predicted to double by the year 2020. Europe exports 9.5 million tonnes of waste to China each year. Europeans generated on average around 4.5 tonnes of waste per capita in 2010. Approximately half of this amount feeds back into the production process. Waste management and recycling industries in the EU have a turnover of EUR 145 billion (2008) representing around 1% of the EU’s GDP and 2 million jobs. Building a circular economy in Europe. Source: European Environmental Bureau. Hyperlink: http://www.eeb.org/EEB/assets/File/eeb_ce_infographic_2702_final-01(1).png Source: http://www.eeb.org/index.cfm/activities/sustainability/waste/building-the-circular-economy/ Links Dame Ellen MacArthur provides an inspirational insight into the future of the circular economy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cWaRRLh3k Infographics and infographic videos about the circular economy from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://kumu.io/ellenmacarthurfoundation/educational-resources#ce-general-resources-map/key-for-general-resources-map/intro-to-the-circular-economy A useful introductory video detailing the basics and benefits of a circular economy, produced by the European Commission in July 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URLP6a6a_wA Speech introducing the topic and its importance (between minutes 2:00 - 12:00) from the First Vice-President of European Commission Frans Timmermans, taken from the Closing the Loop - Circular Economy conference. https://scic.ec.europa.eu/streaming/index.php?es=2&sessionno=9fa83fec3cf3810e5680ed45f7124dce Scoping study to identify potential circular economy actions, priority sectors, material flows and value chains, European Commission, August 2014. http://www.ieep.eu/assets/1410/Circular_economy_scoping_study_-_Final_report.pdf The European Environmental Agency on the circular economy.

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http://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2014/articles/the-economy-resource-efficient-green Further details about the Eco-innovation Action Plan. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/about-action-plan/objectives-methodology/index_en.htm#objectives Further details about the Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/escp_en.htm Further details about the Green Action Plan. http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/business-friendly-environment/green-action-plan/index_en.htm Further details about the 7th Environmental Action Plan, with a video included on the page. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/action-programme/ Further details about Horizon 2020. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/

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5. Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) Chairperson: Melissa Forss (FI) The deficit in research and innovation: with the EU failing to meet its goals of more equal gender representation in leasing public sector reseatch positions, how can the EU ensure gender equality and gender mainstreaming in research? Executive Summary Women remain, with 33%, severely underrepresented in public sector research in the European Union (EU) even though they represent 47% of today’s PhD graduates. In addition to a matter of fairness, gender equality in research has been proven to increase financial performance, research quality and innovation. In a world of increased innovation competition, quality research is an important economic asset. Gender equality is part of the European Research and Innovation Policy aiming for equal participation and opportunities for both sexes. Despite the EU’s regulatory framework and directives on gender equality, labour market gender biases persist, preventing gender-balanced participation in research. Main Problem The full potential of the well-educated labour force needs to be harnessed in the European Research Area (ERA) in the face of increased innovation competition and weak economic growth. Equal gender representation in research can be attained only through transparent recruitment and promotion processes, unbiased evaluation of performance and gender-balanced decision-making. Full application and enforcement of the existing policies remains a key challenge as political, funding and institutional levels are all concerned in gender mainstreaming. The EU has set frameworks, directives and recommendations, but strong political commitment on a national level is required. Female representation in public research is also a socio-economic problem requiring different measures depending on the Member State as this is a more difficult dimension to implement in some areas. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts Since 1995, the EU has tried to foster gender equality in research. From 2012, this equality has been a key policy area, attempting to diversify and use the full capacity of all European citizens. The EU has a gender equality framework and several directives that apply throughout the European labour market and research sector encouraging to e.g. create legal and policy environment that would incentivise the removal of barriers for women’s career advancement and actively address gender imbalances in decision-making and research programmes, while encouraging simultaneously institutional cooperation. The EU lacks real power to enforce, monitor or measure policies with a goal-oriented mind-set in creating a free movement of researchers, ideas and resources. Even though the EU lacks the substantive power, it has the responsibility to ensure improvements in gender mainstreaming together with many other actors. National governments need to implement the directives passed by the EU, but the tools with which the goals are reached, are to be decided upon by individual Member States, that in turn have varying degrees of gender equality. National go-

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vernments need to be involved for better results (e.g. with incentives), requiring both financial means and national social policies as the problems vary from e.g. pay gaps to transparent and equal recruitment procedures and parental leaves. Funding and research institutions of the ERA need to ensure fair and transparent funding schemes, take women as part of decision-making, track gender biases and set up targets in order to promote institutional change as they are in the core of research and the problem. On average, only 33% of researchers of the ERA are women. Different fields of research also have very different representations of women, with the lowest in natural sciences, engineering and technology. Only a small minority of research fields have an equal gender representation. Current Legislation & Policies Framework: Horizon 2020: The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020). The biggest EU research and innovation programme working as an ethical guideline of gender mainstreaming (Articles 14, 19 and 34) in research under the umbrella of: -

The Charter for Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000), e.g. Article 23: Equality between women and

men must be ensured in all areas including employment, work and pay. -

The Treaty on European Union (2009), Article 2 and 3 bind Member States to non-discrimination and gender

equality. European Directives on equal economic independence, equal pay, equality in decision-making, parental leaves, equal opportunities and treatment of genders, equal treatment of men and women in terms of social security. The tools to fully implement these directives need to be evaluated and enforced on a national level. Several communications, recommendations, reports and council conclusions with no legal enforcement power. Perspectives Gender equality in research is linked to all parts of society, to different levels and actors. Who should be the one to enforce the measures, which ones and how in order to achieve results? - It is not in the interest of the EU to waste talent, and driving research and innovation is crucial for the economic future of the continent. Currently, the measures taken lack enforcement power. From the national governments, gender mainstreaming requires financial means and systemic coordination and communication with independent research institutions with their own system of governance. National governments almost never take part in programme design in the ERA. The responsibility of national governments can be described as “considering positive action measures to speed up the slow process in changing the societal structures of inequality.” - With limited funding, institutions struggle to provide needed support for parents. Research programmes have shown reluctance for transparency and gender mainstreaming. Women face discrimination directly and/or indirectly in male-led research fields, from acceptance to programmes to funding.

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Key Words Gender equality, innovation, research, gender bias, enforcement, mainstreaming Definitions Gender mainstreaming: Concept of assessing different implications for men and women of any planned action. This includes legislation, policies and programmes. The ultimate goal of gender mainstreaming is gender equality. Links European Commission: Policy, Gender Equality: information on the EU policies and the most recent reports. http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/index.cfm?pg=policy&lib=gender “Preliminary Results of She Figures 2015”, “Gender Equality Policies in Public Research”, and other publications related to gender in research by the European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/index.cfm?pg=library&lib=gender_equality She Figures 2012: EU statistical report on women in research. http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/pdf/pub_gender_equality/she-figures-2012_en.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none European Parliament Research Service, Women in Science and Research: analytical papers. http://epthinktank.eu/2015/04/21/women-in-science-and-research/ Gender Science, Technology and Environment: part of the EU Framework Programme. http://www.genderste.eu/i_research01.html League of European Research Universities: “Women, research and universities: excellence without gender bias”, June 2012: problems outlined from different perspectives. http://www.ub.edu/farmacia/recerca/LERU/LERU_Paper_Women_universities_and_research.pdf

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6. Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Chairpersons: Henriikka Hakala (FI) & Mirjam Pieters (NL) Paying the price for innovation: how can the EU allocate its funding to research and development, whilst maintaining the independence of scientific research funded by private actors and organisations? Executive Summary As Aristotle said thousands of years ago: “knowledge is power”. In a time where a global shift towards Asia is taking place, and Europe has to compete with countries such as India and China, where there are low salaries and plentiful resources, it is important to keep innovating. Investing in science means investing in Europe’s future as world power. Main Problem The principle of science is based on striving for objective and independent research. Although science is never fully objective, as it is subject to the interpretation of the researcher and dogmas in the scientific world, science always tries to be as objective as possible. For science, one must do research. Researchers are dependent on funding, which comes from both the governmental and the private sector. Through funding criteria these parties can influence the research done. With the allocation of research funding, the parties allocating it can favour a certain field of research, a method of research or research institutions. Research cannot take place without funding, which means that research is dependent on the grants allocated. At the moment the European Union (EU) is investing in research & development on a large scale. With initiatives such as Horizon 2020 the EU strives to stay a forerunner in knowledge. However, such a large funding asks for well thought out allocation. The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy is, hence, called on to deal with how the EU should allocate said funds without compromising the independence of research. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts The European Commission: The Commission directly manages European funding programmes, such as Horizon 2020, Eureka Eurostars and Life 2014 – 2020. Funds are often allocated for projects that involve large sums and have long lead times. EU Member States: Due to the returns on investment being uncertain, private investment in Research and Development (R&D) is often below an optimal level. Thus, governments play a key role in fostering investment in R&D. Companies: Companies are considered as the motors of economic growth. To contribute to the growth, they have to continuously improve their offering as well as create new goods and services. However, in order to innovate, they most often need to obtain funds from outside the firm. Since companies tend to be risk aversive when it comes to areas of high uncertainty, markets may fail if the investment cannot be undertaken by one company. That is why companies’ R&D departments

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can, more or less, be dependent on external financing. Private actors and organisations: Scientific research can be funded by private actors or organisations as well. In case an organisation wants to address a particular problem, it usually provides funds for a university or technical institute to conduct the research. All the same, private sector mostly provides ‘sub-optimal’ levels of investments since investing in research is prone to be risky and intangible. That is the reason why governments often ensure the provision of the research required to maintain the economic growth. Current Legislation & Policies EU Member States differ in terms of the public systems of R&D performance. To leverage private-sector R&D, governments can choose among many kinds of tools, e.g. offering firms direct or indirect support. Government direct R&D funding includes grants and loans whereas indirect R&D funding includes tax incentives. It is also important to take into account how each of these tools stimulates different types of R&D: short-term applied research is being stimulated by tax credits, whereas long-term research is being affected by direct subsidies. The aforementioned fiscal incentives are being widely used – almost 30 OECD countries provide the incentives in order to support business R&D, including Belgium, France and the Netherlands who have a long experience of the usage of such measures. In general, total R&D expenditure is split between public and private funding. While the public R&D funding reflects government’s commitment to promote research, the level of private R&D funding reflects the attractiveness of the national research. In the more advanced economies, private R&D is considered as the main component of total R&D expenditure. When it comes to being eligible to apply for funding, there are certain criteria the applicants have to meet. Most of the EU funded projects are collaborative projects and therefore there should be pools consisting of at least 3 organisations from different EU Member States or associated countries. While it is recommendable to conduct research in cross-cultural teams, it is also possible to submit an application as an individual researcher, team or organisation. In terms of the funding programmes currently taking place within the EU, Horizon 2020 – with nearly EUR 80 billion of funding available – is one of the most preeminent one of them. Horizon 2020 has three core values where the funded research are aimed at to be focused on: i.

excellent science – science that focuses on innovation,

ii.

industrial leadership – research that aims to find new technology, and

iii.

better society – research that improves the living standards.

Depending on the area of specialisation, it is possible to apply funds targeted to support the science made in different areas. For example, organisations specialising on biotechnology, ICT innovation or health can each submit a proposal that falls under the relevant section.

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Perspectives If funds for research will not be adequately allocated, it might compromise the reliability of research conducted. To foster a deeper understanding of the core problems the topic deals with, the following questions are subject for discussion: o How important is it for science to be independent? o To which extent should the parties that funding the research be allowed to influence the topic of the research? o How to ensure the funds are allocated in a way that supports the EU’s goals to i. produce world-class science ii. be in society’s benefit iii. enable the cooperation between the public and private sectors while delivering innovation? With this in mind, is it plausible to consider to which extent should develop the measures that are already in place? Key Words Independence of scientific research: The European Science Foundation specifies independence as one of its principles. Scientific research should be independent of “commissioning or interested parties, ideological or political pressure groups, and economic or financial interests”. Research and Development (R&D): Systematic activity that aims at creating new goods or finding solutions to problems. R&D can also lead to discovering new ways to improve existing products or procedures. Government direct and indirect R&D funding: Direct R&D funding includes grants, loans and procurement. Indirect R&D funding, in turn, consists of different types of tax incentives. Definitions Horizon 2020: The biggest EU Research and Innovation programme the goal of which is to ensure Europe produces worldclass science. It has nearly EUR 80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014–2020). Dogma: a settled or established opinion, belief or principle. Statistics Public and private R&D intensity in 2012 in the EU and some third countries. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-646_en.htm R&D spending across the public and private sector is worth approximately 2% of GDP which means the EU is behind international competitors, such as the United States and Japan. Therefore, increasing R&D spending to 3% of GDP is one of the key targets for the EU.

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D by source of funds, 2008 and 2013 (% of total gross expenditure on R&D) http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/R_%26_D_expenditure According to the table, EU Member States differ in terms of the business enterprise sector’s role as a source of R&D funding: For example, in Germany, business-funded R&D accounted for approximately 66% of total gross domestic expenditure on R&D whereas in Cyprus, Greece and Romania a majority of the expenditure (66%, 52% and 52% accordingly) was funded by the government sector. Within the EU, 55% of the total R&D expenditure in 2012 was funded by business enterprises. Proportion of research and development personnel by sector, 2008 (1) (% of labour force) http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/5727973/CH_13_2011-EN.PDF/f9549f13-3f0e-486c-9f89-1484c6da13d2 In table 3 there is shown what percentage of the labour force is active in R&D. Furthermore, the labour force is divided in four sectors: private non-profit, higher education, government, and business enterprise. What is notable is that in countries such as Luxembourg and Sweden a large percentage of the personnel active in research and development works in business enterprise. However, for instance in Latvia and Lithuania only a very small percentage of the personnel works in business enterprise sector. In these countries higher education plays a larger role in the research and development sector. Basic statistics for ERC funding activities http://erc.europa.eu/projects-and-results/statistics The ERC yearly receives numerous applications for several types of grants. Only a small percentage of the applicants actually receive a grant. This is referred to as the success rate. Links Horizon 2020 - A brief summary. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/what-horizon-2020 Horizon 2020 - How to participate. http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/funding/index.html Horizon 2020 - A video explaining the goals. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/news/horizon-2020-video-general-overview Europe 2020 targets: Research and Development. http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/themes/15_research__development.pdf European funds for R&D. https://www.innovationplace.eu/european-funds-rd

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Further links OECD Innovation Policy Platform: Public Sector Research Funding. http://www.oecd.org/innovation/policyplatform/48136600.pdf Information and graphs on government R&D funding. http://www.oecd.org/site/innovationstrategy/45188105.pdf Statistics on R&D expenditure. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/R_%26_D_expenditure

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7. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs I (LIBE I) Chairpersons: Yannick Léonard (BE) & Phoebe Dodds (UK) Deterring data breaches in the Digital Age: given the recent weaknesses to cybercrime, what incentives can the EU foster to ensure that companies and citizens safely gain access to virtual currencies? Executive Summary The 21st century has been proclaimed as the Digital Age: banking, shopping, socialising and even setting up a business can be done remotely and instantly – making our life easier and more convenient. New forms of payment like virtual currencies are becoming ever more used in our daily lives. However, the more we share on the Internet and do online, the more vulnerable we might be to targeted attacks to steal our data. And with that comes a greater risk of cyber theft. And with new currencies like the Bitcoin entering our daily lives, their safety can no always be guaranteed. And a new threat has also emerged online currencies like Bitcoin can be used to technically obfuscate the sources of payment or funding in a way that is not comparable to traditional financial transactions. With more companies becoming increasingly vulnerable to hacks and cyberattacks, it’s crucial that organisations and citizens supplement traditional security approaches with new self-protecting mechanisms. Main Problem Privacy and data protection are recognised as fundamental human rights. Recent developments, however, indicate that security issues are used to undermine these fundamental rights. According to the European Commission, only 12% of people feel safe when making an online transaction, yet in some countries in the EU, more than 75% of people have bought something online. As new technologies effectively facilitate collection, storage, processing and combination of personal data government agencies take advantage for their own purposes. Increasingly, and for other reasons, the business sector threatens the privacy of citizens as well. One must bear in mind that a holistic view on the different dimensions of cybercrime, exploration of the different aspects of the relationship between technology and privacy is needed. The emergence of new technologies threaten increasingly privacy and/or data protection; however, little is known about the potential of these technologies that call for innovative and prospective analysis, or even new conceptual frameworks. Technology and privacy are two intertwined notions that must be jointly analysed and faced as technology influences people’s understanding of privacy. In turn, people’s understanding of privacy is a key factor in defining the direction of technological development. Additionally, many of virtual currencies are often very vulnerable to, for example, phishing and hacking a users home computer. All of this is hindering citizens’ ability to buy goods online, and businesses ability to use the possibilities of Internet and e-commerce to the fullest.

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Whilst the classic dilemma between the people’s privacy and effective execution of existing laws has been in place for a while, disputes regarding cybercrime are an obstacle for the release of full financial potential of cyberspace. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts European institutions, despite currently having limited regulatory powers, are the ones, which have to ensure the safe use of the virtual currencies in the single market. Since there is no regulation in place on the EU level, the European Commission will play a vital role in proposing legislation. The regulations can be included in the current work towards the Digital Single Market. Furthermore, another important institution is the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament. National governments have a less important role in this debate, since the internal market is an exclusive competence of the EU. However, they play a more important role in shaping national legislation, on issues pertaining to the use and taxation of virtual currencies. Furthermore, it is also their duty to ensure the implementation of the EU legislation. European citizens and companies, although not directly, are important stakeholders in this debate. They do not have any regulatory power; however they are the users of the virtual currencies, which give them a crucial role. Companies and citizens should be made aware of the potential dangers of virtual currencies’ usage. Current Legislation & Policies The Digital Agenda for Europe: The European Commission has lunched the Digital Agenda for Europe as part of the Europe 2020 goals. The third pillar of this Digital agenda revolves around trust and security, and outlines the measures the European Commission has taken to combat cybercrime and improve security of European citizens online. This includes combined efforts by Member States to defend against cyber attacks and has incentivised information sharing on cybercrime between Member States, but takes no specific actions involving virtual currencies. To this day, no EU legislation regarding the regulation of virtual currencies has been produced. However, it is possible to say that the EU is in a studying phase. In 2008, the European Central Bank (ECB) issued a report on virtual currency schemes, in which it defined the different schemes in which virtual currencies nowadays operate. Furthermore, the report discussed the relevance of virtual currencies to central banks and identified the main areas in which virtual currencies could be risky (e.g. price stability, financial stability and payment system stability). Later on, the European Banking Authority (EBA) published an official opinion on virtual currencies. In this report, the EBA discussed the main benefits of virtual currencies, and identified certain risks prospective must be wary of. Moreover, the EBA suggested a potential regulatory approach both for the short term and the long term. For the short term, the EBA recommends national supervisory authorities to discourage credit institutions, payment institutions and e-money institutions from buying, holding or selling virtual currencies until a comprehensive regulatory regime is developed, thus ‘shielding’ regulated financial services from virtual currencies. The long term measures include the creation of scheme governance authorities, transparent price formation, separation of client accounts, evidence of IT secure systems, payment guarantee and refunds etc. The European Commission has already indicated that virtual currencies will

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be considered for possible inclusion in the Anti-Money Laundering Directive . This proposal is currently being discussed at the level of the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Perspectives In all EU Member States, it is legal to use virtual currencies to pay for goods and services, however, the decentralised nature and global scale of many of these currencies, such as the Bitcoin, make them hard to regulate. Any measures to control the security aspects of these currencies – such as safety standards – may be difficult to implement. However given the scope and variety of these types of currency, only incentives may not be enough to guarantee their safety. Member States themselves may call for greater control over some aspects of these currencies, including safety, as their use spreads. In some countries outside the EU, such as Russia and Singapore, the use of Bitcoins has been prohibited because of its unstable nature. In countries such as China, financial institutions may not be involved with them out of safety concerns. If these currencies do become part of our daily lives may lead to some countries within the EU to implement restrictions. Several key questions to bear in mind include, but are not limited to: o Is it the obligation of the state to insure the safety of these currencies, or should the final responsibility be with the user? o Should these currencies be subjected to safety standards, or should the focus be on making things safer on the end of the user? o How can private citizens and businesses that have no understanding of how virtual currencies work feel safe while using them? o Is there any way to guarantee the safety of virtual currencies in our rapidly advancing world? Key Words & Definitions Virtual currencies: A type of unregulated, digital money, which is issued and usually regulated by its developers and is used and accepted among the members of a specific virtual community. Cybercrime: Any crime that involves a computer and a network (usually the internet). Some examples of cybercrimes can be: cracking, copyright infringement, fraud, financial theft etc. Encryption: The process of encoding messages or information in such way that only authorised parties can read it. Security: Protection of the IT systems against unwanted/undesired behaviour of the socio-technical system (e.g. an unauthorised person tries to access the system). Safety: Protection of the environment against unexpected IT system behaviour (e.g. a computer shutting down and causing the loss of relevant data).

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Links The goals of the European Union involving cyber security as set out by the Europe 2020 agenda. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/our-goals/pillar-iii-trust-security Hargrave, S. (2015). Cybercrime: protect your business from these common hack, article in The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2015/jan/30/cybercrime-protect-business-common-hacks Balch, O. (2014). Virtual currencies could disrupt billions of dollars a year industry, article in The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/14/virtual-currencies-could-disrupt-billions-of-dollars-ayear-industry Consumerfinance.gov (2014). Risks to consumers posed by virtual currencies. http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201408_cfpb_consumer-advisory_virtual-currencies.pdf SibosTV. “The current situation of virtual currencies”. Episode of a television series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlkcMfSU8HY Innotribe. “Future of Money: The Rise of Cryptocurrencies”. Episode of a television series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-xiY3iHiVw

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8. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs II (LIBE II) Chairpersons: Elina Mäkelä (FI) & Ioana Pop (RO) The responsibility to protect? In light of increased border controls as a result of human trafficking of refugees between Member States, how can the EU ensure that refugees do not illegally move between Member States, whilst protecting the freedom of mobility in the Schengen Area? Executive Summary War and crisis in the Middle East has pushed millions of people to leave their homes, cross the borders of the European Union (EU) and move through the Schengen Area to places where they hope to find political acceptance. With the current refugee crisis it is estimated that a total of 800,000 people could be seeking asylum in this area by the end of 2015. With violence spreading uncontrollably in the Middle East, refugee numbers could be even higher than the estimation, threatening freedom of mobility in these zones. Main Problem Freedom of movement is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Geneva Convention signed in 1951. This was further enhanced by the Schengen Agreement, which removed border controls between the signatory countries. The agreement expresses the recognition that all citizens of the Schengen Area ‘belong to the same space and share the same identity’. With this is mind, people who live in areas of war and conflict find these countries a political and economic escape. The current migrant crisis has put a lot of pressure on Schengen in terms of maintaining freedom of movement while filtering the great number of refugees arriving at the southern coasts of Europe. The final destinations of people fleeing from conflict zones to Europe are countries such as Germany, France and Sweden; countries where freedom of movement is ‘taken for granted’ by citizens as border control. This could mean that border control in the Schengen Area will have to be applied in order to filter asylum seekers and, thus, add a new dimension to the freedom of movement in the Schengen Area. Main Actors, Interests & Conflicts Migration and Home Affairs Council: this Council deals with cross-border issues, such as asylum, migration, border control, organised crime and terrorism. Agencies in the area of Home Affairs: these agencies support EU States and their citizens in coping with new tasks of specific nature and they provide information and advice, prepare and make decisions, oversee operations and support policymaking. Frontex and EUROPOL are examples of such agencies. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): the UNHCR leads and co-ordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems.

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Current Legislation & Policies Schengen Agreement (signed 1985, implemented 1995) The free movement of persons is a fundamental right guaranteed by the EU to its citizens in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Schengen cooperation enhances this freedom by enabling citizens to cross-internal borders without being subjected to border checks. Today it encompasses almost all EU States and a few associated non-EU countries. Dublin Regulation The Dublin Regulation establishes the Member State responsible for the examination of the asylum application. Generally, the Member State to be held responsible is the state the asylum seeker first entered the EU by. The Dublin Regulation also requires the refugee to stay in the host country for 5 years. EUROSUR The European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) is a multipurpose system for cooperation between the EU Member States and Frontex in order to improve situational awareness and increase reaction capability at external borders. The aim is to prevent cross-border crime and irregular migration and contribute to protecting migrants’ lives. EU Common Asylum Policy According to the 1951 Geneva Convention on the protection of refugees, asylum is a fundamental right, and granting it is an international obligation. Perspectives The main debate surrounding this issue is whether or not quotas should be imposed on Member States, requiring them to grant asylum to a certain number of refugees. Economically weak countries are unenthusiastic, some closing their EU borders. In an emergency Interior Ministers’ meeting on 15 September 2015, Germany’s request of Member States to accept mandatory quotas on refugee impact was shot down, as some ministers found it too early to make such a “drastic” decision. Feuding between countries over who should shelter the hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers has put the Schengen Agreement under threat. Should the EU impose quotas based on reception capacity and location, to ensure Member States take in their ‘fair share’ of refugees? Will this help refugees be evenly distributed, and discourage illegal movement between countries in search of social benefits? Recently, Angela Merkel unilaterally suspended the EU’s Dublin Agreement rules. German Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere defended the German Chancellor’s decision, but insisted that the Dublin rules were still valid. On 13 September 2015, Germany, overwhelmed with refugees, closed its border. This is still in accordance with the Schengen Agreement, provided it lasts only 30 days. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the EU must avoid fragmenting into a patchwork of countries with different border rules, which would plunge thousands of refugees into ”legal limbo”. This means there will be no knowledge of

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what social and legal aspects to expect in various countries, making refugees’ status unclear to the international community. Should borders remain open, keeping with prior international agreements, or be closed to prevent countries such as Germany being overwhelmed by asylum-seekers? Should agreements be suspended in emergency cases, or fully implemented at the expense of refugees? Will changes regarding the Dublin Agreement undermine its legal legitimacy? Existing rules bar undocumented migrants from travel within the zone but there are few concrete mechanisms to stop them. Should a new mechanism be introduced; and if so, how would this mechanism interact with the existing regulations under the Dublin and Schengen agreements? Key Words Quotas, Schengen Agreement, Dublin Regulation, Refugees, Human trafficking Definitions Migrant: a person who leaves their home country voluntarily in order to pursue a better way of life in terms of e.g. better employment or professional advancement possibilities, better education, and social welfare. Refugee: a person forced to flee their home country to escape e.g. war or armed conflict. Border control: measures adopted by a country to monitor and regulate its borders. Border security: protecting borders from the illegal movement of weapons, drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and exit. Statistics Distribution of accepted Syrian asylum applicants (April 2011 – May 2014) http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/files/2014/09/syriamap1.jpg Migratory Routes http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-04/syria-s-refugees-feel-more-welcome-in-europe-than-in-the-gulf Links Easy-read overview of the basics. http://www.theskimm.com/skimm-guides/eu-migrant-and-refugee-crisis EU’s common asylum policy. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0360:FIN:EN:PDF

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Further links Comparison of countries’ response to crisis, an article by The Independent, March 2015. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syrian-refugees-how-does-uks-help-compare-with-other-european-countries-10105997.html Coverage of initial migrant crisis, an article by Reuters, September 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/02/us-europe-migrants-schengen-idUSKCN0R211I20150902 On EU refugee quota plan, an article by BBC news, September 2015. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34329825 EU Home Affairs. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:a11000 A video by the BBC: “Schengen: Controversial EU free movement deal explained”, September 2015 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13194723

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Notes

Partners of Kuopio 2015 the Regional Session of EYP Finland

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