MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION Communication and dialogue with citizens through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. How can the EU embrace the emergence of web 2.0 and e-democracy, and to what extent should Member States employ such measures in an attempt to promote political involvement of youth? Submitted by:
Anastasiya Eroho (BY), Olga Gedzyk (UA), Olha Havrylyuk (UA), Tetiana Korneichuk (UA), Beka Korshia (GE), Arianna Pailoi (IT), Oleksii Plaunov (UA), Oleksandr Pukas (UA), Olga Spytsia (UA), Bruno Moreira (Chairperson, PT)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Bearing in mind Article 19 of the Human Rights Declaration concerning the freedom of opinion and expression, ensuring that people are allowed to speak publicly regardless of their message, B. Deeply concerned by the lack of youth involvement in political affairs, C. Recognising the absence of an official social interactive platform for establishing the necessary dialogue between political institutions and citizens, D. Emphasising the necessity to deliver to the public the essence of new political decisions being made, E. Deeply disturbed by the lack of knowledge regarding the potential of Web 2.0 and e-democracy among Internet users, F. Taking into consideration the success achieved in the implementation of e-voting and the advantages associated with it; 1.
Recommends the implementation of a single semester course in European schools explaining the potential of Web 2.0 and e-democracy to both teachers and youngsters;
2.
Urges the EU to establish and further manage an official web server hosting an interactive platform with the purpose of: a)
creating official groups that represent the authorities of each Member State and EU institutions of local, national and supranational levels,
b) hosting forums and chat rooms that users can join in order to gain direct contact with the representatives of EU authorities, c)
organising online video conferences between citizens and EU authorities and their representatives,
d) establishing an online petitioning system that provides a guarantee for petitions signed by a further defined amount of users to reach the legislative authorities, e)
implementing the e-voting system for solving local, national and supranational political issues;
3.
Supports the establishment of an official institution responsible for ensuring effective contact between citizens and EU institutions;
4.
Has resolved to advertise in social media in order to ensure public contribution into the work of European political bodies, as well as to promote the use of the new official interactive platform;
5.
Encourages youngsters to produce useful, relevant and informative content via blogs as well as other social media;
6.
Emphasises the necessity for cooperation and dialogue between the EU and executives of social networking companies as a way of creating a basis on which to spread appropriate educational information about EU institutions;
7.
Endorses the creation of attractive and educational web applications in social networks with the aim of motivating young people to get politically involved.
M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON E MPLOYMENT AND S OCIAL A FFAIRS "Indignados", the young Europeans? Despite greater opportunities for study and mobility, the current European youth's unrest is deep. What measures should the EU institutions and national stakeholders implement in order to help young people find their place in society? Submitted by:
Arkadii Agranov (UA), Vasyl Babych (UA), Maryia Bulka (BY), Nino Kereselidze (GE), Andriy Naavhust (UA), Roksolana Pidlasa (UA), Oviemuno Utomakili (UA), Richard Janoušek (Chairperson, CZ)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Deeply disturbed by the increasing youth unemployment rates in the EU reaching: i)
44 % in Spain,
ii) 38 % in Greece, iii) 26 % in Ireland, B. Fully aware of the lack of job openings, C. Deeply concerned by the lack of interest of employers in hiring recent graduates, D. Noting with regret the overwhelming amount of foreign labour in the EU labour market, E. Alarmed by the recent riots in the United Kingdom, F.
Observing the lack of awareness and concern of students about their future,
G. Noting with approval the successful implementation of the ‘dual-model system’ in higher education in Germany, Austria and Denmark, H. Expecting EU Member States to meet the objectives of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy, I.
Taking into account the ‘Youth on the Move’ strategy set up by the EU Commission in September 2010;
1.
Encourages the protection of national labour markets from illegal immigrants;
2.
Requests the creation of new working places;
3.
Calls for Member States to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and encourage entrepreneurs to employ new graduates by introducing: a)
tax cuts,
b)
loan programmes,
c)
custom benefits;
4.
Recommends national governments to maintain their support for the employment of disabled and socially vulnerable groups;
5.
Expresses its appreciation of the practice of holding job fairs and professional training courses by employment agencies;
6.
Emphasises the importance of completing internships prior to graduation;
7.
Further recommends the implementation of the ‘dual-model’ higher education system in all Member States;
8.
Calls upon the Committee on Culture and Education to introduce a standardised secondary school leaving exam accepted by all universities in the EU;
9.
Supports the holding of meetings with experts and national stakeholders in order to evaluate the achievement of the ‘Europe 2020’ education strategy goals.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS In light of the increasing rates of human trafficking worldwide, how can European states, NGOs and the continent‘s youth work together to address the problem in countries such as Ukraine, as well as within the European Union? Submitted by:
Nataliia Dzherdzh (UA), Ndubueze Egbulefu (UA), Roman Kohut (UA), Ivanna Koziy (UA), Monika Matyja (PL), Andrea Rigamonti (IT), Roman Vydro (UA), Tilda Andrews (SE), Veronica Zvarych (UA), Oksana Korchak (Vice-President, UA)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Taking into consideration that human trafficking is the second greatest crime worldwide, B. Keeping in mind that traffickers are not only the people committing a trafficking offence, but also accomplices, organisers and leaders involved in law-breaking actions, C. Alarmed by the fact that only 30% of traffickers caught are punished, D. Emphasising that the major issue regarding human trafficking is sexual exploitation of 79% of them, E. Noting with deep concern that according to UNICEF, over 1.2 million children are being trafficked every year, F. Aware of forced labour being one of the reasons of human trafficking, G. Noting with regret the increasing number of risk groups such as: i)
unemployed,
ii)
people affected by poverty,
iii)
youngsters,
iv)
children;
1.
Draws attention to the promotion of existing hot-lines and NGOs dealing with the issue of human trafficking;
2.
Calls for the enforcement of a police controlled brothel registration system aimed at preventing owners holding illegally trafficked prostitutes;
3.
Urges law enforcement authorities to ensure that owners posting deceptive advertisements bear legal responsibility for their actions;
4.
Strongly recommends prospective employees to confirm the authenticity of future working places by contacting governmental and non-governmental organisations;
5.
Affirms the introduction of a human trafficking awareness day in schools following the example of the USA;
6.
Encourages the creation of an international bureau for child adoption with the primary objective to simplify procedures and to decrease children trafficking;
7.
Further calls for establishing the special criteria for potential parents such as: a)
psychological test,
b) financial background, c) 8.
past criminal records;
Further requests free psychological support for victims and witnesses to ensure their participation in trials.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY What comprehensive strategies aimed at youth should the EU adopt in order to decrease the HIV/AIDS epidemic among its younger generation? Submitted by:
Luca Afferi (IT), Sinan Cant端rk (TR), Dmitriy Gerashchenko (UA), Ulyana Furiw (UA), Anna Kondratyuk (UA), Alexander Krasyuk (UA), Oksana Levishchenko (UA), Darya Savishcheva (BY), Viktoria Stryuk (UA), Marianna Budaragina (Chairperson, UA)Anthony Abladey Abladey (President, UK),
The European Youth Parliament,
A.
Taking into consideration that the youth is paramount in the global fight against HIV/AIDS epidemics,
B.
Alarmed by the lack of awareness among youth concerning HIV/AIDS issues,
C.
Deeply disturbed by the intolerant public attitude towards HIV positive young people,
D.
Realising the drawbacks of the HIV testing system, such as: i)
the lack of testing services,
ii) the requirement of parental consent for underage persons in order for them to be tested, iii) the unfriendly psychological climate in society toward youth wishing to be tested E.
Taking into account the high price of condoms,
F.
Keeping in mind the increasing number of drug addicts,
G.
Welcoming further funding of HIV/AIDS research programmes,
H.
Desiring to have an HIV-free younger generation;
1.
Expresses its appreciation of the endeavours currently exerted by the EU Member States in order to decrease the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic;
2.
Supports the establishment of innovative compulsory sexual education and healthy lifestyle courses in schools;
3.
Strongly recommends the adoption of peer-to-peer education as a means of raising awareness among young people to issues regarding HIV/AIDS;
4.
Encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyle using a)
mass media,
b) youth cultural events,
c)
involving celebrities;
5.
Approves the provision of training for families and teachers in order to improve the dialogue concerning HIV between them and the children;
6.
Expresses its hope to reach out tostreet children, sex workers and other vulnerable youth through antiAIDS campaigns;
7.
Calls upon EU Member States to support local manufacturers of means of contraception through efficient control of the production process to help promote the strong positive image of national production of contraception;
8.
Emphasises the need to allow underage youth to get HIV tested without parental consent;
9.
Further requests the provision of local medical centres with: a) affordable testing technologies, b) pre-natal screening equipment in order to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child, c) efficient training of medical staff;
10. Endorses the integration of HIV positive youth into society through the implementation of free: a)
psychological support facilities,
b)
legal consultancy on the rights of HIV infected persons;
11. Further requests EU Member States to employ and expand free condom distribution campaigns.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT What actions should the EU seek in supporting countries in North Africa undergoing the transition to democracy following the recent protests in the region? Submitted by:
Malkhaz Darbaidze (GE), Danylo Fedoryak (UA), Lyudmyla Krasnytska (UA), Oleksandra Petergova (UA), Pavel Prus (UA), Stepan Remniov (BY), Victoria Schvydchenko (UA), Lidiia Zhgyr (UA), Magdalena Pietras (Vice-President, PL)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Aware of the extremely unstable current situation in North Africa (NA), B. Having considered the escalating unrest in the region, C. Desiring to stop violence and physical abuse caused by the recent uprisings in the region, D. Realising the abuse of human rights in NA states, E. Taking into consideration pre-revolution endorsement of the socio-economic problems in NA states such as: i) unemployment, ii) corruption, iii) lack of media freedom, F. Fully alarmed by the worsening of social and economic problems such as insufficient medical support and poverty caused by military actions in the region, G. Taking into account military intervention in Libya by NATO, H. Deeply concerned by the great increase of immigrant influx into EU Member States provoked by the numerous uprisings in NA states, I.
Further realising already existing economic sanctions imposed upon NA states prior to the emergence of the revolutions,
J.
Recognising the necessity for developing an individual approach towards each NA state,
K. Keeping in mind the fact that the legislation in NA states is religion-based, L. Expressing the need to support NA countries in their aspiration towards democracy;
1. Calls for promotion of human rights and peace in mass networks by creating Arabic: d) TV programmes on international channels, e) radio programmes, f) Internet websites;
2. Urges the EU to intensify control over weapons flow from the Member States to NA states; 3. Calls upon the EU to organise specialised training courses for policemen in post-revolution states such as Egypt and Tunisia in order to maintain peace in the region; 4. Strongly supports the idea of educating human rights activists through the conduction of training programmes for civil servants and citizens of NA states, 5. Recommends the United Nations (UN) to assist NA states in the process of developing legislation systems in compliance with international law; 6. Strongly suggests punishing violations of human rights in accordance with international legislation; 7. Encourages EU companies to invest in NA states by: a)
developing and implementing a system of tax benefits,
b) creating favourable business conditions; 8. Endorses the EU to provide NA states with professional advisors; 9. Urges cutting financial aid for post-revolution immigrants in the EU; 10. Authorises FRONTEX to strengthen border control system in the Mediterranean; 11. Has resolved to provide humanitarian aid to refugee camps in North Africa; 12. Further requests NATO and other military organisations to assist NA states in establishing peace by deploying peace corps to the unstable regions.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION II Sexual education in schools; an innovative necessity or a harmful entity to children? How should the EU react in response to the growing calls for common sexual education amongst Members states? Submitted by:
Martin Dítě (CZ), Olivia Govik (SE), George Kereselidze (GE), Mykola Nazarov (UA), Anastasiia Olkhovnikova (UA), Olha Tiurmenko (UA), Nazar Zhovtoskyy (UA), Mohammad Iranmanesh (Chairperson, BE)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Bearing in mind the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in monitoring the currently existing policies concerning sexual education in the EU Member States including their relative success in improving it, such as: i) World Health Organisation (WHO), ii) International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), iii) European associations, such as The European Public Health Association (EUPHA), B. Noting with satisfaction EU Member States’ trials in the implementation of efficient policies concerning sexual education, C. Deeply disturbed by the absence of common sexual education curricular among EU Member States, D. Fully aware that the lack of standardised content and teaching methods of sexual education among EU Member States is caused by differences in religions, cultures, mentalities and traditions, E. Fully alarmed by the increase in proliferation of abortions caused by unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, F.
Further noting with regret the increase in the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STI) due to the lack of knowledge,
G. Regrets the lack of accessibility to reliable information on the Internet, one of the most used sources of information concerning sexuality among teenagers; 1.
Calls for a common and mandatory sexual education curriculum for every child in the EU;
2.
Urges representatives of NGOs, religious organisations and psychologists to co-operate with governmental representatives of EU Members States in order to create content for the sexual education curriculum, that will reflect the will of all the parties;
3.
Urges this task group to include mandatory topics such as: a) anatomy, b) abortion, c) contraception,
d) STI and AIDS, e) sexual harassment, f) sexual violence; 4.
Further suggest to give each country the choice to add optional topics, such as: a) relationships, b) sexual orientation, c) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) related issues;
5.
Recommends EU Member States to implement the sexual education in both gender-separated and mixed classes;
6.
Supports the use of different means such as media and NGO campaigns in order to raise sexual awareness;
7.
Encourages EU Member States to create an official sexual education web-site, made with the content created in the aforementioned process, which will be the first result for all sex-related keywords used in main internet search engines.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND ENERGY What stand should the EU take with regards to the future of nuclear plants, and what concrete actions should Member States implement to prevent a recurrence of disasters such as that in Japan? Â Submitted by: Ibrahim Alonge (UA), Yauheni Bankouski (BY), Valentyn Bondaruk (UA), Violetta Kolisnichenko (UA), Kateryna Levchuk (UA), Daniil Lytovchenko (UA), Iwo Morawski (PL), Maria Shcherbak (UA), Volodymyr Sytnyk (UA), Gustav Andersson (Chairperson, SE)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Emphasising the differences in Member States' approach towards the future of nuclear energy, as
highlighted by Germany's decision to gradually phase out nuclear energy before year 2022 while the UK and Poland plan the construction of new facilities,
B. Taking into consideration that every power plant has weaknesses with regard to safety, C. Deeply concerned by the lack of modernisation at aging nuclear power plants, D. Keeping in mind the past severe nuclear plant accidents such as those in Chernobyl and Fukushima, E. Fully aware of the current lack of effective methods with regards to the final deposition of nuclear waste,
F. Taking into account the limited life span of nuclear power plants, G. Aware of scientific estimates that nuclear fuel materials will likely be exhausted in less than 80 years;
1. Calls for a common EU policy with regard to nuclear energy, aiming for a smooth transition towards renewable energy and increased safety for all nuclear power plants within the Member States;
2. Recommends the establishment of common safety standards for all nuclear power plants within the EU to be determined by the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM);
3. Further recommends mandatory stress tests for EU nuclear plants to be carried out by EURATOM on a regular basis;
4. Supports compulsory modernisation or dismantling of nuclear plants which do not meet safety criteria;
5. Authorises the creation of a joint EU fund to provide financial assistance for updating or dismantling nuclear facilities in case of a stress test failure;
6. Advises EURATOM to closely monitor problematic areas with unstable regimes or frequent natural disaster occurrences in order to prevent nuclear accidents affecting Member States;
7. Calls upon Member States that have developed nuclear energy not to increase its percentage in their energy mix;
8. Encourages increased investment into renewable energy and nuclear fusion research; 9. Affirms that existing deposits of fissile materials be used with maximum efficiency through means such as reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel;
10. Requests the establishment of the EU Renewable Energy Investment Fund to facilitate research into renewable energy sources;
11. Further requests the payment of a mandatory contribution by the constructing party to the EU
Renewable Energy Investment Fund whenever a nuclear power plant is constructed in a Member State.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS An issue of increasing transparency or a mere threat to international peace processes and diplomacy; How should the EU react to the repercussions of the WikiLeaks revelations? Submitted by:
Arda Burak Altuntaş (TR), Rostislav Bogdanov (UA), Pavlo Fedoriv (UA), Mariya Ihnatova (UA), Olga Kulbanska (UA), Anneta-Daniela Kuznetsova (UA), Anna Malmberg (SE), Dana Muntean (MD), Iryna Savchuk (UA), Liudmila Pestun (Chairperson, BY)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Recognising the revolution in journalism the WikiLeaks organisation is associated with, B. Believing that WikiLeaks can potentially increase accountability and transparency of national governments, C. Alarmed by the dramatic outcomes faced by people whose names have been disclosed in the documents published by WikiLeaks, D. Having considered the tension in international diplomacy caused by WikiLeaks revelations, E. Noting with regret the threat for international cyber security created by hackers following WikiLeaks, F.
Disapproving the freezing of WikiLeaks’ bank assets and electronic accounts,
G. Concerned by the anonymity of WikiLeaks information sources which may lead to a biased publication of materials, H. Noting with deep concern the violation of human rights of people suspected of leaking information, I.
Fully alarmed by the usage of WikiLeaks as a source of information for terrorists,
J.
Realising that the materials published by WikiLeaks may contain private information,
K. Further recognising WikiLeaks as an instrument for fighting corruption, L. Taking into consideration that WikiLeaks provides public access to classified documents;
1.
Expresses its appreciation of transparency and freedom of journalism;
2.
Calls for the introduction of respective changes to the legislation regarding access to information, media censorship and freedom of journalism;
3.
Draws attention to the necessity of improving mechanisms which prevent leaking and publishing private information;
4.
Condemns the classification of documents except for materials related to the national security of a state;
5.
Further invites to consider the procedure of requesting information from governmental institutions and providing it on a regular basis in the form of press conferences and reports;
6.
Supports the launching of a website facilitating the submission and publication of claims regarding the accountability of media products;
7.
Has resolved to create the Agency for Monitoring and Evaluation of Media, with primary objectives to; a)
decrease the demand for the publications of WikiLeaks and of the kind,
b)
monitor and eliminate the biased materials released in the mass media.