RSC Hoorn 2019 - Resolution Booklet by EYP The Netherlands

HOORN 2019

Regional Selection Conference of EYP The Netherlands

RESOLUTION BOOKLET

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TABLE OF CONTENTS General Assembly Explained

Placards Explained

FEMM

Committee on Gender Equality

DEVE

Committee on Development

ECON

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

CRIM

Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering

ENVI

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

AFCO

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

CULT

Commitee on Culture and Education

PECH

Committee on Fisheries

GENERAL ASSEMBLY EXPLAINED The General Assembly is the large debate on Sunday, consisting of eight topics to be debated. The total time set aside for one topic will normally be 40 minutes, though this is subject to time constraints. The setting of debate time, and changes in debate time, are entirely at the discretion of the President and the Vice Presidents. It is the responsibility of each proposing Committee to lead the debate and defend their resolution. In order to do so, enough opportunities will be ensured during the debate. Each of the eight debates has the following procedure:

READING OF THE TOPIC The conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board will read out the topic of the proposing committee. Afterwards, time is given for delegates to read through the operative clauses.

DEFENSE SPEECH (3 minutes) The proposing committee will have the opportunity to deliver a three-minute defense speech, defending their resolution.

POSITION SPEECHES (max. 3 minutes) There will be three minutes in which a position speech (or multiple position speeches) can be delivered by other committtees, explaining their opinion on the resolution of the proposing committee.

RESPONSE TO POSITION SPEECHES (1.5 minutes) The proposing committee will have one minute to respond to the points addressed by other committees in their Position Speeches.

ROUNDS OF OPEN DEBATE The rest of the time is set aside for open debates among delegates. If you wish to make a point, your chairperson will raise your committee sign for you. You will be recognised by the board before taking the floor. Each round is closed off by a member of the proposing committee replying to all points made.

SUMMATION SPEECH (2 minutes) A member of the proposing committee closes the debate by giving a speech to conclude all the points made or as a final defense.

VOTING Delegates will be given the opportunity to vote on the resolution or abstain from making a decision in favour or against. Chairs will collect the votes. A Board member counts the votes and announces the result after the debate on the following resolution. Each Delegate votes according to his or her own convictions. Please note: the passing or failing of a resolution will not affect the juryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deliberations on participants.

PLACARDS EXPLAINED During the General Assembly a Committee can ask their chair to raise a number of different placards, which are used in different situations:

COMMITTEE PLACARD This is raised everytime a committee wishes to make a point or give a speech.

DIRECT RESPONSE Allows for a direct response to the most recent point and priority over other committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s points. This placard may be used by each committee once during each open debate.

POINT OF PRIVILEGE The privilege sign should be raised when a delegate cannot hear what has been said. In this case, the President may ask the previous speaker to repeat their point. Personal privilege should only be used if the point is inaudible.

POINT OF ORDER If the board makes a mistake with regards to the procedure, this placard can be raised by your chairperson to point this out and correct the mistake.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON GENDER EQUALITY (FEMM) Breaking Free: With domestic violence affecting millions of citizens every day all around Europe what measures should the European Union and its Member States take in order to protect the victims of such incidents? Submitted by: Beverly Boahene, Lucas de Graaf, Van Anh Ho, Allegressa Kidimbu, Jade Kroet, Minou Post, Alexandra Salo (Chairperson, FI) The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned by the lack of general awareness and dialogue about domestic violence, especially about male victims, B. Applauding the establishment of the Istanbul Convention, C. Regretting the fact that not all Member States have ratified the Istanbul Convention, D. Aware of the difference in legal and criminal approaches to combat domestic violence among Member States, E. Concerned by the lack of trust in local authorities and police force to combat domestic violence, F. Deeply alarmed by the fact that 67% of women did not report their most serious incident of partner violence to anybody1, G. Disturbed by the fact that there are approximately 3.500 domestic violence-related deaths in the EU every year2;

1. Calls upon the European Commission to allocate increased funds to campaigns that support victims of domestic violence, such as the Stop Violence Against Women campaign; 2. Invites the European Commission to expand the Stop Violence Against Women campaign by including men in its focus; 3. Encourages Member States to include in their educational curricula seminars, delivered by experts, on domestic violence and sexual abuse; 4. Suggests the European Commission to raise awareness about the Istanbul Convention through the Stop Violence Against Women campaign and create internal pressure on countries to ratify it; 5. Further suggests that all Member States adopt the European Parliament’s definition of domestic violence;

1 2

https://fra.europa.eu/en/press-release/2014/violence-against-women-every-day-and-everywhere http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2018/630296/EPRS_BRI(2018)630296_EN.pdf

6. Urges the Council of Europe to extend the focus of the Istanbul Convention to include all genders; 7. Requests the European Commission to establish a programme for local police forces which: a) will host training conventions about efficient handling of domestic violence, b) will surveil the following of protocol; 8. Strongly advises Member States to penalise more strictly members of local police when breaking protocol concerning domestic violence.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON GENDER EQUALITY (FEMM) The Istanbul Convention (otherwise known as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence) requires Member States to prevent violence against women and domestic violence, protect victims and prosecute perpretrators. Say No! Stop Violence Against Women campaign is a media campaign created by the European Commission, which aims to share information and showcase success stories about the important work that is being done in this field across the EU.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT (DEVE) The fight against poverty: With the Europe 2020 Strategy showing unsatisfactory results in regards to poverty goals, the European Commission expects that the number of people at risk of poverty might remain at 100 million by 2020. How should the EU support its development goals and structure its approach towards effectively combating poverty? Submitted by: Daan van Amerongen, Chaouki Baladi, Joris Huele, Bibiana Luz Kleverlaan, Aya Mansour, Boyd Mollenvanger, Roos Postema, Julia Collado Serrano (Chairperson, ES) The European Youth Parliament, A. Acknowledging the paramount importance of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals of reducing the number of people living at risk of poverty, B. Deeply disturbed by the fact that the availability of poverty-related social transfers varies across Member States, C. Aware of the fact that social transfers provide only a temporary solution, D. Deeply concerned by how the informal economy results in underfunding in Member States’ social welfare policies, E. Noting with deep concern that unemployed people are at a higher risk of poverty and/or social exclusion, F. Expressing its concern for the ethnic, racial and gender barriers preventing those affected from improving their socioeconomic conditions, G. Alarmed by how lower educational outcomes prevent those at risk of poverty from living up to their full potential; 1. Appeals to the European Commission to set up a more realistic time frame for the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy; 2. Asks the European Commission to ensure that the income of each EU citizen is above the poverty line by distributing social funds through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) according to the needs of Member States; 3. Invites the European Commission to provide social funds and educational training through the F und for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) for citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion; 4. Encourages Member States to adopt educational campaigns that address both the short-term and long-term consequences of the informal economy in the course of Social Studies in high school; 5. Calls upon Member States to provide healthcare benefits as incentives for people working within the formal economy; 6. Urges the European Commission to, in cooperation with Member States, reduce the barriers to the labour market and uphold anti-discrimination laws with the financial aid of the E uropean Social Fund (ESF);

7. Further encourages companies to increase the standard of the general working conditions by improving work stability through permanent contracts and providing secure jobs for all, especially young people; 8. Calls for the European Commission to allocate ESF funds to support campaigns and schools that promote manual labour; 9. Further requests Member States to provide standard education available for everyone in need regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or wealth through social transfers.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT (DEVE) Europe 2020 Strategy: Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth that set a target of lifting more than 20 million people out of poverty, yet European Union countries have struggled to make progress towards the target. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD): Supports EU countries to provide food and basic assistance to the most deprived. This also includes trainings, workshops, guidance and support to help people out of poverty. Informal economy: A set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers that are not regulated or protected by the state. European Social Fund (ESF): Europe’s main instrument for supporting jobs, helping people get better jobs and ensuring fairer job opportunities for all EU citizens. Social transfers: Cover the social help given by central, state or local institutional units. These include things like pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness and invalidity benefits, education-related benefits, housing allowances and social assistance.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS (ECON) Money, money, money: The past few decades have seen unprecedented levels of global economic growth, which has not been evenly distributed since 1% of the world’s population now owns over 45% of the world’s wealth and many countries’ middle class has shrunk. How should we strive to address economic inequalities while assuring the continuation of economic prosperity in the EU? Submitted by: Laurence van Duuren, Tim van Geleuken, Nemo van Hout, Jurgen Pels, Noa Riedstra, Rafaël van der Wal, Jasmijn van Wamel, Hein Posthumus (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Having examined that the top 20% of the population receives 5.2 times as much income as the bottom 20%1, B. Pointing out that globalisation leads to increased interconnectedness of Member States’ economies, therefore resulting in their political dependence, C. Profoundly concerned that discrimination based on gender, ethnicity and social class leads to limited social mobility between members of these demographic groups and members of these classes internally, D. Alarmed by the fact that economic inequality causes significantly worse outcomes in health and social problems, such as exclusion or discrimination2, E. Deeply concerned by the inhumanely low social security payments in some Member States that can go as low as 190 EUR per month in the example of Poland3, F. Noting with regret that wages in the private sector are often lower than their public sector counterparts, as private sector employers are able to set wages for themselves as long as they are higher than minimum wages4,5,

G. Noting that Member States like the Baltic states currently have tax systems with a minimal equilibrating effect on wealth and income, H. Fully aware that high tax rates pose a serious threat for people with insufficient income, I.

Observing that Member States like the Netherlands and Ireland provide tax benefits to multinational corporations;

http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di11&lang=en Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. (2009). The Spirit Level. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Press. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Social_protection_statistics 2

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Torsten_Mueller5/publication/281746326_The_public-private_sector_pay_debate_in_Europ e/links/55f6e40c08aec948c462ff73/The-public-private-sector-pay-debate-in-Europe.pdf 5 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Minimum_wage_statistics

1. Urges Member States to fund public scholarships tailored towards those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds; 2. Invites Member States to normalise the highest of incomes by imposing a maximum annual income of 2 million EUR per capita in the public and private sectors; 3. Requests Member States avoid cases of discrimination by proposing and implementing legislation favouring anonymous job application processes; 4. Directs Member States to provide financial aid to those of low income by either: a) considering the implementation of a Universal Basic Income, b) further developing and implementing the European Unemployment Insurance Benefit Scheme, c) or increasing minimum wages; 5. Calls upon Member States to harmonise corporate taxation across the European Union by implementing the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB); 6. Invites Member States to: a) lower value-added tax (VAT) on primary life necessities, b) raise VAT on luxury products enough to result in a net growth of national tax revenue, c) use the added tax revenue for wealth redistribution by financing social security payments; 7. Encourages Member States to implement a system of progressive fining for minor legal offences, including, but not limited to, speeding tickets, shoplifting and disturbances of public order; 8. Recommends Member States to increase social security budgets by refraining from providing multinational corporations with tax benefits.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AFFAIRS (ECON) Social security: a government framework that provides monetary aid to people with an inadequate or no income. Sometimes also referred to as social protection. Minimum wages: the lowest payment the government allows for -setting wages below this amount is, therefore, illegal. Multinational corporations: a large corporation incorporated in one country, which produces or sells goods or services in multiple countries. Universal Basic Income: a monthly income for each citizen provided by the state. Universal basic income is unconditional, implying that one is not required to work, or even be prepared to work, nor has to meet specific characteristics, such as a handicap or living in poverty, in order to obtain it. European Unemployment Insurance Benefit Scheme: a proposed transfer system for the Eurozone that is intended to provide macroeconomic stabilisation, sometimes also known as the European Unemployment Benefit Scheme or EUBS. Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB): a single set of rules to calculate companies' taxable profits in the EU. With the CCCTB, cross-border companies will only have to comply with one single system for computing their taxable income, rather than many different national rulebooks. With the CCCTB, companies can file one tax return for all of their activities within the European Economic Area and offset losses in one Member State against profits in another. Value-Added Tax (VAT): a consumption tax placed on a product whenever value is added at each stage of the supply chain, from production to the point of sale. The amount of VAT that the user pays is on the cost of the product, unless any of the costs of materials used in the product that have already been taxed. Progressive fine: a monetary penalty issued for violations of the law, in which the amount of the penalty is proportionally dependent on the financial assets of the individual.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ORGANISED CRIME, CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING (CRIM) Euphoria: The diffusion of recreational drug use has raised international concerns about appropriate policy responses. What steps should be taken by the EU in order to fight the possibility of long-term impairment caused by regular use of drugs? Submitted by: Stijn Borro, Dunya Bouzerda, Aymen El Moubarik, Victor Kleemans, Tommy Kramer, Kian Trant (IE), Alicia van Dipeen, Arne van Iterson, Jelle van der Weijden (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting that regular drug use, whether recreational or not, can cause long-term impairment and have serious consequences on people’s health, B. Concerned by the links between drug use and alcohol, which target and cripple vulnerable youth at dance events and other outgoing activities, C. Acknowledging that psychoactive substances like marijuana, considered as illicit drugs, can be used for medical purposes to help people who suffer from certain chronic diseases, D. Believing that because of current EU policies such as the Schengen agreement, drug traffickers are not challenged by EU borders and can freely transport their product, E. Realising that national drug policies, such as those of the Netherlands, are not very strict and can promote licit drug use, which can potentially lead to illicit drug use; 1. Advises Member States to decriminalise drug use; 2. Encourages Member States to adapt their policies on drugs by replacing strict punishments with helpful alternatives, such as providing therapy and implementing prevention programmes; 3. Requests Member States to raise awareness on the dangers of recreational drug use by reforming their educational curricula to include more information regarding mixing drugs and alcohol; 4. Invites Member States to recognise certain psychoactive substances, such as marijuana, as medicinal drugs; 5. Proposes the European Commission to allocate increased funds to Europol’s operation on drug trafficking; 6. Encourages Member States to fight any long-term impairment of their citizens caused by drugs by strengthening their communication with Europol; 7. Suggests Member States to raise sin taxes1 on currently legal drugs; 8. Calls upon Member States to establish common minimum pricing of drugs in the EU. 1

A sin tax is an excise tax specifically levied on certain goods deemed harmful to society and individuals.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI) You will not break me: With Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) considered to be responsible for over 25000 deaths across Europe yearly, what further steps should the EU and its health care systems take in order to minimise the threats associated with AMR? Submitted by: Denny Chen, Dyon van de Buld, Emre Kosker, Hugo Versteeg, Jelle Zegers, Mette Klein, Pilar Brand, Giorgos Spanias (Chairperson, GR) The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply disturbed by the lack of effective collaboration between the EU and its Member States to help combat the threat that AMR poses, B. Pointing out the increasing rate of AMR cases in the public health sector, C. Appreciating the evolution of vaccines and their role in the prevention of an uproar of infectious diseases, D. Referring to the common reckless use of antibiotics in the agricultural sector, E. Noting with deep concern the lack of international standards in the use of antibiotics and the disregard of good practices in the agricultural sector, F. Paying attention to the lack of new antibiotics in the last 20 years, G. Recognising the lack of awareness regarding the use of antibiotics at an individual level, H. Realising that third-party pharmaceutical companies distribute unprescribed antibiotics1 to EU-citizens;

1. Directs Member States to meet the EU-wide standards as mentioned in the EU One Health Action Plan against AMR; 2. Urges health workers to: a. follow hygiene protocols in hospitals with austerity, b. be more considerate in prescribing antibiotics by ensuring thorough examinations that direct towards the most accurate treatment; 3. Encourages Member States to follow the example of Italy and France by establishing a non-compliance fine to parents who decide not to vaccinate their children; 4. Proposes livestock farmers to contribute to the prevention of the excessive use of antibiotics by vaccinating their animals;

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/BAD_MEDICINE_final_report.pdf

5. Authorises the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to proceed with the formation of an EU-wide program of experts to set and uphold: a) standards for proper antibiotic use in animals, b) basic operations in farms and breeding grounds; 6. Invites the European Commission to allocate funds to the research of new antibiotics and alternative methods (novel treatments, good practices) of treating bacterial infections; 7. Supports initiatives such as the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) in providing the general public with data concerning AMR; 8. Reiterates the importance of following all proper vaccination procedures and seeking an expert’s opinion on the use of antibiotics; 9. Requests further surveillance programmes from pre-existing networks, such as the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), in order to raise awareness.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): the ability of microorganisms to resist antimicrobial treatments, especially antibiotics. EU One Health Action Plan against AMR: 3 step action plan on combating AMR in the near future Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO): a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and achieve food security World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. Novel Treatments: an unusual approach to treating a patient or condition. The implication being that the cure worked while treating for an unrelated condition. Good practices: specific methods that create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome. European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net): the largest publicly funded system for antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): is an EU agency aimed at strengthening Europe's defences against infectious diseases

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS (AFCO) Democracy at risk: Despite more than 50% of eligible voters taking part in the 2019 European elections, the ongoing rise of Eurosceptic and populist parties suggest that a significant number of people do not feel represented by mainstream politics. How can the EU deal with this rising opposition amongst voters and promote active participation? Submitted by: Dave Joosten, Kieran Donsu, Maria Meeus, Morris Hillebrand, Bink Haakman, Constantinos Charalambous (Chairperson, CY) The European Youth Parliament, A. Acknowledging the fact that there was a turnout of 50.6%1 in the 2019 European Elections, B. Keeping in mind that the main issues2 within the EU which led to people voting were: i. economy and growth by 44%, ii. combating climate change and the environment by 37%, iii. promoting human rights and democracy by 37%; C. Deeply concerned by the fact that the Europe of Nations and Freedom political group as well as the Europe of Freedom and Democracy political group witnessed an increase in their seats within the EU Parliament, D. Pointing out that while radical left parties suffered significant losses, going from 52 to 38 seats3, the radical right was one of the main winners of the elections, E. Fully alarmed by the fact that the eurosceptic Brexit Party was the leading party in the UK elections, F. Taking into account the fact that people between 18 and 22 years4 old voted for the Greens (EFA) as their major leading party, G. Stressing out that there was a decreased turnout5 in 8 of the EU Member States;

1. Suggests the European Commission to further support and promote Non-Governmental Organisations aimed at increasing youth engagement in European politics, such as the European Youth Parliament (EYP); 2. Proposes Member States to include more information regarding European politics and active citizenship in their educational curricula;

https://election-results.eu/turnout/ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/files/be-heard/eurobarometer/2019/post-election-survey-2019complete-results/executive-summary/en-post-election-survey-2019-executive-summary.pdf 3 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48417191 4 https://europeelects.eu/2019/06/03/how-different-generations-voted-in-the-eu-election/ 5 https://election-results.eu/turnout/ 1

3. Calls upon Member States to expand youth engagement in politics by lowering the minimum age required to vote to sixteen years old; 4. Invites the Member States to consider establishing for all citizens a compulsory voting system which will include: a) the option of abstention, b) penalties that include economic sanctions, such as taxation, in case of absence of the elector; 5. Encourages the European Commission to allocate increased funds to media campaigns aimed at exposing fake news created by Eurosceptic and populist parties; 6. Strongly encourages the European Commission to allocate increased funds for the improvement and innovation of public infrastructure in Member States in order to regain people's confidence and trust towards the EU; 7. Instructs the European Commission to further invest in the advertisement of the European Union’s future elections on social media.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CULT) Education for all: With a variance of public and private funds spending for tertiary education across the Member States, universal access to educational institutes is neither affordable nor safeguarded. How can the EU ensure fair and equal access to tertiary education for different social classes? Submitted by: Amber Kuulker, Elias Beemster, Jarno de Wit, Parsa Saboun Niha, Robbe de Boer, Rutger Schim van der Loeff, Misha Doomen (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting the importance of tertiary education in determining one’s social outcome, B. Aware of the fact that only 40% of EU citizens have completed some form of tertiary education,1 C. Underlining the vulnerability to educational problems of people with a migrant background, D. Emphasising how student loans increase the rate of mental health problems such as but not limited to long-term stress during and after following tertiary education,2 E. Pointing out that large variances in tuition fees cause “tuition-fleeing”, which makes primarily funding tertiary education through taxes harder to maintain, F. Strongly believing that possible debt should in no way deter people to pursue the right education;

1. Calls upon the European Commission to organise a summit with the purpose of encouraging Member States to adopt more similar tuition fees and school systems; 2. Instructs Member States to set up a Student Support System aimed at: a) informing migrant students and their guardians about the countries' tertiary education system, through booklets, in-school explanation, as well as external information meetings, b) recognising and approaching students who are likely to drop out and informing them about the advantages of tertiary education; 3. Suggests the European Commission to extend the Erasmus+ programme so that it includes: a) financially supporting night schools, b) providing people who failed the regular school process with loans to still be able to go to tertiary education; 4. Recommends Member States to update their Civic Integration Exams in order to include the structure of the national education system;

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Educational_attainment_statistics https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2018/jun/student-loan-debt-has-negative-consequences-later-life-review-ioe-re searchers-suggests

5. Encourages Member States who wish to use a loan system to: a) change their loan repayment system to one similar to the British loan repayment system, b) abolish interest on student loans; 6. Appeals tertiary education institutes to adopt anonymised student selection procedures to reduce the risk of discrimination.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CULT) The Erasmus+ Programme: Program run by the European Commission which invests in education, youth and sport. It currently focuses on facilitating and supporting studying abroad. British loan repayment system: The British loan repayment system works as follows: if your salary is underneath 30,000 EUR per year, you will not have to repay any student loans. For every euro you earn above 30,000, you repay 9 cents. After 30 years, the loans you might have left to repay will be annulled.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (PECH) Life in plastic: Given that more than 150 million tonnes of plastics have accumulated in the world's oceans and additional 4.6 to 12.7 million tonnes are added every year, what actions should the EU take in order to restore marine ecosystems and prevent plastics from entering the food chain? Submitted by: Thirza van Eig, Teun Heijne, Roy Leeuwerink, IJsbrand Meeter, Amelia Verhulst, Ottilie Fetter (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply alarmed by the fact that approximately 12 million tonnes1 of plastic end up in the world’s waters each year, leading to the death of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles2, B. Concerned by the effects of plastic on ecosystems, such as but not limited to: i) smothering of the ocean floor, ii) transporting marine wildlife into ecosystems where they do not belong, C. Deeply disturbed by raising concerns of (micro)plastics carrying toxic chemicals through the food chain, blocking digestive tracts of species, and possibly leading to death, D. Aware of the fact that the exact implications of plastics entering the food chain on human health are not yet known but being researched, E. Viewing with appreciation the successful 2015 Plastic Bags Directive and following measures that are taking on a similar approach, F. Realising that Member States lack a common approach when considering Directives, G. Regretting the human dependency on plastic;

https://bluecharter.thecommonwealth.org/action-groups/marine-plastic-pollution/

https://www.sas.org.uk/our-work/plastic-pollution/plastic-pollution-facts-figures/

1. Invites the European Commission to decrease the probability of plastic garbage ending up in the world’s oceans by prohibiting the shipment of European plastic garbage to third world countries; 2. Requests the European Commission to subsidise Non-Governmental Organisations that invest in solutions to the ocean plastic crisis, such as the Ocean Cleanup; 3. Urges Member States to research and implement a standard determining the maximum amount of microplastics used in goods; 4. Strongly recommends the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to conduct imperative research regarding: a) the development of less toxic and new kinds of plastic, b) the exact health implications of microplastics on humans; 5. Advises the European Commission to introduce binding policies following a similar approach to that of the 2015 Plastic Bags Directive, so as to establish a common legislative approach within the EU; 6. Encourages Member States to raise awareness about environmental damage resulting from anthropogenic pollution, by introducing obligatory environmental courses in their educational curricula.

FACT SHEET BY THE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (PECH) Joint Research Centre (JCR): the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. The JCR employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support EU policy. 2015 Plastic Bags Directive: obliged Member States to bring about a sustained reduction in the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags by putting a price on plastic bags, and/or introducing national reduction targets. The Ocean Cleanup: a non-government engineering environmental organisation based in the Netherlands, which develops technology to extract plastic pollution from the oceans.