29th Νational Selection Conference of EYP Greece - Topic Overview Guide

29th National Selection Conference of EYP Greece Athens, 5th – 7th April, 2014

Topic Overview Guide

This Preparation Guide has been compiled for the use of participants of the 29th National Selection Conference of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) Greece, in Athens, April 2014.

It consists of the following components:

Overviews These have been compiled so as to provide an introduction to the topics, illuminating the issue but at the same time remaining neutral in their nature. The question has stated the problem and now the overview is there to provide a platform for further insight and to clarify the very essence of what is at stake. Please note that the content of these overviews do not represent the official stance of EYP Greece, which is an organisation who strongly encourages independent thinking and welcomes plurality of opinions.

Keywords These are words, expressions, terms and titles that will prove to be helpful to further your research.

Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive and is only meant to trigger your research.

Useful links These are links that we found useful for further research – these can be links to directives, regulations, articles and interviews. Please remember, that there will be more information provided on the web platform noted – make sure you go beyond only looking at the page provided. Note: the opinions expressed in these web platforms are those of their respective authors only and do not represent official stance of EYP Greece.

Please print this guide, read it thoroughly and bring it with you to the conference.

We wish you a pleasant read and the best of luck with your research.

Vivek Gathani

Marianna Georgiadi

Emy Mylona & Danae Tselou

President of the Session

President of EYP Greece

Head Organisers of the Session

Wednesday, 26th of March, 2014

Dear Participants of the 29th National Selection Conference of EYP Greece, It is my great honour to welcome you to this session; your first National Session of the EYP. It is my pleasure to be welcoming you all in what will undoubtedly prove to be the start of a remarkable journey and I hope that you are all very excited about what is about to happen in just a few days.

In a little over a week we shall meet in the wonderful city of Athens. This city, the cradle of the western civilisation, is itself provoking every single one of its inhabitants and visitors to inspire those of us who never stop seeking a better way, asking the questions others hesitate to utter and following the boldest of all ideas. It is the city that gave birth to the most original of ideas and hopefully will continue to generate the bright minds of the future generation, your generation.

It is in our time that the most crucial questions need immediate answers. Is the youth electorate well-informed of the upcoming Euro-elections? How can we raise our voice to oppose these kinds of things from happening and how can we make sure Europe hears it? In a time when internet seems to be taking control, following the theme of the session “Decoding the digital era; securing safety in communication” – are we really safe? How do we find a common ground for us to stand on against e-bullying and online piracy? These are the challenges of our time and being the young, capable individuals that we are, we are obliged to ask them.

Therefore, in order to help you prepare for what is laying in front of you, the Chairs’ Team has been working in the past few weeks in order to provide to you a solid start of your research. We expect you to take it very seriously and spend the next week going through it carefully and thoroughly.

There is a large amount of condensed information in the following pages – make sure nothing slips your mind. What we have aimed to do, is to provide a platform for you to focus your research on.

We expect you to use it actively, but also to take it several steps further, find out the specifics of it all and begin to shape your opinion on the matter.

Let me emphasise it again – it is crucial that you give this document the necessary attention and meaning. Both the Chairs’ Team and I have full confidence you can make this session extraordinary, but for that to happen, it is mandatory that you come prepared. Only then will we be able to attempt to answer the question we have posed, only then will we be able to truly challenge ourselves.

Please remember that we are here to help you along the way – let us know if you feel unsure as to how proceed with your research.

Otherwise, let me once again welcome you on board and on the behalf of the Chairs Team and the Board of the session, wish you the very best of luck for the next week.

Yours sincerely, Vivek Gathani President of the 29th National Selection Conference of the EYP Greece

Committee Topics

1. Committee on Constitutional Affairs - AFCO “That we have the vote means nothing. That we use it in the right way means everything.” L.Hoover e-European Parliament Elections 2014: How can the EU fully utilise the technology available in order to achieve a high rate of youth voter turnout and ensure that the electorate is well-informed?

2. Committee on Foreign Affairs - AFET Democracy; from Greek dēmokratia, dēmos 'the people' + -kratia 'power, rule' (Oxford Dictionary) Following the public protests in response to Ukraine’s withdrawal from signing an association agreement with the EU: How should the European Union react to the government’s decision and the resultant civil unrest?

3. Committee on Human Rights - DROI Following the success of the BeatBullying campaign of 2013: What strategy should the EU adopt in order to become a leading light in the fight against e-bullying?

4. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs - ECON With the Eurozone officially out of recession and Ireland being the first country to end its bailout: What steps should be taken to sustain the momentum of the European economic recovery process?

5. Committee on Employment - EMPL Internships: opportunity or exploitation? How can the European Union effectively support its youth in making a smooth transition from education to employment?

6. Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety - ENVI ”Spaceship Earth” or a ”Cowboy Economy”: With 60% of EU citizens living in urban areas, how can the EU balance development and mobility in urban areas whilst also considering green values such as sustainability, green technologies and a reduction in the consumption of finite resources?

7. Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection - IMCO With the European Banking Authority distancing itself from the Bitcoin: what steps should the EU take in order to ensure the protection and education of its citizens regarding the new digital currency?

8. Committee on Industry, Research and Energy - ITRE Online piracy, where does the buck stop? With an ever-increasing stream of illegal downloads available online, how can the EU effectively target those at fault in order to reduce the number of illegal downloads?

9. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs - LIBE “The European Union cannot accept that thousands of people die at its borders. The challenges that Lampedusa and Italy are facing are European challenges.” – José Manuel Barroso With continuing tragedies and the growing strain of illegal immigration: How can the EU support its Member States in managing the increasing flow of asylum seekers whilst ensuring humane treatment of refugees?

10. Committee on Security and Defence - SEDE “In a world where data flows across borders as easily as the air we breathe” according to European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, how can the European Union safeguard the personal data of its citizens online whilst also ensuring their security?

1. Committee on Constitutional Affairs - AFCO “That we have the vote means nothing. That we use it in the right way means everything.� – L.Hoover e-European Parliament Elections 2014: How can the EU fully utilise the technology available in order to achieve a high rate of youth voter turnout and ensure that the electorate is wellinformed?

The countdown to the next European Parliament (EP) elections is underway: in May 2014, Europe's citizens will elect, for the 8th time since 1979, their representatives. These European elections will be the first since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force.

The importance of these elections is elevated for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the European Union is currently taking major steps towards a genuine Economic and Monetary Union, which arguably needs more democratic accountability. Furthermore, the recent Lisbon Treaty contributed to redefining the political structure of the EP. This made the EP essential to the appointment of the President of the European Commission. Besides, in order to address the economic crisis and ever-increasing Euro-scepticism, the EU requires active citizens and effective policies on a pan-European level. Ultimately, successful handling of European international relations - especially with regard to international conflicts - and the creation of a more unified Europe, requires the engagement of the young in European affairs and their active participation in European politics.

The youth is the future. However, youth turnout in European elections has always been low. In the 2009 elections, only 29% of young people cast a vote. The causing factors behind those low rates are thought to be the lack of information as well as the lack of motivation from the young voters. More than 8 in 10 EU citizens have agreed that receiving more information on the mandates or objectives of candidates and parties in the European Parliament would boost their motivation to vote in European elections. Many have highlighted the fact that national parties do not clearly state their affiliation to pan-European political parties and cause confusion.

Moreover, elections to the EP currently take place on different days in each Member State, resulting in the citizens of Europe not thinking of European elections as a common endeavour.

Technology is commonly used to spread information and launch campaigns. Using it for the promotion of democracy could be of great assistance with making young voters aware of the issues that the Union faces, the way it functions and the procedures that are being followed.

The main challenge though, is how the EU can increase youth participation in the upcoming European elections through the use of technology? Should we move towards a more digital Europe and further e-governance?

Social media, online platforms and e-democracy are tools that have been highlighted as potentially more appealing to young voters. However, there are numerous issues associated with the growth of e-democracy itself. If voting systems for either government elections or referenda were to be made available online, numerous online threats would need to be addressed. An online platform, accessible to an almost infinite amount of individuals, would be much easier to hack, rig or otherwise used to manipulate the outcome of the elections. Hence, ensuring the security of online systems is one of the greatest challenges that arise. However, should this be successful, young European citizens may be more likely to engage in European politics.

Furthermore, whilst it is largely true that populist movements have rapidly gathered followers from web-campaigns and mass media, this can be considered as a dangerous tool. The World Wide Web is a medium for the spread of information. However, whether the content is factual or valuable is questionable. As a result, the web could provide extremist parties with the opportunity to spread Eurosceptic opinions. On the other hand, the internet is unlike any other educational source. Simple methods such as the posting of information concerning European legislation and the decision-making process, can contribute to the well -rounded education of many young Europeans. After all, the dissemination of regular updates and the rendering of all European legislation into an accessible format could become the vehicle towards a more transparent and thus, democratic EU. Additionally, furthering political dialogue through platforms, opinion polls and e-petitions allows the youth to participate more actively in the decision-making process.

However, such plans cannot be implemented, without the support of national governments, as well as the enhancement of the overall media coverage of European politics. National and local politics usually monopolize the news, with European affairs trailing in comparison, resulting in citizens under-stimulated concerning European affairs. Hence, in order for the interest of citizens in European affairs to be boosted, this imbalance has to be addressed.

In spite of the fact that the EU currently offers some forms of e-democracy, such as the Europa website and opinions polls, many young citizens do not seem to be utilizing these facilities.

Could e-democracy offer way of improving civic engagement, and if so, how can the EU foster e-democracy whilst finding other innovative means to draw the attention of young citizens and radically combat the origins of voters’ apathy?

KEYWORDS: E-democracy, Democratic Deficit, Lisbon Treaty, Political Participation, Civil Society, Active Citizenship, Political Accountability, Political Legitimacy.

USEFUL LINKS Background material: An extremely useful overview on the perception, behaviour and participation of young people in European politics.

“The European Parliament elections 2014 Watershed or, again, washed out?”

Basic overview of the 2014 EP elections Measures already in place: The official European Commission website on youth participation with a short background on their key policies.

“Youth Policy Watch: 2014 European elections” : Youth Policy Watch: 2014 European elections” Useful examples: A brief overview of Estonian E-democracy Issue analysis: "Communication from the Commission to the EP, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions” Youth in figures: some useful visual aids that give an overview of young people in Europe.

An in depth document on youth participation and policy making. Sections 2.3 and 4.2 are particularly relevant and useful.

European Year of the Citizens document: In particular, sections 2.5 and 2.6 discuss the Commission’s aims of increasing transparency and accessibility of information for all.

Facts on participation from the European Commission.

Opinions: ‘The Road to E-democracy’ an article on e-democracy, how it works and how it doesn’t work.

An interesting article by an LSE blogger on how young Europeans choose to participate in politics.

Giorgina Giani (GR) & Ciara Robinson (UK)

2. AFET - Committee on Foreign Affairs Democracy; from Greek dēmokratia, dēmos ‘the people’ + -kratia ‘power, rule’ – Oxford Dictionary Following the public protests in response to Ukraine’s withdrawal from signing an association agreement with the EU: How should the European Union react to the government’s decision and the resultant civil unrest?

After the collapse of the Eastern Block and the communist regimes in Europe, many former socialist countries gradually transformed into free-market economies thus choosing the path of the European integration. Ukraine, a post-Soviet republic has also announced its Eurointegration, however the transformation process took more years due to the crisis caused by the economic changes in the country.

Yet the 2000s have initiated a period of cooperation between the EU and Ukraine regarding the latter’s merger into the European economic system. Throughout 2013 Ukrainian government and the EU officials have been working tightly on the preparation of signing the Association Agreement between the Union and Ukraine. The Association Agreement, which was to be signed in November 2013, aimed at lowering significantly the trade barriers for each side. Such potential step from then president Yanukovych caused dissatisfaction on the side of Russia.

Russian leader president Putin, who was determined to create a Customs Union so as to counterbalance the powers in Europe, desperately needed Ukraine to join it. Ukraine’s president Yanukovych, standing between those two options, took a chance of bargaining with both sides on his own benefits from signing the deal with the EU. In the end, after another meeting with Putin, Yanukovych took a U-turn and the signing of the Association Agreement was delayed. Such actions by Yanukovych were condemned by many young pro-European activists in Ukraine, who reckoned that Yanukovych just sold himself out. The protesters gathered at the central square of Kyiv, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) to call the President for return to signing the Agreement. They named their place of stay Euromaidan (Eurosquare). During the night from November 29th to 30th, when the Vilnus Summit ended and the protestors were going to leave Maidan, riot police named ‘Berkut’ brutally attacked the activists. Such cruel actions by the authorities caused anger among the population. On December 1st, hundreds of thousands people gathered in the centre of Kyiv to join the protest march against political repressions, system corruption and violation of basic human rights along with the expression of dissatisfaction with the overall poor economic situation of the

country. Even though, the protests were initially peaceful, the absence of the desire from the authorities to conduct a dialogue, along with the implementation of harsher measure which outlawed the protests lead to violent clashes between the protestors and ‘Berkut’ riot police in the centre of Kyiv. On the same time Yanukovych passed austere anti-protest laws in order to stifle the protestors. Fundamental rights of the Ukraine people were impinged, as this antiprotest law imposed restrictions on the right of speech, as well as on the right to assembly.

The attempts to turn the protests into a peaceful flow, as well as the EU’s prompting to cease violence and follow the dialogue path, did not bring result. In the end, Yanukovych fled to Russia to ask for assistance from President Putin, while the Ukrainian Parliament voted for his resignation and called for new elections on May 25th. Within a week, Russian troops entered the Crimea peninsula in the South Ukraine seizing the key transportation and communication points. Such actions by the Russian Federation led to immediate reaction from the Western world.

The US threatened banking sanctions against Russia but only in the case of Moscow sending forces into eastern Ukraine. EU on the other side, is still looking for a common approach, as the EU leaders are about to discuss potential sanctions against Russia but they still appear divided over how severe the penalties should be. Given fact that Russian gas pipelines to Europe pass through Ukraine- a fact made perfectly clear in 2006 when Russia briefly cut supplies and sparked alarm in Europe- the path of diplomacy is more likely to be followed. According to Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso, European Commission President, the Union is currently working in the economic field, trying to assure support for Ukraine, as well as politically in order to avoid escalation of the crisis.

Taking into account the strong economic ties that Ukraine shares to both EU and Russia, as well as the rapid political changes that Ukraine is currently experiencing, how can the EU contribute to avoiding the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine? Most importantly, how should the EU work on its future relations with Ukraine while deflecting upheavals in EU and Russia relations?

KEYWORDS Ukraine, Association Agreement, Crimea invasion, EU-Russia relations, protest, Euromaydan, civil unrest

USEFUL LINKS

Background material An overview on European Neighbourhood Policy An overview on the Association Agreement Analysis of the EU-Ukraine relations in the context of the Association Agreement and related documents and the EU 2014-2020 financial Council conclusions on Ukraine The European Neighbourhood Policy’s first decade in the Eastern neighbourhood Relations in the Russia-Ukraine-EU triangle: “zero-sum game” or not?

Old paper on EU-Ukraine-Russia relations: problems and perspectives Ukraine profile Ukraine crisis in maps EU urges Russia to help stabilize Ukraine

Articles-opinions Ukraine’s crisis: Europe’s new battlefield Europe’s five deadly sins on Ukraine EU faces a dilemma in Ukraine negotiations Ukraine’s fight to fix economy is also a fight for legitimacy Ukraine protest: 5 things you need to know Why Ukraine is such a big deal for Russia?

What the West must do for Ukraine Is Russian intervention legal?

Additional material Updates from Ukraine Human rights violations in Ukraine Video of unrest in Kiev Infographics of the new reality in Ukraine after the anti-protest law

Aspa Georgakopoulou (GR) & Dmytro Kharchenko (UA)

3. DROI - Committee on Human Rights Following the success of the BeatBullying campaign of 2013: What strategy should the EU adopt in order to become a leading light in the fight against ebullying?

Bullying is repeated verbal or psychological harassment carried out by an individual or group against others. Interactive online services (e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging) and mobile phones have given bullies new opportunities and ways in which they can abuse their victims, leading to e-bullying, also known as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying entails different manifestations when compared with traditional bullying, as bullies are not afraid of being punished for their actions, because of the reluctance of young people to report incidents.

Considering national differences, countries with the lowest reported incidents of bullying are Hungary, Norway, Ireland, and Finland. The highest rates are in Poland, Belgium and Greece.Ranking countries according to their bullying records is not easy, as the word “bully� has different connotations in different languages. Also, children are not always forthcoming on the topic. Boys reported to have caused higher rates of bullying in all countries, however girls are more likely to employ indirect forms of aggression, such as gossiping and spreading rumors.

According to the 2008 Eurobarometer survey, 54% of European parents are worried that their child could be bullied online (IP/08/1899). On a closer inspection, there are great controversies behind that statistic result, as more than 80% of French, Greek or Portuguese parents are worried, contrasting the significantly lower rate of 30% of Swedish, Danish or Finnish who still feel confident about their children’s safety. The need for adequate legislation on data protection emerges from the fact that the aforementioned statistics are getting higher, because of the limited legal framework related to cyberbullying.

Within the EU, the only related legal framework concerns Data Protection and Cyber Crime. As not many laws focus on cyberbullying, at the Bratislava Conference in 2010 Giovanni Buttarelli, the Assistant European Data Protection Supervisor, outlined how EU Data Protection could be implemented to protect individuals from cyberbullying and online harassment. In 2012, the Data Protection Legislation was reformed by the European Commission.

Cybersecurity can only be sound and effective if it is based on fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and EU

core values. Reciprocally, individuals' rights cannot be secured without safe networks and systems. For this reason, the European Commission has also been active in curbing online abuse by forming an agreement with 17 of the world’s leading social networks, including Facebook and Myspace, to ensure young people and children are better protected online. Under the Commission’s supervision numerous campaigns have been launched, in order to raise awareness about the problem; i.e. Beatbullying, Safer Internet etc.

Why is the rate of young people being bullied online still increasing, despite the awareness of parents and the variety of European campaigns regarding cyber bullying? How should the EU enforce an EU Data Protection with focus on cyberbullying whilst taking into account the different approaches of Member States concerning this phenomenon? Could it be more effective to propose national laws and penalties, than to aim for a common strategy for this matter?

KEYWORDS Cyberbullying, Traditional Bullying, Cyber security, Beatbullying, EU Data Protection Policy, Online harassment, Adolescent brain development, Different forms of aggression

USEFUL LINKS Background Material: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-09-58_en.htm - Safer Internet 2009 - Press Release http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/ - EU Data Protection Policy http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/organized-crime-and-humantrafficking/cybercrime/index_en.htm - EU Cyber Crime Policies

Measures in place: http://www.beatbullying.org/ - BeatBullying Campaign http://www.saferinternet.org/ - Safer Internet Campaign

Issue Analysis:

http://etuce.homestead.com/publications2010/06.2010_report_closing_conference_bratislava_en .pdf - Bratislava Conference, Closing Report 2010 http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/08/cyberbullying-more-children-affectedchildline - ChildLine about cyberbullying http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/jan/09/cyberbullying-childline-statisticsonline-bullying- Data of Childline about cyberbullying http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/a-resolution-to-reduce-cyberbullying/article_87b92d20d688-59b9-a514-539ca53f7b7b.html - A scientific approach towards cyber bullying http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/edc/Resources/Beat_Bullying_Videos_EN.asp- Beat Bullying (Videos)

Despina Papadopoulou (GR) & Dennis Patriarcheas (GR)

4. ECON - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs With the Eurozone officially out of recession and Ireland being the first country to end its bailout: What steps should be taken to sustain the momentum of the European economic recovery process?

Exiting the Euro zone is one of the most recently relevant questions in Europe, that has popped up with the rise of Euro-scepticism partly caused by the sovereign debt crisis. The crisis has raised questions regarding the economic governance of the EU and the means through which such a crisis can be solved and also prevented. With Ireland being the first country to end its bailout, the end of the sovereign debt crisis has begun, but do European citizens have faith in the EU institutions to end it quickly?

Indeed, on the one side, bailed out countries call for no additional taxes or reductions in public spending while the other Eurozone Member States do not seem eager to pay indefinitely.

Hence, the question arising is how can the momentum of the European economic recovery process be reassured and sustained under these circumstances?

The Lisbon Strategy, part of the economic governance of the EU and the Member States (MS), aimed at transforming the Euro zone into “the most competitive and dynamic knowledgebased economy in the world� by 2010 was based on innovation, a learning economy and social renewal. Moreover, the European Central Bank (ECB), in charge of monetary policy, has looked to keep prices and inflation stable across the Eurozone.

However, the lack of political coordination and financial monitoring in an EU that kept on growing was one of the reasons of the failure of the aforementioned Lisbon Strategy and the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The SGP addressed the deficiency of creating a common central bank, the ECB, without a common treasury or common fiscal policy within the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); national budgets needed to remain within 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and debt of 60% of GDP. The pact was not strictly enforced leading to government debts denominated in a currency that no MS controls and, therefore, increasing the risk of default and breakup of the Euro itself. The sovereign debt crisis revealed the need to re-address the economic governance of the EU. Four components were defined to strengthen the European economic governance by implementing a follow-up version of the SGP; namely the European Fiscal Compact. Ratified in March 2012 by all but 2 Member States, it led to preventive and corrective involvement of the

EU in the fiscal policy of national governments, placed country-specific medium-term objectives to balance national budgets and systematically reduce national debt levels. The Pact also looked to increase a coordinated effort of competitiveness within the Eurozone which is seen as part of the road to recovery and eventual growth of the European economy.

Should the debt crisis and budgetary issues be solved first, or could political coordination through the replacement of individual countries’ bonds with Eurobonds be the answer? A Eurobond would mean that debt is issued from the Eurozone bloc, instead of individual countries. Eurobonds would allow countries with large amounts of debt to borrow again on the international financial market under better conditions.

The IMF in their World Economic Outlook in October 2013 also brought to light the need for job growth as well as fiscal repair and fiscal consolidation with the latter being one of the top priorities of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Strategy aims to deliver growth that is “smart, sustainable and inclusive” through the stimulation of education, research and development (R&D) and the promotion of a digital society that is low in carbon emissions. With a few flagship initiatives of Europe 2020 being 75% of 20-64 year-olds to be employed and 3% of the EU's GDP to be invested in R&D, the Strategy is monitored and ensures active involvement by MS through the European Semester.

The European Semester, the EU and its MS have started a European employment strategy and other initiatives to be monitored with annual surveys (Annual Growth Survey), reports (Joint employment report) and programmes (National reform programme). However, the question remains if Europe 2020 will succeed where the Lisbon Strategy failed. Are the goals a bridge too far or do not go far enough?

Europeans should focus on resolving the situation in Europe as well as creating a stable economy with perspectives of sustainability. The EU and the Member States must look forward to recovery in the quickest possible way. Do the aforementioned pacts and strategies provide enough leeway to stimulate growth, or should the focus remain on more political actions to solve the crisis? The road to recovery has started, but the challenge remains: what is the best strategy to continue along this path?

KEYWORDS Euro scepticism, debt crisis, political coordination, common treasury, ECB, Lisbon Strategy, SGP, European Fiscal Compact, job growth, European Semester, Europe 2020, Stability and Growth Pact

USEFUL LINKS

Background material Whatever happened to the Eurozone Crisis Review on the international role of the euro The Stability and Growth Pact Recent statistics

Opinions and articles Europe exits recession but crisis is not over Jean-Claude Triche on the lessons from the recent past The structural problem with the euro Towards a green and innovative economy The world economy’s shifting challenges

Carl Alexander van Tornout (BE) & Dora Markati (GR)

5. EMPL - Committee on Employment Internships: opportunity or exploitation? How can the European Union effectively support its youth in making a smooth transition from education to employment?

Inadequate working conditions, poor quality and lack of transparency have turned unpaid internships into a major issue across Europe, and rather than being a valuable learning experience and a stepping stone to the labour market, in all too many cases, they are can be likened to modern day slave labour: unpaid, unrewarding and leading nowhere.

Conceived as a rite of passage, internships are undertaken to gain experience and increase the chances of being hired in the increasingly competitive labour market; but most of the time graduates end up performing unfulfilling tasks without either payment or professional learning.

In order to have the chance to do unpaid internships young people need to be able to support themselves, so this in itself becomes a form of social discrimination; those who do not have a form of financial support and therefore cannot afford to take on an unpaid internship.

Unsurprisingly, a great number of youngsters now cannot afford to move out of their parents’ home or have to return after moving out because they cannot afford to pay for their essential household expenses, rent or taxes.

Today, a large number of companies in every sector offer unpaid internships to youngsters avid to make their way into the ever-demanding labour market. Even EU institutions regularly offer unpaid or underpaid internships.

Unpaid internships can have detrimental effects on both the intern’s welfare and the economy on the whole, when the employer has no intention of hiring the interns in a full-time basis and is just using them for free workforce. This exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities, as interns are not able to find a stable job and are driven into the vicious circle of having to accept another internship, hoping to gain the skills needed for a decent job at a graduate level.

Regulatory frameworks and the strictness of regulation vary widely both across the different types of internships and across Member States. In some Member States no legal definition of internships exists, and there is no legal basis to make it compulsory to pay interns, which diminishes the action EU institutions, can take.

According to EuroBarometer data (November 2013) nearly six out of 10 trainees (59 per cent of the young people between the ages of 18 and 35 surveyed) say they have not received any monetary compensation during their last internship period. Among the lucky ones who did, benefit from some kind of remuneration, less than half thought that this was sufficient to cover the minimum cost of living. In about one case out of every three, young people interviewed reported poor working conditions.

The European Commission has released a proposal for a quality framework for traineeships which supports the Youth Guarantee Scheme to set standards for work experience across the EU. This Quality Framework for Traineeships (QFT) aims to help bridge the gap between education and work, and to enable young people to move around more easily within the EU. The guidelines set common quality standards for traineeships and call on Member States to enable trainees to acquire high-quality work experience under safe and fair conditions, and to increase their chances of finding a good quality job. The proposals include increased transparency on traineeship conditions, especially remuneration and prospects for long-term hiring by the company; the requirement of a written traineeship agreement; improved information on transnational traineeships; and extending EURES (European Job Mobility Portal) to traineeships in order to enhance youth mobility.

Is this Framework going to be enough, and if so, how can it effectively be put into practice? Or, should the EU seek different approaches to tackle this growing problem and guarantee that our youth does not spend years educating themselves only to end up with the poorest working conditions around?

Key questions: -

Are unpaid internships unethical?

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How can a smooth transition from education to employment be guaranteed?

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How can the EU ensure that safer and more transparent contracts are offered?

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How can graduates improve their employability and respond to employers’ needs?

KEYWORDS: Unpaid internships, workers' exploitation, Youth Guarantee, traineeships, Quality Framework for Traineeships, job market transition.

USEFUL LINKS

Youth Guarantee: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079 EURES: https://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?catId=27&acro=eures&lang=en Proposal for a Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships: http://www.effat.org/en/node/10762 Video on the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on a GFT: http://www.vieuws.eu/citizens-consumers/quality-framework-for-traineeships-commissionwants-better-working-conditions-for-young-people/ Why your unpaid internship makes you less employable (opinion article): http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/01/16/why-your-unpaid-internship-makes-you-lessemployable/ Internships and traineeships in European Institutions: http://www.uni-med.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&lang=en Employers’ perception of graduates’ employability: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-10-638_en.htm

Isabel Cantalapiedra (ES) & João Moreira (PT)

6. ENVI - Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety ”Spaceship Earth” or a ”Cowboy Economy”: With 60% of EU citizens living in urban areas, how can the EU balance development and mobility in urban areas whilst also considering green values such as sustainability, green technologies and a reduction in the consumption of finite resources?

More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas - with this figure estimated to exceed 70% by 2050. Urbanisation, i.e. the decisive shift from a predominantly rural to a predominantly urban society, has not only put strain on urban infrastructure, but given rise to growing food, transport and energy demand in urban areas.

Smaller cities have been particularly affected by urbanisation. Over the past sixty years, a net 1.3 billion people have moved to smaller cities, i.e. more than double the number of people added to medium (632 million) or large (570 million) cities 1.

Meanwhile, the ability of ecosystems to continue to provide biotic resources and to absorb ‘man-made’ waste - commonly referred to as the earth’s “bio-capacity” - is steadily diminishing. At current resource consumption rates we exceed the earth’s bio-capacity by 30%, 2. Approximately 60% of the ecosystems we depend on for goods and services are being degraded or used in an unsustainable manner 3.

This has given rise to calls for sustainable development, i.e. achieving social and economic development, while protecting the environment and world’s finite natural resources - meeting current needs in a way that is respectful of future generations. Given the vast and often irreversible changes that the above-described trend of rapid urban expansion has brought about in production and consumption, there is clearly an imperative to adopt a ‘green’ path to development through the development of a ‘green economy’. A ‘green economy’, which enable society to generate more value each year, while maintaining the natural systems that sustain life.

1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Economic and Social Survey 2013, Sustainable Development Challenges 2 WWF, Zoological Society of London and Global Footprint Network (2008). Living Planet Report 2008. WWF:Switzerland 3 Reid, WV, Mooney, HA, Cropper A, Capistrano, D., Carpenter, SR, Chopra, K., Dasgupta, P., Dietz, T., Duraiappah, AK, Hassan, R., Kasperson , R., Leemans, R., May, RM, McMichael, AJ, Pingali, P., Samper, C., Scholes, R., Watson, RT, Zakri, AH, Shidong, Z., Ash, NJ, Bennett , E., Kumar, P., Lee, MJ, Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Simons, H., Thonell, J. and Zurek, MB (2005).Millennium ecosystem assessment synthesis report. United States: Island Press

However, the implementation of a 'green economy' requires technological innovation, the restructuring of businesses models, changing consumer and production patterns, the reassessment of the way that we design cities and the way we move people and goods around.

Moreover, affecting changes of such calibre calls for the engagement of all sectors, including policymakers, businesses and individual citizens.

The EU has already taken numerous measures to this effect, including comprehensive environmental strategies such as Europe 2020, aided by the adoption of the reformed 2014-2020 cohesion policy of the European Commission, and investment initiatives such as JESSICA (a project which aims to ensure sustainable urban development and regeneration through financial engineering mechanisms). The European Environment Agency plays a key role in assisting Member States in improving protection of the environment, integrating environmental considerations into economic policies and fostering sustainability.

Ultimately, the Committee on Environmental Affairs will have to consider some of the following issues: How effective are the measures currently in force? How can the EU simulate green development and a ‘green economy’ in urban areas? What kind of frameworks are needed to facilitate city-wide resource efficiency? How might cities in the developed world retrofit obsolete and inefficient infrastructure, and alter city planning to ensure sustainability?

KEYWORDS Spaceship Earth, cowboy economy, green economy, green technology, urbanisation, European Environment Agency, Europe 2020, JESSICA project, corporate environmental responsibility, bio-capacity, finite resources, Reference Framework for European Sustainable Cities, 2012-2020 Cohesion Policy, retrofitting, resource efficiency

USEFUL LINKS Background material Cohesion Policy 2014 – 2020 European Environment Agency Reference Framework for European Sustainable Cities Summary of EU lesgislation pertaining to sustainable development Official documents

Sustainable Development Indicators Sustainable Management of Resources Sustainable development in the European Union - 2013 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy World Economic and Social Survey 2013 - Sustainable Development Challenges JESSICA 4 Cities - How cities can make the most from Urban Development Funds Articles Spaceship Earth: A new view of environmentalism European Fund Seeks to Spur Real Estate Projects in Smaller Cities The Ecozoic City 10 Reasons Why Sustainable/Energy Retrofits of Commercial Buildings Will Be the Next Big Thing Opinion pieces 'Cowboy Economics' versus 'Spaceship Ecology': Constructing a Sustainable Environmental Ethic Paul Ehrlich - Population, Environment, and the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere Online discussion on urbanization, cities, and sustainable development Sustainable cities or sustainable urbanisation?

Miscellaneous "What is a City?" by Lewis Mumford Official page of the 'Rethink Athens' project MANHATTAN 1609 vs. 2009: Natural Wonder to Urban Jungle Empire Stare Building - Sustainability Exhibit Building Retro

Adrian Clarke (IE) & Mara Dona (GR)

7. IMCO - Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection With the European Banking Authority distancing itself from the Bitcoin: what steps should the EU take in order to ensure the protection and education of its citizens regarding the new digital currency?

From the user perspective, Bitcoin is a digital currency which enables peer-to-peer payments without any central authority’s approval or involvement. Thus, it constitutes an alternative to fiat money issued by central banks. It uses cryptography for the creation and transfer of money and is therefore often called a cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is designed as an open source software, its protocol being public and receptive to developers’ improvements. Consequently, the development of Bitcoin as technology and network depends on its independent participants’ efforts.

Drastically simplified, Bitcoin can be explained like this: Each user holds a digital wallet, essentially a computer program or a smartphone application, where her/his bitcoins are stored.

All transactions between users are recorded in block chains, the digital corresponding to ledgers, which are published and become subject to public control. The verification of each transaction is then achieved by a process called “mining”, which is similar to solving complex mathematical problems. Miners, offer specialized hardware, time and mental resources to verify the transactions in the block chain. In exchange for their effort, they receive newly created bitcoins or a small transaction fee. To determine the pace of new bitcoin creation, the difficulty degree of mathematical problems increases as bitcoins grow in numbers. The total number of bitcoins ever created is determined to never exceed 21 million. However, each bitcoin can be divided to up to 8 decimal places, which makes a further expansion of the currency possible.

On February 24th, Mt Gox, formerly the biggest Bitcoin exchange, collapsed with a big bang. As a reason for its insolvency, the company declared bitcoins worth 409 million US dollars disappeared. Bitcoin opponents responded fiercely by decrying Bitcoin as a scam and called for a complete ban.

Initially, Bitcoin was launched in 2009 in response to the financial crisis, as an innovative, decentralized currency. Since then, it has grown massively in popularity, with the price per bitcoin rising from close to $0 to a maximum of $1242 in November 2013. Before the Mt Gox meltdown, one important turning point in Bitcoin’ s history was the shutdown of Silk Road, a black market website where Bitcoin was used for most transactions. Bitcoin has been accused of offering an asylum for criminal activity, and at the same time drew the attention of Silicon Valley’s most promising minds.

Bitcoin, as a new type of currency is attributed with the potential to disrupt the financial industry. In contrast to banks, credit card companies or other conventional payment providers,

Bitcoin transfers are very fast and incorporate little to no fees. Bitcoin is said to bring freedom to payments, as it basically can be used without much registration by any person in any country in the world. In contrast to conventional payment providers, whose money transfer systems are private and proprietary, Bitcoin is an open source network, where competition for the most convincing solutions fosters innovations and drives down costs. One example of its disruptive power represents crowdfunding: The spread of QR codes in social media enables organizations and individuals to easily raise money in bitcoins for their causes. Advocates of privacy rights stress the anonymity of Bitcoin as a further benefit, because of the cash like anonymity it offers in online purchases.

On the contrary, opponents of Bitcoin see the anonymity of Bitcoin as one of its biggest flaws.

Bitcoin’s anonymity has facilitated the rise of black market websites, such as the pre-mentioned Silk Road, because the identity of sellers and buyers of illicit goods is not revealed by the payment between the two. Furthermore, the anonymity of Bitcoin opens the door for other illegal activities, such as money laundering or tax evasion. But the anonymity is not Bitcoin’s only issue: Nearly weekly, cases become public, where institutions handling bitcoins are being hacked, leading to the theft of users’ bitcoins. While supporters argue this issue will be overcome once the industry matures, opponents claim the system’s transparency is the cause and thus, Bitcoin is doomed to fail. Finally, volatility in Bitcoin’s price is comparatively high – price swings of 20% in one day are not uncommon. Accordingly, consumers using bitcoins as storage of value can lose significant amounts of money.

Discordant about the implications of Bitcoin, governments around the world have followed different roads regarding Bitcoin: While Russia has declared Bitcoin as illegal and China bans institutions from handling bitcoins, most Western nations have taken no regulatory actions against Bitcoin.

To research a topic, a good approach is to obtain knowledge in two dimensions: in width and in depth. On the one hand, one should have a broad idea on the topic as a whole. On the other hand, some crucial aspects should be examined very closely. In the case of Bitcoin, a route of research could look as follows: First, one should generally understand what Bitcoin is and how it works. Next, one could weigh the opportunities provided by Bitcoin against the associated dangers to assess whether a complete ban is reasonable. In case one decides against a ban, the following issues could be part of the upcoming discussion: How should bitcoins be taxed?

Should it, for example, be subject to VAT or treated as an asset? What regulatory frame could be developed to prevent Bitcoin from being a mean for money laundering and tax evasion while at the same time conserving Bitcoin’s disruptive power? Should the EU initiate measures to increase deposit protection for bitcoins? And last but not least, should the EU take measures to educate its citizens in digital currencies and how could these measures be designed?

KEYWORDS

Bitcoin, virtual currency, Bitcoin mining, Mt Gox, Silk Road, Bitcoin exchanges, block chains, cryptography, Ponzi scheme, deflationary spiral, Bitcoin regulation, Satoshi Nakamoto.

USEFUL LINKS

How does Bitcoin work?

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um63OQz3bjo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrK-152xfy0&feature=player_embedded Articles http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/04/economist-explains-how-doesbitcoin-work https://bitcoin.org/en/faq The promise of Bitcoin: Whats not being said about Bitcoin http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/28/whats-not-being-said-about-bitcoin/ Why Bitcoin matters http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/why-bitcoin-matters/ Bitcoin’s innovation presented by the Bitcoin Foundation https://bitcoin.org/en/innovation The dangers behind Bitcoin: European Banking Authority announcement: http://www.eba.europa.eu/documents/10180/598344/EBA+Warning+on+Virtual+Currencies.pdf The Bitcoin Blasphemy http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/opinion/nocera-the-bitcoin-blasphemy.html Bitcoin’s regulation Research base for worldwide Bitcoin regulation: http://www.coindesk.com/regulation/ UK’s Bitcoin regulation: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/vat/brief0914.htm

European Central Bank authority on Bitcoin: http://www.eba.europa.eu/documents/10180/598344/EBA+Warning+on+Virtual+Currencies.pdf Opinion on Bitcoin regulation: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/more-bitcoin-regulation-is-inevitable/

Myrto Apostolidou (GR) & Niklas Herpertz (DE)

8. ITRE - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Online piracy, where does the buck stop? With an ever-increasing stream of illegal downloads available online, how can the EU effectively target those at fault in order to reduce the number of illegal downloads?

“It is piracy, not overt online music stores, which is our main competitor� –Steve Jobs Intellectual property rights have been established to ensure that creative and inventive efforts are rewarded and that investments in new and more efficient products are encouraged. They greatly stimulate the creation of jobs in today's knowledge-based economy. Infringements of intellectual property rights are a widespread and worrying phenomenon. These violations negatively affect not only the producers, but also businesses, since normally they would benefit from selling the items, and also consumers themselves, since the quality of the illegally downloaded items tends to be poor.

13.9 billion page views were recorded on websites focused on piracy in January 2013. This figure increased by 9.8% in the fifteen months from November 2011. A report commissioned by NBC Universal showed that in January 2013 only, 432 million unique users actively sought pirated content online. In total, 23.8% of the total bandwidth used by all internet users in Europe, Eastern Asia and North America was used to download illegal material.

The two main forms of online piracy are peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and cyberlocker sites. A P2P network is a type of decentralised and distributed system architecture in which individual nodes in the network act both as suppliers and consumers of resources. There is no need for a centralised coordination by a server. Studies show that 98.8% of data shared by P2P networks is copyrighted. Since there is no intermediate server providing the service, and since file sharing itself is not considered illegal, P2P networks can be used to download illegal material, as long as piracy is not promoted in their websites.

Cyberlocker sites are Internet hosting services specifically designed to host user files. They allow users to upload files which can be accessed over the internet by other devices. Because of this quality, these sites can be used to upload copyrighted material that can be downloaded by other users. There have been different approaches toward these sites. For example Megaupload.com was recently shut down for sharing copyrighted material and promoting

piracy, but on the other hand RapidShare was declared “innocent” by the German court for similar accusations.

The European Union’s main approach toward online piracy is expressed in the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED) which was adapted in 2004. This directive requires all Member States to apply effective, dissuasive and proportionate remedies and penalties against those engaged in counterfeiting and piracy and so creates a level playing field for right holders in the EU. However, a recent study by the European Commission showed that digital music piracy does not displace legal music purchases in digital format. The AntiCounterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which would require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block websites which offer copyrighted material and also would apply certain websitefilters was not signed by the EU. The main argument was that it would be a form of monitoring which would negatively affect freedom and privacy. Even though ACTA was ruled down, online piracy related statistics are becoming more concerning every year, and the EU is planning to enforce anti-piracy laws by implementing several technical measures such as website blocking and ISP monitoring. These measures are heavily opposed by the ISPs, arguing that any changes to the 2004 Directive would be incompatible with fundamental right to the protection of personal data and freedom of communications which are essential for innovation and growth in the digital market.

There have been different tentative measures taken by Member States to tackle this issue, but the right solution has not been found yet. The French HADOPI law introduced in 2009 provided a “three-strike” procedure against websites if it received a complaint from a copyright holder or representative. However, this law was revoked in 2013 because it was considered to be ineffective and disproportionate.

There are several questions that need to be answered when discussing this topic. Does online piracy affect the market? Is there a need for a common EU law to tackle online piracy, or should the responsibility lie with each Member State? Should the ISPs’ responsibility on this matter increase? Should anti-piracy laws focus on the party that offers the illegal items, or the user who downloads the material? What measures should be taken in order to reduce the number of illegal downloads without affecting data protection and freedom of communication?

KEYWORDS Online piracy, anti-piracy laws, peer-to-peer network, IPRED, ACTA, HADOPI

USEFUL LINKS

Information about counterfeit and piracy in the EU: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/counterfeit_piracy/index_en.ht m Info-graphic about online piracy: http://www.go-gulf.com/wp-content/themes/go-gulf/blog/piracy.jpg Information regarding the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/iprenforcement/directive/index_en.htm Seizing the Piracy Universe – video explaining the extent of piracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFB7T1HCfk8#t=38 Video explaining a Peer-to-Peer network: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5UWEWcGJgs Video explaining what ACTA is and how It works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63JyXmu0fqM Article discussing possible new anti-piracy measures and their effect: http://www.zdnet.com/eu-anti-piracy-law-overhaul-under-attack-isps-warn-against-siteblocking-censorship-7000014023/ Paper on how anti-piracy interventions influence individual decisions to access illegal content: http://www.lerner.udel.edu/sites/default/files/ECON/PDFs/RePEc/dlw/WorkingPapers/2014/U DWP2014-07.pdf

Irida Karasmanoglou (GR) & Ilir Kola (AL)

9. LIBE- Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs “The European Union cannot accept that thousands of people die at its borders. The challenges that Lampedusa and Italy are facing are European challenges.” – José Manuel Barroso With continuing tragedies and the growing strain of illegal immigration: How can the EU support its Member States in managing the increasing flow of asylum seekers whilst ensuring humane treatment of refugees?

Illegal immigration is the act of entering a country without official authorisation with the intention to remain, while an asylum seeker is a person who, from fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, social group, or political opinion, has crossed international borders in the hope of being granted refugee status in another country. The right to asylum is enshrined in several human rights treaties – notably, in the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

The distribution of irregular migration flows to EU countries is, however, markedly uneven and the burden on individual Member States equally so. In 2011, 90% of all asylum applications filed were made in only ten Member States.

Thousands of people make the journey to Europe each year: Large numbers come from North Africa and the Middle East, crossing the Mediterranean, and arrive in Italy, Greece, Spain and Malta. Given recent instability in this region this trend is no doubt set to continue.

This influx in immigration is coupled with a rise in anti-immigration sentiments and measures.

Meanwhile, Member States such as Greece have been criticized for failing to support and protect asylum seekers. Human rights agencies, the European Court of Human Rights and European Court of Justice have highlighted cases of human rights abuse in relation to, for instance, detention conditions and enforced transfers and more.

The EU has committed to creating a Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and improving the current EU legislative framework. To date several legislative measures have been adopted, with the aim of establishing common minimum standards for asylum (Dublin regulation), in order to assure adherence to human rights standards and avoid ‘asylum shopping’. The regulation is backed by the Reception Conditions Directive, which lays out minimum living standards in reception centres across Europe.

The Dublin regulation is based on the key principles that asylum seekers must apply in the Member State where they first entered the EU. However, this has also meant that the burden on the external border regions of the EU, where the majority of asylum seekers enter, has increased - countries that in many cases lack the resources to effectively deal rising numbers.

A European Refugee Fund has been created to strengthen financial solidarity and compensate for the uneven financial burden faced by some Member States. In 2001, the introduction of the Temporary Protection Directive allowed for a common EU response to a mass influx of displaced persons unable to return to their country of origin.

On July 2013, Dublin III was implemented. The new regulation provides enhanced safeguards for asylum seekers. New clauses have been introduced that for instance prevent a Member State from transferring a person to another Member State, where there is risk of subjugation to inhuman and degrading treatment. A ruling from the European Court of Justice halted all transfers to Greece for two years for this very reason.

Measures have also been established to protect the EU from illegal migration. The European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation (Frontex), operates to protect EU’s external borders, and was set up in 2004 to reinforce and coordinate national border authorities.

Frontex relies on Member States to provide vessels and personnel, as it has few resources of its own.

Similarly, the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) has been established, allowing Member States' border surveillance authorities to share operational information and to cooperate, with the aim of reducing the number of irregular migrants entering the EU undetected. This system pools the resources of national border patrols and Frontex, in order to e.g. also track and rescue irregular migrants in distress along the maritime borders.

The fingerprints of all irregular migrants are gathered in a data system known as Eurodac, which should help authorities to track whether individuals have applied for asylum in the EU previously.

There is clearly a need to balance a legitimate need to control the EU’s border and limits irregular migration, with the need to uphold and protect the fundamental right to asylum and ensure that asylum seekers receive human treatment in the process. However, it is worth considering whether the current regulatory framework adopted and other measures in place appropriately address the uneven capabilities and resources among Member States to deal with rising levels of irregular migration and its uneven distribution. Are sufficient safeguards in place to ensure humane treatment of asylum seekers?

KEYWORDS

Illegal Immigration, asylum seekers, refugees, ‘asylum shopping’, The Common European Asylum System (CEAS), Dublin Regulation, European Refugee Fund, EUROSUR, EURODAC, FRONTEX

USEFUL LINKS

Background material http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-862_en.htm- Press Release Database http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/documents/enpispecial_migration_en.pdf - DG EuropeAid for illegal immigration Measures in place http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/index_en.htmEuropean Asylum System

Common

http://frontex.europa.eu/- European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/immigration/eurosur- European Border Surveillance System http://www.asylumineurope.org/news/19-07-2013/dublin-iii-regulation-enters-force- Dublin III Regulation Reception Conditions Directive European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) Issue Analysis http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6228236.stm- Africa to Europe Migration http://europarltv.europa.eu/en/player.aspx?pid=fac6fa09-3310-47b7-a8aa-a260011ff575- Dealing with illegal immigration (video)

Panagiotis Orfanakos (GR) & Isabella Hayward (SE)

10. SEDE - Committee on Security and Defence “In a world where data flows across borders as easily as the air we breathe” according to European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, how can the European Union safeguard the personal data of its citizens online whilst also ensuring their security?

We live in a technological era where data flows around the world in a matter of seconds. You can send an instant message to a friend at the other point of the world and receive an answer immediately. Data crosses borders, countries and continents. Does anyone gather this data that we send and receive?

There are government agencies responsible for the collection, analysis and use of information and intelligence in a country. This information is collected with the objective of supporting law enforcement, preserving national security and protecting defence and foreign policy. However, the degree to which government agencies monitor and utilise data exchanged by citizens was not entirely known. The recent case of Edward Snowden, who, in June 2013, revealed that the National Security Agency of the United States monitored and stored data both in the U.S. and Europe, caused turmoil on a global scale.

Many prominent political and scientific figures have been heavily critical of massive data surveillance, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose communications appear to have been also monitored for a period of time. On the other hand, U.S. President Barack Obama defended the actions of the NSA, supporting the notion that security agencies protect public security by acting preventively with regards to criminal activities in planning. In his own words, “We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information not just in the United States, but, in some cases, threats here in Germany. So lives have been saved.”.

The information that has come to light regarding data surveillance by the NSA is Europe has also divided EU leaders, making a European consensus more difficult to reach. Whilst UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron defending the intelligence services and attacked the media saying that they are “making it much more difficult to keep our countries and citizens safe”.

Other European leaders such as François Hollande condemned the NSA's practices.

In an effort to approach this issue we must first note that currently, the European Union does not have a specific policy regarding data protection. This competence is allocated to national governments, leading to a large diversity of policies all around the European Union. After recent events, politicians such as European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reading have expressed support to the idea of a new system securing individual’s rights to privacy and data protection on a European level. Sergio Carrera, a researcher of the CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies), affirms that “the evidence of mass surveillance of communications by intelligence services is incompatible with the democratic rule of law foundations of the EU.” After all of the above, can a balance be reached between protecting the state from terrorism and respecting people’s privacy? Where is the borderline between the right to security and civil liberties? Secondly, with no intelligence service in the EU and with foreign surveillance reaching European citizens, are the EU's own needs for security being adequately met? In the recent past Angela Merkel has announced plans to set up a European communications network. This new system would prevent emails and other information sent within the EU from crossing the Atlantic. Could that be a solution providing sufficient security while, at the same time, being more respective of citizens' privacy? would that even be a step in the right direction, or merely a different means of enabling the same practices of mass surveillance?

Finally, it is true that intelligence organisations have to be secretive with their operations, as the stealth awareness of criminal activities as they are being planned is a prerequisite for their prevention. However, the NSA scandal has shown that a regulation of the security agencies' activities is needed. Is transparency possible in organisations of this sort without severely impeding their work?

Is privacy at stake every time we send a message or have a phone call? It seems that the EU might ought to try and reach a balance between protection of citizens and the respect of civil liberties that we all must be afforded. Of course, our privacy might be a small price to pay for the security that citizens demand their state provides. The delegates will have to agree on what measures, if any, should the EU take to safeguard the privacy of the personal data of citizens, and at the same time ensuring their security.

KEYWORDS Data privacy, security, privacy, civil liberties, data, intelligence agencies, mass surveillance

USEFUL LINKS

Video: Obama explaining in press conference in Berlin how NSA works and prevented terrorist attacks: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/06/19/obama_on_nsa_spying_we_have_struck_th e_appropriate_balance_of_privacy_and_security.html NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders after US official handed over contacts: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/nsa-surveillance-world-leaders-calls#_ UK gathering secret intelligence via covert NSA operation: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/07/uk-gathering-secret-intelligence-nsaprism Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/17/merkel-compares-nsa-stasi-obama US-EU: Is it okay to spy on allies? : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23133216 Extensive files on the NSA Scandal from The Guardian, the newspaper which first revealed the spying: http://www.theguardian.com/world/the-nsa-files Video: Angela Merkel “Spying on friends is not acceptable�. : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24659743

Possible EU solutions: New EU rules to make it more difficult for the US to collect data: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/17/eu-rules-data-us-edward-snowden Angela Merkel proposes European network to beat NSA and GCHQ spying: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/angela-merkel-proposes-europeannetwork-to-beat-nsa-spying-9132388.html

Thanos Saitis (GR) & David Soler Crespo (ES)