Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
Table of content Programme of the General Assembly
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Procedure of the General Assembly
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I (ENVI I)
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II (ENVI II)
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
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Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM)
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
Programme of the General Assembly 09:15
Opening of the General Assembly
09:30
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I
10:15
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
11:00
Coffee break
11:30
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
12:15
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II
13:00
Lunch break
14:00
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs
14:45
Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
15:30
Coffee break
16:00
Closing Ceremony
All times in the programme follow Central European Summer Time (CEST).
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
Procedure of the General Assembly General rules The wish to speak is indicated by the Chairperson raising a hand in Zoom. The authority of the Board is absolute. Procedure and time settings 1. Board reads the topic sentence 2. Silent reading of the operative clauses (2 min) 3. Defence Speech (3 min) 4. Position Speech(es) (2 x 2min) 5. Response to the Position Speech(es) (2 min) 6. Open debate (3 - 4 rounds) 7. Summation Speech (3 min) 8. Voting procedure 9. Announcing the votes Silent reading of the operative clauses All members of the General Assembly (GA) read the operative clauses for themselves. Everyone should have read the operative clauses beforehand. Defence Speech One member of the Proposing Committee delivers the Defence Speech. It is used to explain the rationale of the overall lines of the Resolution and convince the Plenary that the Resolution is worthy of being adopted. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes. Position Speech
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
Two delegates are given the chance to hold a position speech through which they can express support, opposition, or a combination of the two, for the Motion for a Resolution. The speech should be constructive in its approach and can last a maximum of two minutes. Summation Speech One member of the Proposing Committee delivers the Summation Speech. It is used to summarise the debate, respond to main, selected criticism and to once more explain why the chosen approach is the most sensible. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.
General Assembly Placards
Point of Personal Privilege Request for a Delegate to repeat a point that was inaudible. Failure to understand the language being spoken does not make for a Point of Personal Privilege. Direct Response Twice per debate, each Committee may use Direct Response. Should a Chairperson use Direct Response during the open debate, their Committee will immediately be recognised by the Board and given the floor as soon as the point being made is concluded. A Direct Response can only be used to refer to and discuss the point made directly beforehand. If two or more Direct Responses are requested at once, the Board will decide which Committee to recognise. In this case, the second Direct Response shall only be held if it can be referred to the first Direct Response, so on and so forth. Point of Order These can be raised by the Chairperson if a Delegate feels the Board have not properly followed parliamentary procedure. Ultimately, the authority of the Board is absolute.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI I) Upgrading minds: In 2015, around 15% of the European population suffered from mental-health disorders. Given the recent advances in areas such as long-distance therapy and well-being apps, how can the EU take full advantage of technology to provide its citizens with adequate treatment? Submitted by: Robert Chakhoyan (AM), Anur Delic (BA), Sude Demir (TR), Zeina Eweiss (UK), Mihaela Chiujdea (Chairperson, RO)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned by the reported cases of incorrect treatment suggestions by eHealth apps, resulting in a significant skepticism regarding their effectiveness, B. Noting with deep regret that only 5 out of the existing 3000 eHealth apps were examined in research studies, C. Taking into account the lack of legislation on eHealth apps and their scientific rigour, D. Acknowledging the role of social media in triggering mental health disorders and the threat it poses to eHealth apps, E. Alarmed by the illegal sale of user’s personal information and health records by eHealth companies, F. Congratulating Sweden for revising their national eHealth vision in 2017, making access to electronic health record (EHR)1 available to all citizens above the age of 16; 1. Invites the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to provide Member States with accessible educational programmes regarding the benefits and threats of eHealth apps; 2. Encourages Member States to certify effective eHealth apps, thus guaranteeing confidence to their users; 3. Urges the European Commission to gather experts from psychology and IT fields to create guidelines for eHealth apps to limit the spread of misinformation; 4. Requests the European Commission to assist government investigators in 1
Electronic health record is a digital equivalent of a paper chart for a patient.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
monitoring the legitimacy and development of eHealth apps; 5. Suggests Member States to collaborate with IT companies to design digital platforms for online therapy; 6. Strongly recommends Member States to educate citizens on the dangers of internet usage through expert-approved ad campaigns; 7. Asks the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG-CONNECT) to notify eHealth users of security concerns; 8. Recommends Member States to make access to EHR available for all citizens over the age of 16 by changing their eHealth policies and strategies, following the example of Sweden.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (EMPL) Monologues as final acts: Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately one-fourth of the elderly population was considered to live in social isolation. Considering the detrimental effects of the past year, what actions can the EU take to better include and take care of its senior citizens? Submitted by: Theodora Axinte (RO), Hayat Düzgün (TR), Matilde Faro Pires (PT), Rita Quinta (PT), Samuel Salin (TR), Dimitrios Sideris (TR), Miruna Tancu (RO), Sinan Önen (Chairperson, TR)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Keeping in mind that elderly people from low socioeconomic backgrounds tend to be less active in society, B. Deeply concerned by the increasing social isolation amongst the elderly limiting their access to medical care, C. Aware of the additional self-isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic leading to the development of mental health issues amongst the elderly population, D. Observing the inability of senior citizens with mobile disabilities to actively participate in their community, E. Noting with regret the decreasing numbers of workers in care sectors and the increasing average age expectancy leaving many elderly people without adequate care, F. Fully alarmed by the lack of funding provided to organisations aimed at the social inclusion of the elderly population, G. Alarmed by the fact that many senior citizens have difficulties contacting their family or friends due to their: i) lack of access to the internet, ii) inability to use it with ease; 1. Suggests Member States to encourage the transportation of medical services and drugs to socially isolated elderly population free of charge;
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
2. Encourages Member States to fund elderly-focused activities communicated through radio programs; 3. Urges governments to start reopening community centres to the vaccinated elderly population while ensuring that precautions, like social distancing, are still practised; 4. Requests Member States to promote specialised programmes regarding voluntary work with the elderly amongst the younger population; 5. Calls upon the European Commission to increase the budget allocated to care and social inclusion programs for elderly people; 6. Recommends Member States to support programmes on national television to teach elderly people how to use different technological devices; 7. Strongly recommends Member States to cooperate with major technological companies to design more accessible devices.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON Economic And Monetary Affairs (ECON) Struggling to survive: Despite the financial aid provided, the pandemic has led many young businesses, like start-up companies, to economic difficulties and new enterprise registrations have seen a significant fall. How can the EU better support and encourage entrepreneurship during and after Covid-19? Submitted by: António Canha (PT), Sreyashi Dutta (UK), Matei Ion (RO), Kostiantyn Varvaryk (Chairperson, UA)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Acknowledging that most Member States do not provide tax reductions for small businesses, B. Pointing out that the EU’s funds are not distributed fairly between small and medium enterprises (SMEs)2 of different branches of economy, C. Concerned that existing policies on SMEs’ aid do not provide businesses with the necessary help to pay back their loans, D. Recognising the lack of opportunities for businesses to promote themselves to investors, E. Conscious that the pandemic has increased the number of entrepreneurs lacking experience in fundraising for their companies, F. Noting with regret that COVID-19 related sanitary restrictions hinder businesses from functioning at their full potential, G. Alarmed by the fact that approximately 1 out of 5 SMEs are concerned about meeting payment obligations and retaining employees during the current COVID-19 pandemic; 1. Endorses Member States to provide tax deductions for SMEs experiencing unstable cash-flows; 2. Requests the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) to take into consideration the most impacted industries when distributing funds for 2
Small and medium enterprise is a company often privately owned, that does not employ many people and has a low volume of sales.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
SMEs; 3. Instructs the European Commission to conduct research on different funding methods for the industries that have been affected the most by the pandemic; 4. Recommends all Member States to create a forum for SMEs to present their businesses to investors; 5. Urges EASME to establish a platform to help entrepreneurs adapt their businesses to the conditions caused by the pandemic; 6. Encourages Member States to reevaluate the necessity for sanitary restrictions that affect SMEs; 7. Calls upon EASME to help expand the online presence of SMEs through funding.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY II (ENVI II)
Plastic planet: The rising amount of plastic in oceans poses a threat not only to the maritime ecosystems, but also to food safety and human health as a whole. What actions should the EU take to assure an adequate management of its waste and protect the global environmental health? Submitted by: Ismar Ajkunić (BA), Rafik Azimov (AZ), Maria-Cristina Bărbulescu (RO), Dinis Canha(PT), Vilma Havela (FI), Murathan Kurtaran (TR), Olli Tirkkonen (FI), Frederik Reiff (Chairperson, DE)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned by the exponential growth of plastic production over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014, and its expected continuous increase in the next 20 years, B. Alarmed by the fact that by 2050, plastic production will account for 20% of the global oil consumption, C. Further alarmed by plastic making up 15% of the global carbon budget by 2050 according to the 2°C global warming goal, D. Noting with regret that, on average, a European uses and disposes of over 100 kg of plastic per year, E. Deploring that in 2015, 59% of plastic waste resulted from plastic packaging, F. Aware that an overwhelming 72% of plastic packaging is not recovered because of mismanagement or a lack of proper collection, G. Anxious that the ratio of plastic to fish in the ocean is expected to be three to one by 2025, as a consequence of the forecasted growth to 250 million tons of plastic in the ocean, H. Acknowledging that at least half of the marine litter consists of single-use plastic items, I. Observing that approximately 100.000 marine mammals die from plastic entanglement each year,
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
J. Noting that a shift to the circular economy development path in the Mobility, Food and Built Environment sectors could generate an estimated annual benefit for Europe of around EUR 1.8 trillion;
1. Urges the European Commission to support the transition of plastic factories from conventional plastic to bioplastic by providing grants to those who wish to transition their production; 2. Instructs the European Commission to increase the Research and Development of bioplastic by including it in the Horizon Europe programme; 3. Endorses Member States to ensure that more garbage is recovered from private households and public areas by: a. ensuring more frequent reviews on the existing garbage collection systems, to avoid mismanagement or dumping of the garbage, b. increasing the placement of plastic collection cans to ease the citizens' access to recycling opportunities; 4. Encourages Member States to increase plastic recycling, by educating its citizens about garbage sorting and using advanced waste collection technologies, following the example of Sweden; 5. Further encourages the European Commission to raise awareness about the maritime environmental health through youth education projects; 6. Requests the European Commission to include more products in the ban under the Directive on single-use plastics; 7. Recommends Member States to create a tax on the use of all single-use plastic products that are not covered by the Directive on single-use plastics by 2025, following the example of Ireland; 8. Reminds Member States to implement or expand deposit refund schemes3 for packaging, following the example of Germany and Finland; 9. Suggests Member States to incentivise the use of eco-friendly packaging by decreasing Value-added taxes (VAT) on products that are packaged with environmentally friendly materials; 10. Appeals to companies to increase their eco-friendliness by: a. joining the EU pledging campaign to use or reduce more recycled plastic, b. following the example of several UK-supermarkets by pledging to cut plastic 3
Deposit refund schemes: recycling-promotion scheme that provides a small refund to consumers when plastic items, for example bottles, are returned to an authorized collection point.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
packaging; 11. Calls upon the European Commissioner for the Environment to support the cleaning up of garbage patches in the ocean through projects such as the Ocean Cleanup; 12. Invites the Member States to raise the fines for littering.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS (AFCO) The new right to vote: The pandemic has fired up the discussion around non-traditional forms of democratic participation, such as long-distance and electronic voting. However, many doubts still remain regarding the security and accessibility, especially to the elderly population, of these innovative methods. How can the EU ensure the safety and inclusivity of its future elections and referendums? Submitted by: Ersun Akbașak (TR), Inês Ferreira (PT), Konsta Kiirikki (FI), Luisa Vasile (RO), Daria Voicu (Chairperson, RO)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply concerned by the decrease in voting turnout for European elections in the past 25 years, B. Bearing in mind the Member States’ inconsistency in national legislation regarding migrants’ right to vote in their country of origin’s elections, C. Recognising that people from isolated areas can lack access to the internet and are consequently unable to engage in online democratic participation, D. Regretting that older generations are not familiar with e-voting devices and are skeptical about innovative methods of voting, creating preconceptions and spreading misinformation, E. Observing the possible generational gap regarding online voting, which is worsen by the elderly’s higher likelihood of being a victim of cybercrime, F. Fully aware that online voting implies limitations of secrecy and can represent an easy target for cybercriminals, G. Considering that not every Member State is open to implementing internet voting methods;
1. Calls upon the Directorate-General for Communication to launch media campaigns on the importance of voting and essential informations regarding it; 2. Asks the Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS) project to produce a report on voting opportunities for migrants across the EU;
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
3. Strongly suggests Member States to collaborate on harmonising their online voting laws; 4. Requests the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) to present Member States with information on Estonia’s success with e-voting;4 5. Suggests to the European Commission the creation of a fund to provide citizens of disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds with the equipment necessary to engage in online democratic participation; 6. Invites Member States to create a phone line to help citizens taking part in online voting; 7. Encourages Member States to evaluate the accessibility of their online voting systems to mitigate the generational gap; 8. Endorses Member States to create programmes and workshops to educate older generations on innovative voting methods; 9. Reminds the European Commission to further invest on the EU’s cyber security; 10. Recommends the adoption of Estonia’s online voting system for the European Parliament elections to generate trust in remote methods of voting.
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Estonia’s online voting system: in 2005, Estonia implemented online voting as a form of democratic participation, and it has been growing in popularity ever since. During the last election in 2019, this was the most common way of voting in this country, with numbers of people voting via the Internet surpassing the traditional paper-based ballots.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM)
Flawed calculations: Despite the significant progress towards gender equality achieved in recent years, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields still stand out as being dominated by men. How can the EU encourage and support more women representation in these areas? Submitted by: Yağız Akay (TR), Teodora Bucur(RO),Cláudia Seabra (PT), Stefania Zupu (RO) , Emeliina Vilo (FI), Teoman Sevgen (TR), Elif Ipek Ilan (TR), Mea Martiri (AL), Alma Portin (Chairperson, FI)
The European Youth Parliament, A. Regretting the stereotypes faced by women in STEM that question their skills and commitment, resulting in a lack of encouragement from family members and society, B.Conscious of the high number of women suffering from “imposter syndrome”,5 C. Deeply concerned by the lack of women in higher paying positions due to: i) the lack of affordable childcare, ii) the gender discrimination women face within the workplace, iii) subjective evaluation in the employment process, D. Alarmed by the ammount of unreported cases of workplace discrimination and harassment in STEM fields, E.Noting with regret that women often lack the courage to take action against discrimination in male-dominated fields such as STEM as their complaints are frequently ignored, F. Anxious that women's work is often disregarded within STEM fields, further demotivating them from joining theM, due to stereotypes and discrimination, G. Bearing in mind that minorities such as LGBTQ+ women and women of color face additional challenges in STEM fields, 5
Imposter syndrome: A condition that leads people to believe that they are less competent than they actually are.
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Lempäälä 2021 – Digital Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 11 April 2021
H. Acknowledging that womens’ and minorities’ representation is a fundamental part of social progress, I. Stressing the lack of gender equality topics in school curriculum;
1. Endorses the European Technology platforms (ETPs) to fund and develop an anonymous mobile app for all gender identities to reach out to STEM related jobs & education programs; 2. Recommends Member States to implement more cost-effective childcare for mothers working in STEM; 3. Invites the European Commission to create and support projects like Hypatia; 4. Suggests to companies the implementation of better reporting systems to improve the spotting of abuse and misconduct within the workplace; 5. Seeks an EU certification for outstandingly inclusive companies; 6. Encourages the European Comission to collabrate with LGBTQ+ organisations, such as Transgender Europe, to ensure the inclusion of transwomen in womens’ rights policies; 7. Further encourages corporations to invest in providing employment opportunities to trans and non-confirming communities; 8.Requests the European Commission to promote successful women in STEM by organizing webinars and interviews; 9. Calls upon the European Commission to raise awareness about women in STEM by: a. creating educational media campaigns about life as a woman in STEM, b. organizing workshops to educate the youth on women's issues in STEM.
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