Academic Preparation Kit - Inter-Regional Forum - Guimarães 2015

ACADEMIC PREPARATION KIT

ACADEMIC PREPARATION KIT INTER-REGIONAL FORUM - GUIMARÃES 2015 EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT PORTUGAL

APPEJ – Associação Portuguesa do Parlamento Europeu dos Jovens/European Youth Parliament Portugal Rua da Concórdia 45, 4465-601, Leça do Balio, Porto, Portugal www.pejportugal.com · geral@pejportugal.com

Disclaimer This Academic Preparation Kit was compiled for the Inter-Regional Forum of the European Youth Parliament Portugal, which will take place in the city of Guimarães, from the 13th to the 15th of March, 2015.

OVERVIEWS The Topic Overviews are written by the Committees’ Chairpersons and serve as background material. They aim to identify the importance of the issue at hand, as well as the principal matters within it, while offering a short look at their possible future development. They are written with the intention of providing stimulating, yet neutral, introductions.

It must be noted that the content of the Overviews does not reflect the positions of the Associação Portuguesa – P. E. J. (APPEJ)/European Youth Parliament Portugal (EYP PT), which strongly encourages independent thinking, being the sole responsibility of their authors. Likewise, while the Inter-Regional Forum - Guimarães 2015 will be held under the patronage of various public entities, no claim is made that their views are in any way represented by the contents of this Preparation Kit.

Table of Contents LINKS As regards the suggestions of research links, the list is by no means exhaustive.

Also, several of the websites may contain relevant information other than the one cited herewith. Please note that the EYP PT is not responsible for the contents of the various websites; the texts, images and/or audio or video clips reflect the opinions of their authors, only.

We recommend that you print this preparation kit, together with all the research you will conduct on your own and bring all of those materials with you to the forum. Wishing you a good read and successful preparation, Anna Borrell President, Guimarães 2015

Mafalda Rodrigues & Miguel Paiva Head-organisers, Guimarães 2015

João Moreira

President, EYP PT

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Topic Overviews The EU Explained Committee Topics ECON ENVI I ENVI II ITRE SEDE TRAN Contacts

Topic Overviews To make the most of the discussions at Guimarães Inter-Regional Forum and to create a solid resolution with your committee, you will have to spend some time preparing: as a basis for that, this Academic Preparation Kit contains a topic overview for each of the 6 topics which will be discussed. These introductions were written by your committee chairpersons and will help you understand the topic and provide a starting point for your own research.

The overviews are merely a guidance towards which parameters need to be investigated further. They should be seen as the foundation, which will enable you to continue your work towards a great resolution. To get there however, you need to research your topic even further. The overview and the links provided alone, will not provide you with adequate information that will allow you to constructively contribute during Committee Work and GA. In each one, you will find the following: Definitions and Key Words – some central terms, which will help you research information on your topic, be it in news, documents or search engines.

Social Relevance of the Topic - The explanation of the problem positions your topic in current European polititics and the greater scope of things. What is the wider context of your topic? Why does it matter?

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Main Conflicts – Every topic has a number of inherent conflicts that you will need to assess as a committee. How are the different aspects interlinked, how do they interact? You should not immediately take position for yourself at this point, but understand the dynamics of the topic to a maximum.

Stakeholders – Every topic touches upon a certain number of actors and agents linked to the issue. In order to address a political problem correctly, a very important basic condition is to know which actors are competent in what regard.

Legislative Background - Measures already in place -There’s no need to reinvent the wheel! Knowing what policies and institutions are already in place is central in your preparation and will result in a much better resolution.

Relevant Links – You will also find links to more information throughout the overview. The links provided are some more food for thought and an assistance for your research’s starting point.

Remember that the overview is meant as a basis for you to go and do your own research!

The EU Explained I. WHAT IS THE EU? The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 European countries which, together, cover much of the continent.

The EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries who trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict.

The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a large single market has been created and continues to develop towards its full potential.

From economic to political union What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organisation spanning policy areas, from development aid to environment. A name change from the EEC to the European Union (EU) in 1993 reflected this. The EU is based on the rule of law: everything that it does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by all the Member States. These binding agreements set out the EU’s goals in its many areas of activity.

Mobility, growth, stability, single currency The EU has delivered half a century of peace, stability and prosperity, helped raise living standards and launched a single European currency, the euro.

Thanks to the abolition of border controls between EU countries, people can travel freely throughout most of the continent. And it has become much easier to live and work abroad in Europe. The single or ‘internal’ market is the EU’s main economic engine, enabling most goods, services, money and people to move freely. Another key objective is to develop this huge resource to ensure that Europeans can draw the maximum benefit from it.

Human rights and equality One of the EU’s main goals is to promote human rights both internally and around the world. Human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights: these are the core values of the EU. Since the 2009 signing of the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights brings all these rights together in a single document. The EU’s institutions are legally bound to uphold them, as are EU governments whenever they apply EU law.

Transparent and democratic institutions As it continues to grow, the EU remains focused on making its governing institutions more transparent and democratic. More powers are being given to the directly elected European Parliament, while national parliaments are being given a greater role, working alongside the European institutions. In turn, European citizens have an ever-increasing number of channels for taking

II. HOW DOES THE EU WORK? part in the political process.

The institutional structure of the EU cannot be compared to that of any other international organisation (e.g., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the United Nations). It is neither a centralised unity like a nation state, nor does it imitate a relatively loose structure, such as the Commonwealth of Nations or a confederation like the United States of America – it is an organisation sui generis. The structure is unique and continuously developed. The Treaty of Lisbon marks the last big step in this process.

A. MAIN INSTITUTIONS 1.Within the institutional triangle

Claude Juncker, being the President of the EC). The Commissioners are appointed by their respective Member States, approved by the European Parliament and put in charge of specific issues (e.g., Miguel Arias Cañete, the Spanish Commissioner, is responsible for Climate Action and Energy).

The EC monitors the Member States’ and the Union’s adherence to the acquis communautaire (the ensemble of all EU legislation), represents the Union in its foreign relations (especially through Federica Mogherini , who is the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and has the exclusive Right of Initiative1.

Additionally, the term ‘Commission’ is also used to refer to the full administrative body about 23,000 staff members working in various Directorates-General (DGs) or services, each responsible for a particular policy area and headed by a Director-General, who reports directly to the President. The DGs draft laws, but their proposals become official only once the College of Commissioners adopts them during its weekly meeting.

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is the first part of the EU’s legislative branch and consists of 766 Members of Parliament (commonly, MEPs), who are elected for five-year mandates by all EU citizens (over 18 years old, in Austria over 16).

The first direct EP election was held in 1979; the latest between May 22nd and 25th, 2014.

The EP is divided into seven large fractions plus several independent MEPs. The biggest three fractions are the European People‘s Party pooling Christian Democrats (EPP), followed by the Party of European Socialists (PES) and by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Party (ALDE). It works either in a big

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the ‘executive’ power of the EU. One Commissioner is appointed by each Member State (with one, currently Jean-

1. The Right of Initiative is the right to propose laws. In the EU, the EC has the right to propose Regulations and Directives to the European Parlia- ment and to the Council of the European Union).

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plenary or in its 20 different Committees, each responsible for specific issue areas. The EP shares its legislative competences with the Council of the European Union.

Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) Also known as ‘the Council’, the Council of the EU is structured in issue-specific groups (councils), comprising the respective Ministers of the Member States (e.g., the Council for Justice and Home Affairs, with all Ministers of the Interior/Home Affairs). The presidency of the Council changes every six months and the ‘president’ in office supplies the different councils with a Chairperson, with the exception of the council on Foreign Affairs, which is presided to by the High Representative.

The issue areas are mirrored in those of the EP (e.g., environment, education, economy, budget), with whom the Council shares its legislative competences. Additionally, the Council also has executive powers. The last presidency (January–June 2014) was held by Greece; the current one (July–December 2014) is being held by Italy.

2.Outside the institutional triangle European Council The European Council (no standard abbreviation is used) is an EU institution comprising the heads of state or heads of government of the Member States, along with the council’s own President (Herman Van Rompuy, until November 2014) and the President of the European Commission (Jean-Claude Junker).

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy takes part in its meetings. The European Council was established as an informal body in 1975; it became an official EU institution in 2009, when the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force.

While the European Council has no formal legislative power, it is charged under the Treaty of Lisbon with defining “the general political directions and priorities” of the Union. It is, thus, the Union’s strategic (and crisis-solving) body, acting as the collective presidency of the EU.

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European Central Bank The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the euro and administers the monetary policy of the euro area, which consists of 18 EU member states and is one of the largest currency areas in the world. It is one of the world’s most important central banks.

The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Since 2011 (and until 2019) the President of the ECB has been Mario Draghi, former governor of the Bank of Italy. The owners and shareholders of the European Central Bank are the central banks of the 28 Member States of the EU. Court of Justice of the European Union The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is an EU institution that encompasses the whole judiciary. Seating in Luxembourg, it consists of two major courts and a number of specialised courts. The institution was originally established in 1952 as the Court of Justice of the European Coal and Steel Communities [as of 1958 the Court of Justice of the European Communities (CJEC)]. In 2009, with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the court changed to its current name.

Its mission is to ensure that “the law is observed (…) in the interpretation and application” of the Treaties. The Court reviews the legality of the acts of any EU institution, ensures that the Member States comply with obligations under the Treaties and interprets EU law at the request of the national courts.

It consists of two major courts: i) the European Court of Justice (created in 1952), the highest court in the EU legal system; ii) the General Court (created in 1988; formerly the Court of First Instance);

3. Not an EU body!

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE) is an international organisation promoting cooperation amongst all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural cooperation. It

was founded in 1949, has 47 Member States with over 800 million citizens, and is an entirely separate body from the EU. The CoE cannot make binding laws.

Its best known bodies are the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, which sets the quality standards for pharmaceutical products in Europe. The Council of Europe’s work has resulted in standards, charters and conventions to facilitate cooperation between European countries.

Its statutory institutions are the Committee of Ministers (comprising the foreign ministers of each of its 47 Member States), the Parliamentary Assembly (composed of MPs from the parliament of each Member State) and the Secretary General (Thorbjørn Jagland).

B. WHAT CAN THE EU DO? 1. Exclusive competences – as per Article 2 (1) and Article 3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) In these areas, only the EU may legislate and adopt legally binding acts. Exceptions are possible if the EU empowers Member States to act or with regard to the implementation of Union acts.

• The customs union, including an internal free trade area with common customs tariffs (Art. 31 TFEU).

• The monetary policy of the EU for the Member States whose currency is the euro, overseen by the European Central Bank and with certain precepts formulated in the Stability and Growth Pact (Art. 129 (3) and (4), Arts. 132, 138, 219 TFEU).

• Competition rules controlling state aid from national governments and the actions of companies necessary for the functioning of the internal market.

• A common international trade policy, e.g., a common position in international trade negotiations (Art. 207 TFEU).

• The conclusion of certain international agreements (Art. 3 (2) TFEU).

• Common commercial policy.

• The conservation of marine biological resources (part of the Common Fisher-

ies Policy, Art. 38 (1) TFEU).

room for adjustments;

2. Shared EU competences – as per Art. 2 (2) and Art. 4 TFEU

• Decisions – always address certain recipients and are only valid for those specific countries/people/institutions;

These are policy areas on which the Member States have agreed to act individually if the EU has not exercised (or planned to exercise) its competence. If a policy area is neither exclusive nor falls under supportive actions, it is a shared competence. Some examples are: • Internal market; • Economic, social and territorial cohesion; • Agriculture and fishing (except the conservation of marine biological resources); • Social policy; • Transport; • Environment, pollution and energy; • Consumer protection; • Area of Freedom, Security and Justice.

3. Supporting, coordinating or complementary competences – as per Art. 2 (5), Art. 6 TFEU The EU can financially support the actions of the Member states that have agreed to coordinate their domestic policies through the EU. However, it does not entail harmonisation of regulations. These areas include: • Education, vocational training, youth and sport; • Tourism; • Administrative cooperation; • Civil protection; • Protection and improvement of human health; • Industry; • Culture.

C. LEGAL ACTS OF THE EU While the EU can issue several types of legal acts, not all are fully binding for its Member States. These acts are named according to their legal strength and are divided into: • Regulations – have to be strictly adhered to in all Member States and leave no room for adjustments during the implementation process; • Directives – provide a framework and give a certain policy direction, leaving the states with more flexibility and

• Recommendations – without legal force, but negotiated and voted on according to the appropriate procedure, they are not binding for the Member States; • Opinions – similar to recommendations in that they have no legal force, but not voted on, simply emitted.

The European legislative procedure runs considerably longer than those of most Member States. In brief: the EC (which has the exclusive Right to Initiative), the Council and the EP decide if the proposal becomes a legal act after having discussed relevant details. General policy guidelines and statements, especially from the EP, are formulated in Resolutions. They can entail instructions for future procedures, as well as regulations, which are formally valid in the Member States. Legal acts passed by the EP and the Council enter into force once the national governments have transposed them into national law. The combined legal heritage of the EU, including all legal acts, contracts and treaties is known as the acquis communautaire.

III. FURTHER RESEARCH A. GENERAL LINKS To learn more about the EU, its institutions and instruments, please visit their respective websites, below.

1. European Union http://europa.eu/ index_en.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Book:European_Union 2. EU-Institutions http://eu2012.dk/ en/EU-and-the-Presidency/About-EU/ EU-Background/EU- Institutions 3. European Neighbourhood Policy http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_ en.htm 4. Enlargement http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2010:083:FULL&from=en

5. Common Foreign and Security Policy http://europa.eu/pol/cfsp/index_ en.htm http://europa.eu/agencies/ regulatory_agencies_bodies/security_ agencies/index_ en.htm 6. Lisbon Treaty http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty/index_ en.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6901353.stm 7. Treaty on European Union (TEU) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2010:083:FULL&from=en 8. Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=EN 9. TFEU with explanations http://en.euabc.com/upload/books/lisbon-treaty-3edition.pdf 10. Europe 2020 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF 11. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf

B. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER After you have read the Topic Overviews, it is recommended that you take the time to consider the questions therein, as well as the ones below. This will be an important phase in preparation and will greatly aid you clarify your own stance on the matters at hand (which, in turn, is crucial for you to have decided by the time you start writing your Position Paper).

1. What is the legal basis for the Committee Topic?

2. What are the relevant EU competences?

3. What are the relevant EU institutions?

4. Who decides on policies?

5. Is an EU-level solution desirable?

6. What are the short-term and longterm implications?

7. What type of further legislation is needed?

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Committee topics

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs - ECON

Chaired by: Carolina Macedo dos Santos (PT) E-currency revolution: Bitcoins and digital currencies are bringing about a monetary change. Whilst certain European countries endorse the use of digital currencies, the European Banking Authority continues to issue warnings against their usage.

What stance should the EU take on with regards to the opportunities and dangers presented by virtual currency schemes?

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I - ENVI I

Chaired by: João Bernardo Gonçalves (PT) The Ebola Crisis: the paradox of modern medical aid. Even though multiple initiatives are annually held to provide developing countries with tools to combat diseases and epidemics, worldwide incidents, such as the recent spread of Ebola, expose underlying cracks in the Health System. What can the EU do to strengthen health systems in developing countries to prevent future crises?

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II - ENVI II

Chaired by: André Oliveira (PT) Towards a low-carbon society: taking into consideration the EU’s Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050, which further measures can the EU undertake in order to reach the ambitious target to reduce its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050?

Committee on Industry Research and Energy - ITRE

Chaired by: Adriaan van Steut (NL) SMEs turning environmental challenges into business opportunities: In line with the Europe 2020 Strategy Plan, the EU prioritised becoming a sustainable economy whilst setting ambitious objectives for climate change and energy efficiency.

What SME-oriented actions can be taken at European level to help exploit the business opportunities that the transition to a green economy offers?

Committee on Security and Defence - SEDE

Chaired by: Annie MacConachie (UK) Terrorism: The intercultural clash. The recent tragic events in Paris stand as a reminder that the EU is facing a continuous and evolving terrorist threat. Over the past decade this threat has harmed not only EU citizens, but also the very values and freedoms on which the Union is based. How can the EU best address its security issues whilst respecting its role as a peacekeeper across the globe?

Committee on Transport - TRAN

Chaired by: Joana Gordinho (PT) Transport 2050: With many European towns and cities suffering from chronic traffic congestion, mobility is increasingly difficult and inefficient. Accounting for 23% of all CO2 transport emissions and with estimated annual costs of EUR 80 billion, addressing transportation problems is imperative for the EU's steps forward to sustainable mobility. What actions can the EU take as to fully and successfully implement the Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area?

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Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) E-currency revolution: Bitcoins and digital currencies are bringing about a monetary change. Whilst certain European countries endorse the use of digital currencies, the European Banking Authority (EBA) continues to issue warnings against their usage. What stance should the European Union (EU) take on with regards to the opportunities and dangers presented by virtual currency schemes?

Chaired by: Carolina Macedo dos Santos (PT)

KEY TERMS: • Digital currency: an authority independent currency, used as a medium for exchanging goods virtually.

• Cryptocurrency: digital currency based on cryptography – a technique used to safely communicate with codes.

• Bitcoin: created in 2009, is the first and most used digital cryptocurrency.

• Block chain: ledger that memorizes bitcoins’ transactions.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE: The 21st century can be referred to as the “online century”. Now, more than ever, people from around the world are continuously connected while performing several activities of their daily life, including trading – the world’s engine.

Nevertheless, different currencies and transfer’s fees are a barrier to this global world, making a single, easy to transfer, and low-taxed digital currency a desirable instrument. Therefore, Bitcoin solves many issues, namely those related to commerce: by using digital

currencies, users around the globe can easily avoid the aforementioned barriers imposed by regular money.

These digital currencies are also decentralized, meaning they are not controlled by any entity, leaving its users susceptible to the dangers that result from its independence, as per example: volatility, criminal schemes, inexistence of consumer’s protection.

CONFLICTS: Many, namely economists, defend that since digital currencies have very little practical use in what comes to purchasing physical goods, and its creation is not transparent, they are not actual currencies1.

Supported by this premise, most countries, even though they consider the usage of bitcoins to be legal, do not acknowledge any responsibility for

the creation of legislation to control Bitcoin2.

Furthermore, the EBA, among many other experts, have already issued warnings stating that bitcoin transactions are not safe3, pointing out the lack of regulation as the main concern, which results in insufficient control, thus remaining a distrustful medium of exchange.

The recognition and regulation of Bitcoin as a currency would defy Bitcoin’s independence. Moreover, for the EU, it would imply a change in monetary politics.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin is a reality and, at this moment, there are more than 13 500 000 bitcoins in circulation, however its lack of regulation makes this “coin”, which is worth more than 170 EUR, a swampy soil, demanding for action from the proper stakeholders.

1 http://goo.gl/T39e8K ; http://goo.gl/j1vNoN; 2 http://goo.gl/pobJJc; 3 http://goo.gl/oTzXKQ;

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Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) STAKEHOLDERS: National Governments: each country has the authority to recognize or not the use of Bitcoin and create regulations accordingly; in the EU Member States (MS) the country’s sovereignty is limited by the position of the EU regarding this matter.

European Union Institutions4: the European Parliament; the Council of the European Union; the European Commission; the European Council (unlike the previous three EU bodies, the European Council does not have legislative powers; it has, however, political influence and can include this issue in the EU’s agenda); the European Central Bank, as it controls the emission of currency within the EU, it will have a say regarding the regulation of Bitcoin, in case this currency comes to be considered an EU legal currency; the European Bank Authority.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND: As stated before, digital currencies lack regulation. Most of the European Countries do not consider the use of Bitcoins illegal5, yet fail to recognize it as a currency and regulate it.

In what comes to the EU, there is also

a blank page on legislation related to digital currencies.

It is arguable whether or not Bitcoin fits under some EU Directives6. Finland considers that it fits under the EU VAT Directive7, however the majority’s position, including EU’s opinion, remains that Bitcoin is not a currency8.

Concerning the EU’s monetary and economic affairs, it is always important to be aware of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union9 as they define and limit the competences of the EU.

RESEARCH LINKS: Brief summary of the legislation’s status on bitcoin in various countries: http:// www.loc.gov/law/help/bitcoin-survey/ Charts on bitcoin’s transactions, value, the profit of the miners10, among others: https://blockchain.info/en/charts EBA’s opinion on the use of virtual currencies (bitcoin) explained: http://goo. gl/oTzXKQ http://goo.gl/cNxMKq Video explaining how Bitcoin works: http://goo.gl/8x3p1q

KEY QUESTIONS: A lot of questions are to be answered in order to fully understand how the bitcoin’s world works, but you should begin with three core problems that will lead your research into many more interrogations: • Can digital currencies such as Bitcoin truly be considered currencies?

• Are these digital currencies a safe medium of exchange?

• If not, what shall be done for them to become safe for consumers?

4 http://goo.gl/8Bi9AB; 5 http://goo.gl/eAEkAD; 6 http://goo.gl/4dl1Wr ; http://goo.gl/CaVpJo ; http://goo.gl/c4Mvyp; 7 http://goo.gl/O1COHa; 8 http://goo.gl/tBhmEY; 9 http://goo.gl/8EBq3j; 10 Miners are people that store bitcoins transactions by building blocks, which integrate the block chain.

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I (ENVI I) The Ebola Crisis: the paradox of modern medical aid. Even though multiple initiatives are annually held to provide developing countries with tools to combat diseases and epidemics, worldwide incidents, such as the recent spread of Ebola, expose underlying cracks in the Health System. What can the EU do to strengthen health systems in developing countries to prevent future crises?

Chaired by: João Bernardo Gonçalves (PT)

KEY TERMS: • Developing Country: nation with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base and low Human Development Index relative to other countries.

• European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies: Institution that supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.

• Health System: Sum total of all the organisations, institutions and resources whose primary purpose is to improve health.

• International Aid: voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another.

• OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

• DAC: Development Assistance Committee.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE: According to a study by the Stanford University School of Medicine, “ Foreign aid for health care is directly linked to an increase in life expectancy and

a decrease in child mortality in developing countries”1, which means that international aid provided by other nations has significant and positive effects on the lives of developing countries populations.

Development aid can be defined as financial support given by governments and other agencies to support economically, socially and politically the developing countries.

The European Union, as the biggest donor with an amount of €56.5 billion in 2013, declared 2015 as “The European Year for Development”2 and with this decided to refocus their funds to countries that most need it, reducing the help for those countries that are in a situation of “graduation”3, like Malaysia and India.

Nevertheless, it is important to revive a United Nations General Assembly in 1970 when the developed countries decided that by the middle of the 1970s the amount of international aid from each donor country should be 0,7% of GNP4, but by 2013 only five of these countries have reached that goal5

.It is also important to remind that the present year is the deadline of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals6, that promised halving extreme poverty rates, hunger and child mortality and the combat against several diseases.

CONFLICTS: The major conflict concerning development aid is its effectiveness. Critics often question if it is used correctly and

1 http://med.stanford.edu/news/allnews/2014/04/health-care-aid-for-developingcountries-boosts-life-expectancy-study-finds. html; 2 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/european-year-development-2015_en; 3 In recent years, several developing countries have experienced strong economic growth and have managed to reduce poverty. The EU is therefore phasing out direct aid to these countries, and this process is called graduation. https://europa.eu/eyd2015/en/content/eu-development-aid 4 Gross National Product; 5 A deeper look to the 0.7% target: http://www. unmillenniumproject.org/press/07.htm 6 The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I (ENVI I) if it reaches their intended recipients.

They also affirm that development aid discourages local development and displaces domestic resources that might otherwise be devoted to health.

Eran Bendavid, professor of Stanford University School of Medicine, has, however, a contrary opinion. The findings7 of this researcher proved that investments in health do indeed lead to direct, beneficial outcomes in health improvements, as for instance the rapid rise in life expectancy and measurably larger declines in mortality among children under the age of 5.

However, even with the amount of money provided for development aid, about USD 135 billion, the help continues not to go to those that most need it and some of the help is lost on its way, due to corruption or bad infrastructures, amongst other reasons.

STAKEHOLDERS The OECD is an international organization of 34 countries founded in 1961. It has a sub-organization of 28 countries plus the European Union, called Development Assistance Committee, which is responsible for more than 90% of all development aid; When it comes to Developing Countries, the term is difficult to define, because each organizations, IMF, UN, etc., gives a different definition for “developing country”. We can generally define it as countries “with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries”8;

The UN, with its numerous agencies and programs, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations serve most of the times as a way of making the help get to where it is needed; The European Union, as the world’s largest aid donor, has several programs concerning this issue. Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid is one of the Departments of the European Commission and is responsible for designing European international cooperation and development policy and delivering aid throughout the world.

LEGISLATION: • The European Consensus: Signed in 2005, it defines the framework of common principles within which the EU and its Member States will each implement their development policies in a spirit of complementarity; • Action Plan for more, better and faster aid: This action plan set in a communication from the Commission in 2006, aims to improve efficiency, coherence and the impact of aid to Community development; • 2015 - European Year for Development: European Programme that intends to reinforce the importance of international aid and wants to inspire people to be involved in the events across Europe to promote the importance of international aid.

KEY QUESTIONS: • How can international aid be more effective?

• How can we guarantee that international aid reaches the ones that most need it?

• What can we do to ensure that countries provide more 0,7% of their GNP to international aid?

• What can the EU do guarantee that the European countries, even in a situation of a crisis, do not decide to cut abruptly their aid?

LINKS: • Academic article about the benefits of medical aid: http://med.stanford.edu/ news/all-news/2014/04/health-careaid-for-developing-countries-boostslife-expectancy-study-finds.html; • Statistics about international aid provided by DAC countries: http://www. oecd.org/newsroom/aid-to-developing-countries-rebounds-in-2013-toreach-an-all-time-high.htm; • Website of “Europe Aid”, with the policies, the projects and the funding: https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/policies/european-development-policy_en; • European legislation regarding development aid: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/development/ general_development_framework/index_en.htm; • Video about the benefits of the help provided by OECD donors.https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=csWQBsJhmVI;

7 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1861035&resultClick=3; 8 Sullivan, Arthur; Steven M. Sheffrin (2003).

Economics: Principles in Action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall.,p. 471

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II (ENVI II) Towards a low-carbon society: taking into consideration the EU’s Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050, which further measures can the EU undertake in order to reach the ambitious target to reduce its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050?

Chaired by: André Oliveira

KEY TERMS • Greenhouse Gases: Gases that trap heat and radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere due to their chemical composition and reactivity, thus contributing to global warming; • Kyoto Protocol: Also known as the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it is an international treaty which commits its parties to setting emission reduction targets; • European Environmental Agency: Agency of the European Union responsible for providing independent information on environmental topics; • Programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE): EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout the EU. • European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan): European plan to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies by improving new technologies and bringing down costs through coordinating research and helping to finance projects.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE The European Union (EU) is concerned about the impact of climate change. A high rate of carbon emissions threatens the EU citizens via severe changes that can hinder living standards inside of the EU. Consequently, several goals were established in order to tackle excessive emissions. However, recent numbers prove more needs to be done to meet the rigorous goals imposed by the Kyoto Protocol1.

The transition to a low-carbon society would boost Europe’s economy thanks to increased innovation and investment in clean technologies and low-carbon energy. A low-carbon economy would have a much greater need for renewable sources of energy, energy-efficient building materials, hybrid and electric cars, ‘smart grid’ equipment, low-carbon power generation and carbon cap-

ture and storage technologies. Many of these technologies already exist today but need to be developed further.

CONFLICTS Knowing that in 2012 energy industries held 29.2% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions2 it becomes clear the industrial sector is largely responsible for emissions. European companies are finding difficult to reduce CO2 emissions to achieve a greener environment due to the high international competition3, which is becoming more and more demanding.

Within the current crisis, companies prefer assured stability than investing on engaging eco-friendly habits. Other companies are simply too focused on profits, discarding environmental investments4. However, general engagement in eco-friendly solutions is man-

1 Kyoto Progress in 2014: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/g-gas/docs/kyoto_progress_2014_en.pdf; 2 Emissions from transport and by sector: http://ec.europa.eu/ clima/policies/transport/index_en.htm; 3 http://science.time.com/2010/09/09/energy-reducing-co2emissions-will-be-harder-than-you-think/; 4 http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/ jul/28/carbon-tax-australia-british-columbia-business-revenue-neutral;

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II (ENVI II) datory5 for the EU to meet its goals, which clashes greatly with companies’ stances towards this issue.

To make the transition to a low-carbon society the EU would need to invest an additional €270 billion or 1.5% of its GDP annually, on average, over the next four decades, which could not be seen as something desirable for some in a time of economic crisis.

STAKEHOLDERS The European Commission is the main actor concerning European GHG emissions policy changes. Within that the Directorate General (DG) for the Environment (ENV) works together with the Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The European Environmental Agency (EEA) provides impartial and recent information6, on which the Commission can base its decisions when it comes to environmental policies.

National Governments, NGOs (such as Climate Group) and lobbyists (such as Business Europe) are also relevant because they influence EU institutions greatly.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was estab-

lished in order to reduce global emissions and is still being enforced today.

In 1992, the Programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE) was devised to be a financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects7.

2008 saw the establishment of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies8. In 2012 and 2014, articles 191-193 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and the EU policy framework strengthened cooperation between MS and focused on the smart management of resources. With the European Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050, the European Commission set out a cost-effective pathway for achieving much deeper emission cuts by the middle of the century.

KEY QUESTIONS • Is the EU on a good path to achieve the goals set by the Kyoto Protocol?

• How can the EU promote low carbon consumption in order to achieve its goals?

• How can companies be encouraged to look for environmentally friendly solutions?

• Should the EU find its way through this problem or should it maintain a

passive position in this subject?

• How can European industries adopt greener methods without undermining their gains?

• What cost-efficient measures should be adopted to make the European economy more climate-friendly and less energy-consuming?

RESEARCH LINKS • From Roadmaps to Reality: A Framework for Power Sector Decarbonisation in Europe. Video: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=xahXpzTNqsA • Article on cutting GHG emissions by 40% by 2030: http://www.theguardian. com/world/2014/oct/24/eu-leadersagree-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-40-by-2030 • International Energy Agency paper on reducing GHG emissions: https://www. iea.org/ciab/papers/ciab.pdf • UN’s report on the Transition to a Green Economy: http://www.unep.org/ greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/ research_products/UN-DESA,%20UNCTAD%20Transition%20GE.pdf • European Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy by 2050: http:// eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ TXT/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0112 • A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy: http://ec.europa.eu/resource-efficient-europe/

5 http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/carbon-reduction-employee-engagement-sme-discussion-round-up; 6 http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/renewable-energy-in-europe-approximated; 7 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ TXT/?uri=OJ:JOL_2014_116_R_0001; 8 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/ comm_2013_0253_en.pdf;

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Committee on Industry Research and Energy (ITRE) SMEs turning environmental challenges into business opportunities: In line with the Europe 2020 Strategy Plan, the EU prioritised becoming a sustainable economy whilst setting ambitious objectives for climate change and energy efficiency. What SME-oriented actions can be taken at European level to help exploit the business opportunities that the transition to a green economy offers?

Chaired by: Adriaan van Steut (NL)

KEY TERMS • Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are businesses having up to 250 employees. They are of key importance in the economy of the European Union (EU) and provide two thirds of the workspaces in the private sector1.

• Europe 2020 Strategy Plan: A 10year strategic plan aimed at developing a sustainable and flexible European economy through greater cooperation between the EU and Member States (MS). The concrete measures are outlined in 7 flagship initiatives.

• Resource efficiency: Using resources such as raw materials and energy more efficiently in order to reduce pollution and be more environmentally friendly, which is a major issue on the agenda of the EU. SOCIAL RELEVANCE With the world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the pressure on the world’s resources will only increase in the coming decades2, making the efficient usage of resources essential for governments worldwide. Reducing the consumption of raw materials (oil, gas, wood, etc.) while maintaining our stan-

dard of living is one of the most difficult problems of our age and requires foresight and thinking in long-term solutions.

In 2010 the European Commission (EC) proposed the Europe 2020 Strategy, a comprehensive strategy aimed at creating more jobs and stimulating economic growth while reducing environmental damage. It wishes to create a resource-efficient economy with low carbon gas emissions by – among others – investing in the development of clean technology, reducing energy usage of the public and reducing the energy cost of our infrastructure.

As an important part of the European economy, SMEs need to be addressed in order to create a resource-efficient Europe. SMEs account for two-thirds of all jobs in the private sector and contribute up to 50% of all exports3, meaning that any legislation passed on SMEs will have far-reaching consequences.

The EU is already trying to simulate SMEs and make them more globally competitive4 and any legislation that would stimulate SMEs to become more environmentally friendly would help in

achieving the goals set out in Europe 2020.

CONFLICTS An important conflict in this issue is how much legislation should be passed on SMEs. Currently the ‘European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (UEAPME), which represents over 12 million SMEs, is complaining about the amount of legislation and the administrative burdens and complex tax procedures this brings with it5. They are calling for simplification of rules and more freedom for SMEs in order to make them more globally competitive.

Should the EU decide to allow SMEs

1 http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/business-friendly-environment/performance-review/ files/annual-report/infographics_en.pdf; 2 http://ec.europa.eu/resource-efficient-europe/ pdf/resource_efficient_europe_en.pdf; 3 http://www.edinburgh-group.org/media/2776/ edinburgh_group_research_-_growing_the_global_economy_through_smes.pdf, page 19; 4 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/ small-business-act/index_en.htm; 5 http://www.ueapme.com/IMG/pdf/UEAPME_ Position_Paper_on_SBA.pdf;

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Committee on Industry Research and Energy (ITRE) greater freedom, it could lead to competitive advantages over companies in other countries but could also make reaching the goals of Europe 2020 more difficult. It would mean that the EU would not be able to support SMEs as much and would be unable to influence them to invest in becoming more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient.

A course will thus have to be set out where the EU can stimulate SMEs to become environmentally friendly, yet also give them the means to keep competing globally.

STAKEHOLDERS As SMEs provide two-thirds of all jobs in the private sector, they form the backbone of the European economy.

Ensuring a business climate in which SMEs can thrive is thus vital for all Europeans, as a failure of SMEs will leave innumerable Europeans without work.

The EU is an important stakeholder in this issue. Being an organisation composed of 28 countries, its goals include ensuring prosperity and economic growth across the continent. It is in the EU’s interest to have successful SMEs in Member States and thus ensure that the Union keeps working properly.

However, it has also committed itself to increasing sustainability and to prioritising resource efficiency.

Member States are also important stakeholders in this issue. They might have differing views and policies on SMEs, and as the EU cannot force its will upon countries, MS will have to decide whether or not to adopt certain legislation in their countries. As a

consequence, it is important to take into account the effect of any potential solutions on MS. LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND The EU has outlined its goals for establishing a green economy in the Europe 2020 Plan. This plan lists goals and the concrete measures called the 7 flagship initiatives to reach these goals6. It does not contain any European laws but instead urges the governments of all EU Member States to set goals and laws for themselves and cooperate with other Member States and the EU to bring these to success. The Plan specifically mentions supporting SMEs and calls for the development of a strong and sustainable industry in order to compete globally.

The current legislation on SMEs is the Small Business Act for Europe, meant to create favourable conditions for SMEs at European and national levels . Also in this legislation is the ‘Think Small first´ principle, which means that whenever making new laws, SMEs have to be taken into consideration from the very beginning, thus ensuring that their interests will be served.

The Green Action Plan (GAP) for SMEs proposes to exploit the business opportunities that the transition to a green economy offers, by improving productivity and driving down costs in European SMEs through resource efficiency, by supporting green entrepreneurship and by exploiting and developing Europe’s leadership in green processes and technologies.

KEY QUESTIONS • Should the EU strive for more legislation about SMEs? • How can the EU ensure that SMEs become more environmentally friendly yet remain globally competitive?

• Are there any other actions the EU can perform to support SMEs? • Should the EU involve national governments more in the issue of SMEs? RESEARCH LINKS • Information on the Small Business Act, also includes a report on how companies and businesses see its effects: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ policies/sme/small-business-act/thinksmall-first/index_en.htm#h2-5 • An overview of Europe 2020: http:// www.efesme.org/europe-2020-a-strategy-for-smart-sustainable-and-inclusive-growth • A brochure explaining in-depth what the EU does for SMEs and why: http:// ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/ what-eu-does-for-smes_en.htm • A brief article about the restrictions of EU legislation on SMEs looking for funding http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/11221814/SME-funding-heldback-by-EU-rules.html • Green Action Plan for SMEs: http:// ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/ sme/public-consultation-green-action-plan/index_en.htm

6 http://www.efesme.org/europe-2020-a-strategy-for-smart-sustainable-and-inclusive-growth; 7 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/ small-business-act/index_en.htm;

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Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) Terrorism: The intercultural clash.

The recent tragic events in Paris stand as a reminder that the European Union (EU) is facing a continuous and evolving terrorist threat.

Over the past decade this threat has harmed not only EU citizens, but also the very values and freedoms on which the Union is based. How can the EU best address its security issues whilst respecting its role as a peacekeeper across the globe?

Chaired by: Annie MacConachie (UK)

KEY TERMS • Declaration on Combating Terrorism: 2004 Declaration of the European Council emphasising the need for coordination, which included the integration of intelligence structures within the Council Secretariat, reinforcement of Europol, and Eurojust.

• EU Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism (2004): Proposal of measures such as joint investigation teams, specialist anti-terrorist teams, and a cooperation agreement between Europol and relevant United States (US) authorities.

• EU counter-terrorism Strategy: 2005 strategy produced by the EU and the United Nations (UN) that focused on 4 outcomes: prevent, protect, pursue and respond.

• Europol: The European Union law enforcement agency that coordinates criminal intelligence. It deals with terrorism and also serious international organised crime.

• Eurojust: An EU body designed to increase the co-ordination of international investigations.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE:

CONFLICTS:

The recent Paris attacks demonstrate a change in the nature of terrorism.

Small-scale attacks are carried out on groups of individuals but attackers often work alone or have little contact with their terrorist cell. This changing nature of terrorism has made it increasingly difficult for the EU to monitor and prevent threats. In Article 6 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights1 of the EU, the right to liberty and security is enshrined. Aside from harming citizens, terrorism also damages the EU principle of security. The EU must balance the need to protect its citizens and prevent terrorism with its role as a peacekeeper representing the interests of diverse countries. Many anti-terrorism frameworks are already in place but greater action is needed. The EU must now decide how active a role it should take in terrorism-prevention whilst also ensuring that human rights are respected.

The main conflicts relevant to this topic are the EU’s role in anti-terrorism activities and the kind of action that should be taken. A decision needs to be made regarding how the EU should explore collaboration with other international bodies such as the UN, which many feel is a betrayal to its peacekeeping role. The EU stance on terrorism is also a source of disagreement: should the EU keep a diplomatic/monitoring approach, or address current issues more directly? Additionally, intelligence sharing presents a potential conflict, as although the EU advised that multinational intelligence cooperation is essential2, the individual Member States’ intelligence services prefer to work on a bilateral level so as to not jeopardise relations with other countries. There is also tension between individual MS due to lack of cohesion.

1 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT; 2 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ j.1468-5965.2006.00638.x/abstract;

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Committee on Security and defence (SEDE) STAKEHOLDERS: The EP Committee SEDE is an important stakeholder as it adopts legislative proposals concerning terrorism. The European Commission is responsible for the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the European Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is also extremely relevant as it analyses security policy issues. The European External Action Service4 is a diplomatic service dealing with foreign affairs. Member States are also relevant since each of them defines terrorism differently. NGOs such as the Anti-Terrorism Force5 and the International Antiterrorism Unity6 are also extremely relevant actors regarding security and terrorism.

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LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND: The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy outlines the EU’s stance on terrorism. In 2005 the EU and UN produced the “European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy” which focused on 4 outcomes: prevent, protect, pursue and respond. The “Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism” was then created and now serves as a regional multilateral treaty defining terrorist offences. The Declaration on Combating Terrorism was aimed at increased coordination7 .

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a partnership between the EU and its southern/eastern neighbours, aiming for closer political association and economic integration. The Commission also adopted the “EU Internal Security Strategy in Action” in 2010, a

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measure that advises 41 actions to target the most urgent security challenges. To ensure its full implementation, the “Harmony Policy Cycle on organised crime 2011-13” and the Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) have been established. The revised EU Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism was updated in 2011 when the “Council of the European Union Report on the EU Action Plan on combating terrorism” was published.

KEY QUESTIONS: • Bearing in mind the evolving nature of terrorism, is existing legislation sufficient or should more be created?

If it is considered to be sufficient, is it being implemented to its full extent?

• Could pan-European intelligence sharing ever be truly feasible?

• How can the coordination between MS be increased and existing structures be strengthened?

• How can the primary causes of terrorism be tackled?

• How might the EU’s peacekeeper role be damaged by acting more definitively against terrorism?

RESEARCH LINKS: • EU Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tqSq1hEMi6gJ:https:// english.nctv.nl/Images/EU%2520Plan%2520of%2520Action_tcm92-132204.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

• The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Uion: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT • What is the European Neighbourhood Policy?: http://eeas.europa.eu/ enp/about-us/index_en.htm • European Parliament, Fighting terrorism in the EU and beyond its borders, Video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=E1nP0PZIsbk • Paper that examines the main EU-level initiatives that have been put forward in the weeks following the attacks in Paris in January 2015: http:// www.ceps.eu/book/eu-counter-terrorism-policy-responses-attacks-paris-towards-eu-security-and-liberty-agenda • Report from the Commission to the EP and the Council on the implementation of Council Framework Decision on combating terrorism: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/policies/ crisis-and-terrorism/general/docs/ report_on_the_implementation_of_cfd_2008-919-jha_and_cfd_2002-475jha_on_combating_terrorism_en.pdf • Global Terrorism Index 2014: http:// economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/ uploads/2011/09/Terrorism-Index-Report.pdf

3 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/ en/sede/home.html 4 http://www.eeas.europa.eu/index_en.htm 5 http://www.unodc.org/ngo/showSingleDetailed.do?req_org_uid=22469 6 http://coe-ngo.org/ingo/international-antiterrorism-unity 7 Including integration of an intelligence structure of the Council Secretariat, reinforcement of Europol, Eurojust and the Police Chiefs Task Force, and a “solidarity clause”

Committee on Transport (TRAN) Transport 2050: With many European towns and cities suffering from chronic traffic congestion, mobility is increasingly difficult and inefficient. Accounting for 23% of all CO2 transport emissions and with estimated annual costs of EUR 80 billion, addressing transportation problems is imperative for the European Union’s (EU) steps forward to sustainable mobility. What actions can the EU take as to fully and successfully implement the Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area?

KEY TERMS: • Traffic congestion: caused by the increase of road network usage, it is responsible for queuing and longer trip times.

• Greenhouse gas (GHG): emissions of GHG by oil-fuelled vehicles that contribute to global warming and pollution of the atmosphere.

• Road transport: transport of passengers or goods on roads. By being the preferred mean of transport and also the least efficient one, it is the main concern to be addressed.

• Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T): sets its goal at ensuring a far-reaching transport network that unites all EU Member States (MS) efficiently.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE: Current transport systems are far from reaching their full potential and ef-

Chaired by: Joana Gordinho (PT)

ficiency. Road congestion costs the MS close to 80 billion1 euros a year.

This value is lost due to delays in the transport of goods and the increase of fuel prices – each minute a truck full of raw material spends stuck in traffic leads to the loss of valuable production time by industrial factories. While it is still heavily dependent on oil based fuels, the transport sector accounts for 23% of all GHG emissions, and road traffic makes up to one fifth of all CO2 emissions2. Moreover, even though transport-related fatalities have decreased in the last years, the EU has set the goal to get this number close to zero by 20503.

CONFLICTS: Traffic congestion and bottlenecks are more than just an inconvenience.

Trucks do not arrive to their destination in time and people have to leave

earlier for work, which causes a massive hit on productivity. Taking vehicles off the road is imperative so as to reduce traffic4. On the other hand, the TEN-T guidelines set goals for building new roads and optimising the existing ones, in order to facilitate the traffic flow, but building new infrastructure to support railroad transport entails deep planning, cooperation among MS and a copious amount of initial investment5.

Even though transport has become

1 80 billion Euros is the equivalent of over 1% of the MSs’ total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than their annual contribution to the budget of the EU; 2 Road Transport – a change of gear: http://goo. gl/8FlPeY; 3 White Paper - Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area: http://goo.gl/Qc6ohL; 4 Cabotage works under the Regulation (EC) 1072/2009 and allows a haulier from one country to transport goods within another country on a temporary basis when making international deliveries, increasing the efficiency of transport of goods while allowing for less trucks to be on the road; 5 Connecting Europe – Delivering the TEN-T, page 16: http://goo.gl/I8N7p3;

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Committee on Transport (TRAN) more energetically efficient, the sector still relies on oil products to sustain 95%6 of its energetic demands.

However, investing in cleaner fuels and more energy-efficient engines will not make the cut by itself. Shifting passengers from these polluting means of transportation to cleaner ones, such as trains, is another option to consider.

Nevertheless, other means do not offer the same door-to-door comfort that makes road transport so popular.

STAKEHOLDERS The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport7 is the department of the European Commission in charge of Transport affairs and works together with the MS, European industry, and other stakeholders in order to obtain a more sustainable mobility in the EU. Civitas8 is an initiative that works towards introducing ambitious, innovative solutions for green urban transport, having already changed the transport systems in more than 200 European cities.

NGOs and private businesses intervene by lobbying for their economic interests. On the other side, MS have to balance those interests with the need

for greener and more efficient solutions for the transport of goods and people.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND The White Paper Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area aims at creating a more competitive and integrated transport network, combining its development with the reduction of CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. This document sets guidelines in order to facilitate the movement of EU citizens and freight, while at the same time cutting costs and improving sustainability.

The EU guidelines for the development of the TEN-T set the goals for the connection of all transport “patchworks” into one far-reaching network: land, air and maritime. The TEN-T aims at harmonising EU’s transport multimodal network and assuring compatibility, while at the same time reducing GHG emissions.

• How can the EU help passengers move away from oil-fuelled transport to cleaner options? Is the investment on research and development of greener technology viable?

• What else can be done to increase public transport efficiency? How should information technology be implemented for this matter?

• What steps should the EU take in order to ensure that every MS is connected to the TEN-T and is able to benefit from it?

RESEARCH LINKS • A video on TEN-T: http://goo. gl/16iaVM • Future of transport – analytical report: http://goo.gl/ADSY4S • Transport 2050: The major challenges, the key measures: http://goo.gl/ SEzFmx • Climate Action – Reducing emissions from transport: http://goo.gl/bHI5Xa

KEY QUESTIONS • Is reducing the number of vehicles on the road the best way to ease traffic?

Or should the bet be placed on building new roads and expanding existing ones?

6 “The EU Transport in Figures”, page 120 – Final consumption of petrol, diesel and biofuels for Transport: http://goo.gl/CUIdhz; 7 Directorate General for Mobility and Transport website: http://goo.gl/SyK4xx; 8 Civitas website: http://www.civitas.eu/;

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Contacts

This Academic Preparation Kit is the responsibility of the Board of the forum and of the team of Chairpersons. General queries should be addressed to the President. Otherwise, the Chairpersons will contact their Committees regarding all pre-session academic preparation tasks.

APPEJ – Associação Portuguesa do Parlamento Europeu dos Jovens/ European Youth Parliament Portugal E-mail address: geral@pejportugal.com Website: www.pejportugal.com Inter-Regional Forum of EYP Portugal - Guimarães 2015 Email address: interregionalforum@pejportugal.com Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Inter-Regional-Forum-of-EYP-Portugal-Guimarães-2015 Head-organisers of the Forum E-mail address: interregionalforum@pejportugal.com (reaches both) Telephone numbers: Mafalda Rodrigues – (+351) 915676118 Miguel Paiva – (+351) 912702185 Forum’s President Anna Borrell E-mail address: annaborrell23@gmail.com

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Under the patronage of I.P.D.J. and the Municipality of Guimarães.

With the appreciated support of Hotel S. Mamede, Pousada da Juventude de Guimarães, Escola Secundária Francisco de Holanda e Paço dos Duques de Bragança.