EDE & WAGENINGEN 2019
Regional Selection Conference of EYP The Netherlands
RESOLUTION BOOKLET
TABLE OF CONTENTS General Assembly Explained
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Placards Explained
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AFCO I
Committee on Constitutional Affairs I
5
ECON
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
7
TRAN
Committee on Transport and Tourism
9
AGRI
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
11
AFCO II
Committee on Constitutional Affairs II
13
ENVI
Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
15
JURI
Committee on Legal Affairs
17
AGRI
Committee on Regional Development
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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:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
READING OF THE TOPIC The conference’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 jury’s deliberations on participants.
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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 committee’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.
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS I (AFCO I) A crisis within. Recent controversial actions by the governments of Poland and Hungary have resulted in a trigger of the Article 7 TEU disciplinary process. However, the procedure is proving to be of limited effectiveness. How should the EU ensure that its laws are respected? Submitted by: Nicolai Albrecht, Romane Adriana Marie-France Babled, Boris Cornelisse, Jennah Saїd, Jolijn Verhoeven, Maximo van Dijk, Daryna Hoch (Chairperson, UA) The European Youth Parliament, A. Reaffirming the existing criteria, which a state should meet in order to become a Member State of the EU, stated in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union, B. Alarmed by recently adopted judicial reform by Polish government, that poses a threat on the fundamental rights of the EU, such as the rule of law, C. Further alarmed by the “Stop Soros” law package, adapted in Hungary, which puts migrants’ rights under a constant threat, D. Bearing in mind that the Article 7 procedure is ineffective, due to time constraints and a need for a unanimous agreement by the Member States, E. Expressing its appreciation to the recently implemented “Rule of Law Framework”, which allows a dialogue to be conducted between Member States and the EU before the application of Article 7, F. Taking into account the absence of efficient penalty mechanisms due to disagreements among Member States on specific details of implementation, G. Noting with deep concern the possibility of a spread of contradictory laws among other Member States, following the example of Poland and Hungary, H. Aware that the governmental control over the national media prevents people from being objectively informed about the reforms, thus further increasing government’s influence over the population, I.
Realising that the general public often does no poses enough knowledge on the EU law, allowing for manipulation,
J. Keeping in mind, that the lack of appropriate measures is harming minorities and migrants in Hungary.
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1. Urges the European Commission to draft legislation that decreases EU funding to Member States, that breach EU values, mentioned in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union (TEU)1, after the Rule of Law Framework2 has been applied; 2. Recommends Member States to implement the EU history and law in their regular school curriculum; 3. Encourages the European Commission department on budget3 to set up a fund, providing extra-funding for education in Member States, that endorse the implementation of the EU history and law in their school curriculum; 4. Requests the European Commision department on Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT)4 to create a website that explains the purposes and goals of the EU, its laws in an understandable and simple manner; 5. Suggests the European Commission ‘CONNECT’ department to launch a media campaign, using online advertising, that will promote the aforementioned website, while also drawing attention to the importance of learning about the EU; 6. Proposes the European Commision ‘CONNECT’ department to create a campaign to promote the Erasmus+ exchange programme5, using advertising and posters, targeting students of different ages.
“Consolidated version of the Treaty of the European Union” Official Journal of the European Union, May 9, 2008. http://bit.ly/2o08jli 2 “Rule of Law Framework.” European Commission, July 11, 2019. http://bit.ly/2ndWc3I 3 “Budget.” European Commission - European Commission, August 16, 2019. http://bit.ly/2WWJAvx 4 “Communications Networks, Content and Technology.” European Commission - European Commission, July 9, 2019. http://bit.ly/32xEZky 5 Erasmus+ exchange programme is the European Commission's Programme for education, training, youth and sport, which offers opportunities for mobility of learners and staff and cooperation across the education, training and youth sectors. 1
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS (ECON)
Protests that matter: with students-organised “Fridays for Future” climate strikes on one hand and French “Yellow Vests” movement on another, how can the EU ensure both effective climate policies and affordable resources, while taking into account the interests of the general population? Submitted by: Iris Blaauw, Joost Popkema, Aenea Rebecca Arian, Abigail Ketner, Jennifer Stevens, Minne Docter, Anastasia Milcev (Chairperson, BE) The European Youth Parliament, A. Aware of the economic struggle that some low-income households are facing due to new climate policies, B. Deeply concerned by the lack of sustainable solutions to tackle climate change proposed by the politicians, C. Observing a growing number of students who decided to protest during marches such as “Friday for Future”, D. Regretting that the views of students on climate policy are not often taken into account by policymakers1, E. Recognising the importance of international conferences, such as the Conference of the Parties (COP), in finding common solutions for global warming, F. Taking into consideration the climate strategy established by the European Commision, G. Recognising the needs of lower-income households when it comes to create new policies against climate change, H. Aware of the measures implemented by President Macron,
Sarah Kaplan, Lauren Lumpkin and Bady Dennis - “We will make them hear us”: Millions of youths around the world strike for action: https://wapo.st/2VI6aXV 1
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1. Encourages Member States to financially support lower-income households facing economic struggles created by the new climate policies as a response to their demands; 2. Urges the Member States to resolve the problems created by higher petrol taxation by making public transport more affordable and available to each citizen; 3. Recommends the European Commission to continue raising awareness among the population about the climate change; 4. Calls upon the European Commission to directly involve the students into the climate change fighting process via providing well-rounded education; 5. Invites Member States to establish a system of regional meetings, such round-table and panel discussions about climate change for young people and local politicians; 6. Asks the COP to assign every country a specific climate goal to reach, under the pressure of the other attending parties; 7. Proposes that the European Commission improves its climate strategy by developing sustainable energy sources; 8. Welcomes President Macron’s efforts to focus more on measures solving climate change instead of measures conforming to the interest of the lower-income population.
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND TOURISM (TRAN) Towards a new equilibrium between quality of life and hospitality. Considering the ‘City in Balance 2018-2022’ plan introduced by Municipality of Amsterdam in March 2019, what steps should the EU take to neutralise the negative aspects of tourism while providing accessibility to the world cultural heritage for visitors and retaining quality of life for residents? Submitted by: Jennifer Alkemade, Aya Bennis, Chloé Heiner, Sasuke Ikemizu, Nora Redmond (IE), Emma Van Hal, Mara Van Hermon, Ida Weiler, Marine David (Chairperson, FR) The European Youth Parliament, A. Keeping in mind that the tourism industry is an important source of income and employment for the Member States, B. Conscious that European cultural heritage should be accessible by everyone, C. Concerned that residents of tourist areas are forced to compromise the quality of their life due to the negative aspects of tourism such as: i.
congestion of infrastructure and facilities,
ii.
rising costs of housing and various goods,
D. Alarmed that mass-tourism can entail a loss of authenticity and cultural identity of cities, E. Aware that mass-tourism might be a reason for an increased number of cases involving uncivilised behaviour and cultural misunderstandings, leading to stronger forms of host-visitor hostility, F. Fully alarmed that mass-tourism leads to depreciation of resources and an overuse of infrastructure and facilities, such as public transport, water and roads, G. Regretting that mass-tourism has a negative impact on the environment through water, land, air and noise pollution, increased carbon output and waste, H. Fully aware that the safety of the cultural sites can be compromised due to the wear-and-tear caused by mass-tourism, particularly in ancient, historical locations, I.
Deploring that construction of tourism infrastructure like airports, sea ports and hotels disturbs natural or cultural landscapes,
J. Welcoming some measures already taken by some municipalities such as Amsterdam, Dubrovnik or Venice in order to tackle these issues, 9
1. Suggests Member States to create awareness campaigns for tourists which inform them about more sustainable ways of tourism, including aspects such as, sustainable travelling and respectful behaviour; 2. Encourages Member States to implement measures to reduce the price of public transport; 3. Invites municipalities to implement more environmentally friendly transportation methods, notably public transport; 4. Welcomes local governments to set up areas where cars are not allowed; 5. Recommends the municipalities of crowded cities to limit the number of hotels and short-stay accommodations allowed; 6. Asks the European Commission to launch an awareness campaign to inform local businesses and local governments on sustainable business practices; 7. Recommends municipalities to implement urban planning measures that ensure that new buildings adhere to the city's architectural style; 8. Encourages local governments to raise awareness on how mass-tourism has negatively impacted the conditions of local cultural sites; 9. Proposes local governments to implement a new branch of law enforcement which specifically focuses on making sure tourists do not cause nuisance; 10. Hopes that more local governments will raise their tourist taxes; 11. Suggests to local governments and businesses, specifically travel agencies, to promote tourist attractions which are not close to famous hotspots; 12. Asks hotels and restaurants to make their customers aware of the environmental impact of their consumption; 13. Calls upon hotels to discourage excessive water-use by tourists by adding additional costs to their stay if a certain limit is crossed; 14. Hopes local governments will improve their recycling infrastructure by installing specific waste bins; 15. Approves of local governments which restrict the amount of people allowed to visit vulnerable areas; 16. Invites Member States to limit the expansion of already existing airports located close to city centres; 17. Appeals to the European Commission to highlight the most sustainable tourist cities in Europe, through the existing programmes, like the European Green Capital Award1.
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‘European Green Capital,’ European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/index_en.htm 10
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (AGRI)
To eat or not to eat? While Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are being regarded as a big step towards profitable agriculture, there are still public health and environmental concerns associated with their usage. What stance should the EU take in order to maximise the benefits and ensure food safety? Submitted by: Jacco Hijmans, Jelmer Vriend, Mia Becker, Mona Abdelwahab, Nia Mae, Nina Daneshvar, Tula Frijters, Bart Riemers (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Fully aware that food safety is one of the EU’s most pressing social issues, B. Bearing in mind that, although many EU countries do not grow Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the EU is one of the world’s biggest consumers of GMOs, C. Observing the negative public stance on GMOs concerning health effects, caused by the lack of research on the long-term effects D. Recognising the potentially harmful effects of GMOs on biodiversity, E. Aware of the potential production and efficiency increase in the agricultural sector through GMOs, F. Pointing out the potential nutritional benefits of GM crops, as they could majorly improve public health, G. Further recognising that increasing the cultivation of GMOs could lead to i)
minimised use of resources in the agricultural process;
ii)
a smaller carbon footprint from locally produced crops.
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1. Encourages the European Research Council1 to allocate funds for the research and development of GMOs2 that will be used in the agricultural sector in the future; 2. Asks the European Food Safety Authority to frame and harmonise the information in the fields of public awareness, consultation and participation regarding the future of GMOs; 3. Requests the European Commission to take the necessary steps towards labeling products containing GMOs or products derived from animals fed with GMOs; 4. Recommends Member States to systematically protect biodiversity, particularly in protected natural ecosystems by, for instance, cultivating GMOs within greenhouses; 5. Suggests Member States to increase the cultivation of certain GMOs, enhancing crop yield and intensive farming3; 6. Endorses the European Research Council to further develop GMOs with increased nutritional values4.
The European Research Council is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union. 2 Genetically Modified Organism 3 Intensive farming is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and animals, with higher levels of input and output per cubic unit of agricultural land area 4 Golden rice is a genetically modified type of rice with increased amounts of vitamin A 1
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS II (AFCO II) Who gets to decide? A lot of criticism has been voiced about the process of selecting a new European Commission president, since the last European Parliament elections. What approach should the EU take to ensure an effective, yet democratic Commission president selection? Submitted by: Lucas Delemarre, Louis Cornelis Dercon, Pleun Elstgeest, Atour Mousavi Gourabi, Yorick Spekle, Lars van der Ent (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Fully aware of criticism concerning a democratic deficit within the European Union’s institutional framework, B. Acknowledging the lack of democratic transparency and a heavy reliance on the so-called back-room politics, possibly fuelling euroscepticism, C. Appreciating the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, instructing the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, to take into consideration the election results of the European Parliament when presenting a nominee for the Commission president, D. Observing the neglection of the spitzenkandidaten system with the nomination of Ursula von der Leyen for the EU Commission president in 2019, E. Recognising that the spitzenkandidaten system, or any other selection system, is not codified in the EU treaties and thus not legally binding, F. Aware that the spitzenkandidaten process offers a small number of candidates to select from, complicating the decision for the European Council, G. Conscious of the fact that the nomination process must protect the interests of the national leaders of Member States, H. Further noting that the European Parliament has no right of initiative and, therefore, cannot itself propose a legally binding nomination process;
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1. Encourages the European Parliament to continue the ‘This Time I’m Voting’ media campaign about the European parliamentary elections; 2. Suggests the president of the European Council to give a public statement about the procedure and outcome of European Commission president nomination; 3. Urges the European political parties to amend the spitzenkandidaten system by introducing a primary round of elections, resulting in a runner-up being added to the lead candidates’ list; 4. Recommends the European Commission to draft amendments to the Treaty on European Union to codify the aforementioned amended spitzenkandidaten system; 5. Decides to veto a nominee for president of the European Commission that is not a lead candidate; 6. Asks the European Commission to draft legislation, which will grant the European Parliament a right of initiative, on the condition that an initiated law is accepted by a qualified majority in the Parliament.
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI)
Clean-up plan: with the European Parliament’s recent ban on all single-use plastics coming into force by 2021, what measures should the EU take to effectively tackle the environmental damage that has already been done by plastic pollution? Submitted by: Nova Beinema, Job Geels, Alba Sol Odufre, Mo Tellegen, Kimberly Verwoert, Anouk Visser, Carolina Warmerdam, Laura Hänninen (Chairperson, FI) The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting with approval the EU single-use plastic ban and equivalent legislative efforts made around the world, B. Recognising that the plastic industry is highly profitable and employs over a million people in the EU, C. Aware of the huge amount of plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean, where it may cause animal entanglement, physical damage, suffocation and starvation, D. Noting with regret that single-use plastic in particular makes up about 49% of marine litter on European beaches, E. Alarmed by the lack of awareness and attention to the issue of plastic pollution among consumers, F. Deeply concerned by the lack of research on the issue of plastic pollution, G. Keeping in mind that inadequate waste management in low and middle-income countries is one of the main reasons for plastic pollution, H. Recognising that the recycling industry can currently only recycle four types of plastic;
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1. Suggests Member States to collaborate with The Plastic Bank1 in order to both reduce the plastic pollution in the environment and provide extra income to EU citizens; 2. Invites Member States to implement a system of container-deposit schemes to increase the efficiency of plastic recycling2; 3. Urges Member States to draft legislation imposing a fine for littering, following the example of the Netherlands; 4. Recommends Member States to include courses on plastic pollution and its environmental effects into the school curricula; 5. Requests the European Commission to amend the Horizon Europe programme3 to increase the funding for the research on: a) eco-friendly alternatives for plastic, such as seaweed packaging, b) ways to recycle different types of plastic; 6. Encourages the European Commission to provide funding for Member States to improve on their recycling infrastructures; 7. Asks the European Commission to ensure financial support for companies that recycle plastic and reward such companies with a certified label4.
The Plastic Bank (NGO) is an economic development firm that empowers disenfranchised communities to exchange any type of plastic for currency. 2 Like bottle deposit schemes, ie. environmental legislation focusing on the 'polluter pays' principle, where the consumer pays the deposit to the retailer when buying the beverage, and receives a refund when the empty container is returned to a supermarket or other redemption center. 3 Horizon Europe is an EU research and innovation programme to succeed Horizon 2020. 4 Similar to the Fair Trade label. 1
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS (JURI) Written, therefore true. Despite the efforts of the European Commission, a spread of misinformation, particularly in social media, remains a threat to the democratic process. What should the EU do to ensure that information on the internet is reliable, without jeopardising the freedom of media? Submitted by: Anugoo Gantogs, Milou Goslings, Noa van Laarhoven, Cato van Schaik, Muna Shaiye, Katie Sheehy (IE), Jurjen Witte, Dunya Zein, Brendan Delany (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Affirming the need for more regulations on the spread of misinformation, B. Deeply conscious of the importance of freedom of media in a democratic society, C. Deeply concerned by the spread of misinformation on the internet influencing citizens’ decisions and corrupting the democratic process, D. Acknowledging the fact that there are no universally accepted criteria of what constitutes fake news, E. Approving of the EU Action Plan against Disinformation, F. Bearing in mind the sheer amount of information present online, making any manual fact checking very difficult, G. Aware of the dangers of granting power to remove misinformation to those with incentives to abuse it, H. Disturbed by the possibility of foreign governments and corporations meddling with national elections by spreading misinformation, I.
Alarmed by some media corporations having incentives to allow the spread of misinformation due to them gaining revenue from it,
1. Urges social media websites to implement a community-based report system for misinformation that will display how many times the post or advertisement in question has been reported for misinformation; 2. Directs national independent fact-checking companies and news outlets to ensure that the most reported posts from the aforementioned clause are checked on an on-going basis; 3. Asks social media websites to mark content disputed by actors mentioned in the prior clause as such;
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4. Condemns the hosting of revenue-generating advertisements by social media platforms on posts that have been marked as disputed by actors mentioned in operative clause 2; 5. Recommends the European Commission to launch a media campaign on the dangers of misinformation and methods of identifying it, providing up-to-date examples; 6. Encourages Member States to inform citizens about the dangers of misinformation during election campaigns; 7. Invites Member States to include modules on misinformation and critical thinking in their national school curriculum; 8. Calls upon the European Commission to fund research into artificial intelligence algorithms that can accurately identify misinforming articles and advertisements on social media.
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (REGI)
My house is my castle? Due to an acute rise in prices for real estate in most European cities, many are struggling to find affordable housing. What steps should the EU take to address the housing crisis? Submitted by: Tammo Breedveld, Sara van Dam, Micah John, Ryan Kruijt, Anna van Pouderoijen, Lisa van Rossum, Joost Vrijburg, Aniek Wiegand (Chairperson, NL) The European Youth Parliament, A. Stressing that adequate housing is a fundamental need that provides people with shelter, security, privacy and a space to relax, learn and live, B. Concerned about the fact that for many European Union (EU) citizens, it is a challenge to find a decent and affordable place to live, C. Aware that house and rent prices, especially in urban areas, have risen rapidly the last few years, and that they are still increasing, because of a high demand for housing coupled with a supply deficit, D. Realising that a rising demand in housing is the result of people moving to a certain area because of employment or education opportunities, E. Considering that a low interest on mortgages, which attracts people to borrow money and buy a house, also drives up the demand, F. Noting a low response in the supply from housing developers to the increasing demand and prices, due to a lack of skills and materials in the industry, a lack of available land and difficulties in obtaining required permits, G. Pointing out that home-sharing platforms cause the supply of long-term rental properties to decrease, resulting in an increase in rent prices, H. Expressing its concern that young people in particular are faced with the challenge of finding decent and affordable housing, and are often forced to a lifetime of renting, because they:
I.
i)
are being priced out of the housing market,
ii)
have high student debts,
iii)
are insecure about the labour market,
iv)
have limited access to credit,
Bearing in mind that Member States’ governments are free to develop their own housing policies,
J. Observing that Member States already have many tax and benefit programmes in place, but that success rates vary, 19
1. Requests the Member States to increase taxes on: a) the development of luxury apartments and houses, b) houses for people who own multiple properties; 2. Calls upon the Member States to draft legislation which will specify a maximum period of time that a house can be vacant; 3. Invites the Member States to set up more government owned social housing projects to be occupied by both the middle- and upper class citizens as well as lower class citizens; 4. Recommends the Member States to efficiently make use of the available space in the cities through: a) stimulating contractors to convert aging, vacant places such as empty offices and school into apartments, b) the construction and promotion of underground housing and tiny houses1 5. Further recommends the Member States to encourage people to live further away from cities through: a) ensuring more recreational facilities outside of cities, b) improving and subsidising public transport; 6. Further calls upon the European Central Bank (ECB) to revise the monetary policy whilst keeping in mind the impact it will have on the housing market; 7. Suggests that the European Commission invests in alternative, ecological construction methods and subsidies for the education on construction; 8. Urges home sharing platforms to set a limit for the amount of properties users can offer through these platforms; 9. Further suggests the Member States to develop educational tools on real estate to prepare their youth who will enter the housing market; 10. Asks that the European Commission sets up a department that will manage house sharing for students, young professionals and people that have spare rooms; 11. Encourages Member States to revise the existing programmes and regulations for the housing of the homeless, following the example of Finland2;
Tiny houses are living spaces with a small square footage that enable living a smaller, more efficient space. Finland has applied a ‘no strings attached’ policy for housing their homeless, meaning that homeless people can get housing despite their possible administrative in criminal activities. 1
2
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