Resolution Briefings

Resolution Briefings

Contents 4 ||

AFCO

6 ||

AFET

8 ||

AGRI

10 ||

DEVE

12 ||

ECON I

14 ||

ECON II

16 ||

ECON III

18 ||

EMPL

20 ||

ENVI I

22 ||

ENVI II

24 ||

FEMM

26 ||

LIBE I

28 ||

LIBE II

30 ||

LIBE III

32 ||

PECH

Resolution Briefings

Editorial Dear reader, You have in your hands a briefing pack aimed at bridging the gap between the physical manifestation of the resolution and its spirit. The spirit of the resolution is the aim and direction taken by a committee during the days of committee work. It is oftentimes that this spirit is overlooked and overshadowed by the heated debate of the General Assembly. That is why the Media Team, alongside the Chairpersons and you, dear delegates, has worked to create this booklet to aid anyone reading it in grasping the fundamentals of what each resolution thrives to achieve.

We wish you fruitful debates and request that you not only concentrate your energy on questioning individual clauses, but rather challenge yourself, identify the aim of the resolutions and think of the grander scope of matters.

K&W

3

Committee on Constitutional Affairs Annemari Sepp

Facing crises of democracy: Given the decline in general election in all developed democracies, to what extent should national governments make use of direct or deliberative democracy in order to boost the public interest in policy decisions?

Over the last decades, the world has been witnessing the crisis of democracy. This is a phenomenon that can be observed worldwide, but is especially vivid when it comes to the EU, where voter turnout in the European Parliament elections has been in steady decline. The reasons behind the decline are complex and vary across countries, affecting the relationship between the EU, national governments and its citizens. In their technocratic governance, the EU and national governments become distant from citizens and the citizens, in turn, look for other ways of political participation.

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The Committee on Constitutional Affairs is aware of the complexity of the problem and understands that the problems lie in undereducated citizens, biased media and what kind of governing methods.

The committee analyses different voting cultures and compares the procedures in several countries, finding that many of them are not transparent enough or too complicated. AFCO acknowledges that the inefficiency of the educational system regarding Civic Studies leads the citizens to think that their vote does not matter.

The solutions in effect today have not worked well enough and poorly implemented direct de-

mocracy has created new problems, such as low voter turnout due to voter tiredness, limited legislative power, disinterest of minorities, and a high degree of political manipulation. The cases of using deliberative democracy have not been widespread and, therefore, citizens have not got the chance to be fully integrated in the policy-making process nor have the discussions between citizens and politicians been successful enough.

AFCO believes that a fully operational democratic state can be achieved by raising citizens’ awareness and using proactive measures. Raising awareness starts with Civic Studies and Critical Thinking classes in school to have the youth think about politics and develop their own opinions from an early age on.

To ensure the participation of all interested citizens, the committee suggests organising “World Cafe days”, where citi-

zens can gather to discuss about local matters. For higher understanding and better communication between citizens and policy-makers, the government would select citizens to the “Citizens’ Parliament”, where citizens have the chance to raise questions and share their opinions with the politicians. Local governance should be transparent and direct democracy methods should be introduced. The local representatives can, therefore, discuss local community problems at a higher level.

In the final stage of analysis, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs focuses on ensuring that people’s opinions, ideas and choices are reflected in the policy-making process and that the structure of governance enables the citizens to participate at every level.

5

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Tamer Ă–zgen

From frozen conflict to lasting peace: After the ceasefire of April 2016 in the conflict region Nagorno-Karabakh, how should peace in the region and a longterm perspective for cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan be secured?

Since the 1920s, Nagorno Karabakh has been at the centre of conflict in the Caucasian region.

Throughout the century, more than 600 000 people were relocated both by the Soviet Union and the Armenian occupation forces, which led to a change in the ethnic makeup of the region.

By 2016, 95% of Nagorno Karabakh’s population identifies as ethnically Armenian while the region is de jure part of Azerbaijan.

This unstable climate has caused peace processes and ceasefires to be interrupted several times in the last three decades. The most recent clashes occurred in April 2016, where more than 350 people died in four days of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.

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Bearing in mind all of these facts, the Committee on Foreign Affairs sets their goal from the very beginning to provide long lasting peace and long term cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Their resolution sees the lack of diplomatic relationship between two countries as one the major factors of the conflict and takes action in order to build strong and lasting diplomatic relations between them. AFET invites Armenia and Azerbaijan to adhere to the Madrid Principles, a peace settlement that encourages Armenia to withdraw their armed forces from seven Armenian occupied districts in Azerbaijan and creation of a human corridor between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. Furthermore, the committee calls for several

international and local bodies, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations and the European Union to oversee this peace process.

Another key issue is the over-militarisation of Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the Nagorno Karabakh case. In 2015, both parties spent more than USD 3 billion on arms, most of which were purchased from the Russian Federation. According to AFET, this is another damage to the peace processes since Russia holds a key position as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who oversee the peace process, and at the same time, sells arms to both parties.

These controversial actions have led the Committee on Foreign Affairs to propose the reorganisation of the OSCE Minsk Group by selecting new co-chairs out of the countries which historically, and culturally less likely to be biased on the issue of Nagorno Karabakh, and rotating chairing responsibilities between other Minsk Process members.

Last but not least, AFET discusses the idea of holding a possible plebiscite to decide upon the territorial legal status of Nagorno Karabakh. According to the United Nations Charter on Self Determination, the people of the region have the right to decide their country’s fate and take actions accordingly. The OSCE has been selected as the key facilitator of the plebiscite in overseeing the electoral registration and voting process. The rationale behind this decision is the infrastructural necessities that need to be met before a possible return of the Internally Dislocated People, whose numbers reach up to 600 000.

With all their suggestions in action, the Committee on Foreign Affairs believes that it is possible to reach a long needed peace in the region.

7

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Tommy Mallen

Farming for the future: As four out of five Europeans are expected to live in urban areas by 2020, how should Europe’s food supply be secured, given rising standards for sustainable food production and climate smart agriculture?

The majority of the EU’s food supply is imported, adding hugely to carbon emissions and food costs. In order to be climate-smart and sustainable, it is necessary to cut down on the consumption of resources in order to grow the crops and feed the animals people eat, and the distance they need to travel to their table. To facilitate this, urban areas need to maximise their agricultural potential through the implication of as many practicable urban farming processes as possible, and the EU needs to facilitate urban and rural farmers in improving the sustainability of their practises and also in shifting their attention away from meat production.

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AGRI splits their approach to the topic into two considerations, which can be summarised as farming and policies/approaches. They seek to put in place a functioning network of farmers armed with up-to-date, environmentally friendly technologies and for this network to be supported by governments and legislation. They want consumers to be open to change, educated, informed and sustainability-conscious. It is important to note that while AGRI is entirely aware that changes need to be made with rural farming practice, they choose to find a balance with regard to urban agriculture, as the committee feels there is plenty of scope therein in which to affect real, immediate change.

The committee agrees that the lack of absolute clarity regarding the potential health effects of GMOs renders them an unsustainable option. AGRI instead elects to focus on potential substitutes for meat. Insects are a protein dense food whose environmental impact is measurably less than that of current meat production in the EU. AGRI aims to, in the long term, replace up to half of meat production with insect substitutes, which will also free up a great deal of resources, which can be diverted towards the growth of crops. The committee recognises that this will face both culturally ingrained resistance and resistance from meat farmers, but action is necessary and efforts must be made

to ensure the EU population is open to the ideas of potentially foreign sustainability practises.

This will be achieved through education programmes.

For AGRI, change is no longer an option, but rather a necessity and the committee has structured their resolution in order to guarantee support for farmers, consumers and the environment throughout the transition towards sustainability.

9

Committee on Development

Andreas Loutzidis

Beyond economic poverty: After the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, what approach should Europe promote and which stakeholders should it prioritise collaborating with , in order to effectively end poverty in all its forms in Africa?

Poverty is undoubtedly a usual part of the reality for a lot of areas around the world. Africa, in particular, is one of the most affected continents, with half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) still trapped in extreme poverty four times the global average.

The Committee on Development adopts a more multidimensional understanding of poverty, going beyond economic terms and adding social, political, educational, environmental and health-related dimensions. The committee also notes that all these dimensions affect citizens in sub-Saharan Africa. According to DEVE, past development cooperation has major flaws. Two major ones that the committee identifies are the lack of empowerment of local communities and failing to tailor develop-

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ment programmes according to the cultural, economic, environmental and social characteristics of the receiving countries. That is why DEVE suggests local empowerment, ownership, equal partnership, efficiency, equality and sustainability as guiding principles for EU development cooperation. The committee suggests focusing on project aid rather than budget support for governments, thereby, empowering small businesses in Africa.

Another risk of aid is that it can make receiving countries dependent on the donor countries, for example, food aid can undermine the local agricultural economy. As a result, it makes it impossible for the affected countries to create a self-sufficient agricultural sector. As a solution, DEVE proposes phasing out food aid and only using

it as short-term humanitarian relief. At the same time, however, DEVE realises that attaching conditions to Official Development Assistance (ODA) is sometimes necessary to avoid corruption and diversion of development funds, even though the receiving countries’ ownership of their development process might be undermined because of the instrument.

Another major concern for DEVE is increasing the efficiency of the current development cooperation. The committee recommends ending the practise of tying aid, which requires the receiving country to spend the aid at least partially on goods that were produced in the giving country. This imposes additional costs that lower its efficiency by 25%.

Another factor is the unpredictability of EU aid. At the moment, the European Development Fund (EDF) is managed by the Commission, yet its funding relies on voluntary contributions from Member States outside of the regular EU budget. Incorporating the EDF into the regular budget would give the Union more reliability in planning longterm aid commitments. It would also give the Parliament some degree of influence over the

size of the EDF budgets, which would enable it to support efforts to increase the collective national and supranational ODA to 0.7% of the EU’s GNI (Gross National Income). Lastly, the Committee on Development tries to integrate African economies into the world market. The committee describes goals that the Commission should include in their re-negotiation on the future EU relations with the African, Pacific, Caribbean (APC) groups of states. Believing that African economies cannot withstand competition in a system of free trade, DEVE proposes replacing free trade agreements by extending the EU’s “Everything but Arms” (EBA) policy to all SSA states. The committee also thinks that the new agreement should be tailored to specific socio-economic and cultural needs of African countries.

To conclude, the Committee on Development aims at providing Africa a sustainable model of development that focuses on self-sufficient empowered local communities, with the addition of foreign aid, and having been tailored to its country’s cultural, social, environmental and financial elements.

11

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs I Josephine Heinzelmann

From Tobin tax to vertical equity: As inequalities between rich and poor increase in most developed economies, how should fiscal measures be used to contribute to fair societies?

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs I cares strongly about guaranteeing basic human rights and needs. To ECON I, equality is achieved by providing equal opportunities for all, from which people have the tools to build their lives in any way they want. The resolution, therefore, was created with a profound social motivation.

ECON I aims at establishing a fairer and more inclusive society by granting a minimum living standard to every resident of the EU, regardless of their socio-economic background. In spite of this, the committee perceives injustice in the fact that an unemployed person can possibly have as much money at their disposal as a skilled worker. Further, the committee’s vision is to facilitate

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social mobility, hereby defined as the possibility to ascend the social hierarchy.

Given that the EU currently has no fiscal competences, ECON I sees the necessity to modify the EU Treaties in order to legislate in this regard. With this, the committee aims to establish a fiscal union by granting the EU shared competences. The objective is not to have one tax rate for all Member States, but rather to have similar fair structures based on progressivity. These progressive taxes would then be implemented by each Member State according to their capacity and needs through directives. Furthermore, having a fiscal union facilitates coordination in surveillance efforts to avoid tax evasion. Another positive consequence would be that compa-

nies do not move to another country due to tax incentives, as highlighted by the recent case of Apple in Ireland. Additionally, believing that those who have more should contribute more, ECON I further urges all states to implement a progressive tax system and exempt taxes for incomes below their countries’ poverty lines. This concept of fair progressivity should then also be applied to Value Added Taxes (VAT): necessity goods would be taxed at a reduced rate in comparison to the standard VAT rates.

Moreover, ECON I focuses on the implementation of socio-political measures. It identifies with concern that wealthy stakeholders have a disproportionate influence over democratic institutions. Thus, the committee eliminates this by encouraging the implementation of GRECO’s recommendation of government funding of political parties.

Adult unemployment and lack of entrepreneurial opportunities are combatted with financial support for the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation. Lastly, the committee

strongly believes that education is an investment, rather than a cost. With academic evidence showing that by allowing the poorest 30% of students to have free access to higher education, there is a direct 20% return in the long term. To prevent economic discrimination towards others above this threshold, tuition fees should be progressive according to each student’s economic capacity.

Ultimately, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs I places most weight on the promotion of social mobility and the establishment of a fiscal union in order to harmonise tax systems.

Thus, the maintenance of fairness in society can be ensured by guaranteeing fundamental human rights and needs, while assuring that every inhabitant contributes their fair share to society.

13

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs II Alyona Vyshnevska

Investing for society: How should Europe’s banking regulations balance the goals of non-financial returns on investment with economic growth?

The main aim of the committee is to find an effective way to encourage investors to generate larger non-financial returns without letting over-regulation harm the economy. Indeed, when deciding on an investment, non-financial returns are often not considered to be of a high priority by the investors due to these affecting unrelated third parties, often overall society, and not investors themselves. However, non-financial returns can also be profitable for investors, as they are correlated with long-term financial, economic, environmental and social improvements.

Unfortunately, today’s financial sector is primarily focused on short-term returns. Such a shortterm approach is unsustainable in the long run and can even lead to an economic decline.

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The lack of information available on the environmental and social impact of businesses slows down and makes it nearly impossible to measure, assess and compare non-financial returns of the investors. This makes it difficult, even for investors that want to, to take such factors into account. The committee is also concerned about the lack of communication among impact investors and the disadvantages that small businesses face due to their often brief existence and inexperienced management, even if they have high potential for non-financial returns.

While tackling these issues, ECON II is aware of the dangers of over-regulating the financial sector, which may lead to economic decline or weakened competitiveness against other,

less regulated countries. Therefore, the committee proposes to combine government regulation with self-regulation in the financial industry. In order to bring impact investors together, ECON II suggests organising conferences that would gather impact investors and also establishing a web platform for them and their investment opportunities.

Also, the committee is convinced that reducing taxation on impact investments and providing subsidised credit guarantees for impact investment would help solve these issues. ECON II is in favour of sector-specific subsidies in sectors that can generate large non-financial returns, such as green energy, but specific proposals for these are outside the scope of the topic.

measuring non-financial returns that have been developed by the Global Reporting Initiative, the International Integrated Reporting Council and the Social Investment Business Group. The reporting should then be made public. Management consultants shall also be available to advise businesses interested in impact investments and share guidelines and best practices for successful business strategy with them.

ECON II would consider their mission accomplished if the market size for impact investments increases by 80% by 2020.

In order to measure and compare impact investments, ECON II suggests using the frameworks for

15

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs III Amber Davy

Assessing the growth paradigm: As GDP growth is currently a primary policy objective in Europe, how should the economies of the future define and measure the pursuit of economic success in happy, sustainable, and prosperous societies?

Practically everywhere, prosperity in a society is measured using GDP growth as the sole indicative factor. However, in recent times, this method has become largely criticised for having a narrow focus on economic success. Since the conception of GDP growth as a measurement tool, the focus of societies in developed countries has evolved to incorporate other aspects. GDP growth does not account for environmental and societal advancements. Presently, all Member States use GDP growth when setting agendas. The focus of national governments within the EU is placed heavily on production and consumption. This encourages, for example,the depletion of natural resources, and

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is not sustainable. It is for these reasons that ECON III feels that the current system of measuring prosperity in a society needs to be rethought.

While ECON III recognises that GDP is a useful tool, they think that it should not be used as the only indicator when considering prosperity. Economic growth needs to be redefined in such a way that encompasses social, environmental and economic sustainability. ECON III wishes to redefine economic success in a manner that acknowledges the importance of sustainability for people and the planet. The committee proposes a new index for measuring prosperity that

involves qualitative measures as opposed to merely quantitative ones.

By not stressing economic growth as the key aim, ECON III wishes to promote a human-conscious approach that is primarily concerned with well-being and quality of life.

The aim is to move away from a purely economic view on success, and strive towards degrowth in order to achieve prosperity.

tors. There are three main pillars that ECON III feels need to be strengthened in order for a society to be deemed prosperous.

These pillars, all built upon the foundation of sustainability, are environmental factors, societal factors, and economic factors. By compiling data that analyses the strength of these three pillars, ECON III aims to enable policy-makers to effectively further a society’s quest for prosperity.

Bearing in mind their vision for society’s goals, ECON III feels that economic success cannot be effectively measured by using just one factor. The approach must be multidimensional, and must consider a wide range of indica-

17

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Luca Draisci

Sustainability in a modernised economy: With 87% of workers worldwide unhappy in their jobs, how should more modern, healthy and sustainable workplaces be made available throughout Europe?

As business models evolve due to the constant technological development, the labour market demands higher and higher performance rates from employees. On the other hand, recent reports show that 87% of workers worldwide are dissatisfied with their work. Having considered different statistics, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs considers happiness of employees not only an important factor for satisfaction, but rather a key element of productivity. In fact, a shared sense of purpose and a supporting relationship with the employer, as well as the overall mental and physical wellbeing of employees at the workplace, are factors that highly contribute to raising productivity and task accuracy rates.

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EMPL recognises the obstacles in achieving satisfaction at the workplace from both sides – the employees and employers. Obstacles range from health issues and working time management to the general hierarchy of a company and its internal communication systems. The committee wants to offer a comprehensive approach on the issue by reinforcing existing strategic frameworks, such as the Strategic framework of European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and the global plan of action 2008-2017 of World Health Organisation (WHO), and supporting collaboration between different stakeholders, such as the International Labour Organisation, the WHO and the EU-OSHA. Feeling appreciated at work is an em-

ployee’s most basic need. This can be realised by achieving a sense of purpose and feeling of appreciation at the workplace and increase engagement at the workplace in return. Moreover, increasing employees’ participation in the decision-making process and establishing a sustainable working environment can further enhance employees’ satisfaction levels.

According to the committee, the work-life balance should be taken into account by employers. EMPL, thus, promotes the involvement of mental health specialists within the workspace, and offers stress management courses for the employees. The Committee on Employment considers that employees’ flexibility regarding working time organisation is important in order to avoid stress peaks that could lead to burnout syndrome. This can be achieved by implementing the principle of autonomy based on accountability, or giving an employee space and time flexibility to unleash their creativity and at the same time hold them accountable for the outcome of their work. EMPL also believes that knowledge is key to fulfillment, and thus,

supports the implementation of lifelong learning programmes at the workplace.

The social interactions of workers with their supervisors and colleagues can have an important role in their personal satisfaction. One of the main tools to increase communication at the workplace is providing regular feedback. EMPL believes that 360° evaluation systems and regular meetings are the best way to ensure mutual respect and collaboration and create a system of flat hierarchy. To give a sense of purpose to workers, the committee proposes the adoption of incentive systems, with diverse rewards granted both to individuals and teams in order to avoid conflicts and competitiveness at the workplace. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs proposes the implementation of a board of employees elected by their colleagues to be present at all meetings with the executive board, thus increasing transparency and involvement in the decision-making process of the company.

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I Matthew Gibbons

Health for an ageing society: As Europe faces rapid demographic changes, how should medical care, prevention, and research tackle ageing and the development of sustainable health care schemes?

Europe’s population is ageing at an unprecedented rate. With 19% of the population of the EU over the age of 65, pressure on healthcare systems is increasing exponentially. The healthcare of Europe’s elderly is a broad and varied topic consisting of a variety of factors. Chronic diseases, which are particularly prevalent in Europe’s elderly, are currently putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems. Moreover, factors such as social isolation, physical distance from healthcare institutions and lack of knowledge of the relevant technologies, both prevent elderly people from engaging with their

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healthcare system, while also having a negative impact on their mental health. Outside of traditional healthcare settings, the poor standards of care afforded by nursing institutions impair the quality of life of the elderly – each of these problems has a role to play in this complex web of issues.

The Committee on Environment Public Health and Food Safety I aims to zoom in on this broad and multifaceted topic and address some of the key issues surrounding it. By establishing measures to improve the aforementioned aspects in the

long term, this resolution aims to improve the quality of life of Europe’s ageing society, while reducing the economic pressure currently associated with their healthcare.

Aware that the treatment of chronic diseases, while often inadequate, consumes many funds and resources, ENVI I believes that research opportunities in the treatment and, in particular, the prevention of such diseases are of utmost importance. The committee hopes that by reducing the incidence of such afflictions, the economic pressure incurred by chronic diseases on healthcare systems could be limited in the long term.

ENVI I also identifies mental health as an integral component of healthcare. The committee believes in a holistic view, which includes caring for an individu-

al’s mental and physical health.

The resolution prioritises issues, in particular those relating to social exclusion, which negatively affect the mental health of Europe’s elderly, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of these citizens.

Ultimately, ENVI I believes in a high quality of life for Europe’s elderly. They believe that any attempts to provide sustainable healthcare schemes should be framed in the context of improving the quality of life of the people whom they serve. The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I believes that health for Europe’s ageing population goes beyond the hospital and embraces a broader vision of healthcare, a vision in which, mental health, physical health, care at home and in institutions are all provided adequately and fairly.

21

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II Marsel Szopinski

The two-sided coin of nuclear energy: How should the cross-border risks posed by nuclear power plants be regulated within and on Europe’s borders whilst ensuring energy security?

Nuclear energy has high potential to empower a shift of the current base load from fossil fuels to CO2-neutral resources.

However, possible risks have to be taken into consideration, such as nuclear accidents or groundwater contamination through insufficient waste management, in order to make use of its full potential. ENVI II thus identifies that unsteady European and international cooperation regarding common policies is a focal point to ensure overall cross-border energy safety and security. ENVI II is also confronted with the polarising stances on the use of nuclear energy,

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taking Germany and France as an example. While Germany is striving for a phase-out, France keeps 89% of its energy mix on nuclear power, which may lead to cross-border conflicts.

The committee further notes the crucial importance of research, as new Generation IV reactors are developing slowly. The Generation IV is a set of new reactor designs, focusing on a variety of goals, including improved safety, sustainability, recycling of its own nuclear waste, efficiency and cost. However, the new generation’s implementation is delayed by low budgets, bringing

the commercial application to a halt. Therefore, budget plans, such as Horizon 2020 are appreciated. Possible risks, such as terrorist hijacking of enriched ores during the transportation are also taken into account to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In order to tackle the aforementioned issues, ENVI II proposes to allocate more extensive budgets to the development of new nuclear technologies, such as the Generation IV. In addition to that, research facilities like CERN or Cambridge are encouraged to join forces with the committee’s Research & Development goals to further accelerate the process. Moreover, the committee calls upon the European Commission (EC) to administer state aid to nuclear power research and development institutes, specialised on new generation reactors and nuclear fusion.

Concerning international common policies, ENVI II urges the EC to enact a directive, which requires Members States to build new Generation IV nuclear pow-

er plants with the consensus of their neighbouring states. This agreement must take into consideration minimal evacuation radii, which would be decided on bilaterally between the states. To highlight the importance of nuclear power in the phase-out of fossil fuels, the proposing committee demands the EC to raise the carbon taxes as well as lowering the kilowatt hour tax on nuclear energy. Nevertheless, renewable energies should still be implemented and researched on in order to provide a peak load.

ENVI II finally urges the EC to minimalise the misconception of improbable threats posed by nuclear power plants through proposing a change in national school curricula, once more emphasising the value of nuclear power in energy production.

In conclusion, the committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II proposes an overall solution for a sustainable and secure energy policy in Europe, considering all parties involved.

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Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Kaisa Virolainen

Equal pay for equal work: With women receiving on average 16% lower wages than men, how should progress be made towards income equality for women?

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality stresses the importance of their topic as unequal pay for work of equal value is in their opinion against the fundamental values of the European Union, yet persistent in all Member States.

The committee emphasises that the gender pay gap is a complex issue that reaches beyond monthly payslips, and has a wide social dimension and adversely affects women’s personal finances in the long run. At the core of the resolution lie three main themes: pay transparency, occupational segregation and the role of media.

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An essential factor in the parental leave discussion is equal burden sharing whilst maintaining the child’s legal guardians’ freedom to make choices that suit them the best. For this, the committee suggests a threethree-three model that Iceland has already adopted: both of the legal guardians have each a mandatory three-month long paid parental leave and the third one is divided between them as they wish.

Acknowledging that the gender pay gap can sometimes be hard to notice and, thereby, difficult to tackle due to private salary infor-

mation. The committee suggests annual public pay reports to improve transparency. They encourage enterprises on all sectors to pay attention to equal wage distribution and to collaborate with the national governments.

The resolution does not suggest additional quotas as a solution for equal division of leading positions in the work force. Even though the Chief Executive positions are at the moment dominated by men, quotas could, under certain circumstances, lead to unfair employments or promotions and generate discouragement and discontent. Furthermore, quotas could shift focus away from where it should be in the employment process: personal skills and abilities. Actually, the gender of an applicant should not play any kind of role whatsoever in the application process.

The Committee rather concentrates on the positive promotion of an equal and permissive mindset. In order to do so, the impor-

tance of media is emphasised as a distributor of informative knowledge on gender equality, educating women on their rights and questioning the traditional stereotypical gender roles.

Additionally, the committee encourages national governments to provide leadership and management training in order to distribute professional skills on a larger scale. FEMM also suggests that the Member States consider taxation as a means to secure the economic base for childcare on behalf of the government, in order to ensure better access to childhood care, thus, making it easier for parents to readapt to working life after their child is born.

The gender pay gap is a multidimensional issue that cannot be solved overnight. FEMM aims to secure equal opportunities for all in the labour market in all of its aspects, regardless of gender.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs I Weronika Batta

Building new opportunities: After the arrival of approximately one million refugees in Europe in 2015, how should European states and civil society cooperate to provide adequate education, training and integration for asylum holders?

The refugee crisis remains one of the greatest problems Europe is facing today, creating an additional challenge of how to successfully ensure that the asylum holders are part of the society. Forced to leave their country due to internal conflicts, most of the refugees find themselves in Europe without speaking the language of their country of arrival, without a proper place to live and unable to find a job despite their qualifications. Even after refugees are granted asylum, they encounter innumerable obstacles that keep them from integrating, and result in social divisions and tensions.

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The committee is aware that this issue requires a joint effort of, and a cooperation between Member States and civil society (i.e. individuals and organisations independent from the government).

Work starting at grass-roots level is needed to ensure that the integration is effective, genuine and long-lasting. LIBE I is convinced that barring asylum holders from fully participating in society not only defies basic humanitarian principles the EU upholds, but is also a waste of immense potential that the refugees could otherwise contribute with to benefit the receiving states.

LIBE I believes that it is necessary to provide newcomers with equal opportunities, so that their potential is recognised and fully used for the benefit of the receiving society. The actions proposed do not resort to positive discrimination, but rather serve to level the playing field to make sure that the newcomers can contribute with what is best in them, and not be seen as a burden. However, equality does not constitute sameness – the fact that the asylum holders have different needs in their first years after arrival has to be taken into account.

The committee recognises language skills as a crucial factor, as it not only facilitates handling formalities, but also allows for sharing stories and experiences among citizens of different cultures, which drives empathy and understanding. This as well as crucial barriers in key areas

of education, employment and housing is addressed in a way that ensures the asylum holders’ unique needs are met while they are considered equal in the receiving community. By supporting them in getting access to knowledge, developing skills, transferring their work experience, securing living conditions, and encouraging their social participation, the committee aims to prevent marginalisation and ensure long-term welfare and stability in Europe.

The main aim behind the solutions proposed by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs I is to facilitate the creation of a sustainable society where asylum holders are treated equally, cultural backgrounds can coexist, and the potential that diversity bears is used to the fullest.

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Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs II Lukas Burnar

Leaving no one behind: After the EU’s failed agreement on LGBTI equality, how should LGBTI rights be protected in Europe , whilst acknowledging and addressing public hostility and reservations of individual states?

The committee aims to improve the conditions for members of the LGBTIQ* community and achieve equality in the fields of legislature, public opinion, discrimination and issues specific to transgender and intersex individuals. As of 2016, a clear divide in legislature throughout Europe can be observed. Whilst the northwestern countries have adopted a progressive approach, many southeastern nations have taken up a conservative position. In particular, the committee is concerned by the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the limitation of the freedom of movement of LGBTIQ* people. Additionally, LIBE II is disturbed by the lack

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of policy addressing the issues concerning transgender and non-binary people.

In recent times, efforts have been made to confront the discrimination many members of the LGBTIQ* community have to endure; projects trying to change public opinion have been established and policy fighting the aforementioned issues has been created. However, LIBE II agrees that the lack of practice of policy, such as the Article 21 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which protects the rights of LGBTIQ* individuals, is insufficient. Furthermore, it realises that progressive legislation does not directly translate to

an accepting public opinion, which results in the frequent harassment of and violence towards LGBTIQ* people. In order to face those issues, the committee relies heavily on NGOs and individual states, as it realises that EU institutions are constrained by a lack of competence.

LIBE II believes that the best way to enhance legislation and public opinion is to call upon different stakeholders to take action. Therefore, it encourages conservative states to follow the lead of the ones who have introduced progressive policy and change their legal framework to allow for full equality.

It recommends the establishment of cooperation between Member States and NGOs as well as religious communities in order to achieve the highest efficiency in improving public opinion, as well as harmonising the recognition and rights of LGBTIQ* people to ensure full mobility amongst them.

The committee also believes in the importance of role models and political leaders and, therefore, encourages them to

speak out in favour of LGBTIQ* rights.

Moreover, the committee recognises the lack of action confronting the specific issues of the transgender and intersex community, especially in the field of healthcare. The procedure transgender people have to undergo to get acknowledged often includes practices such as forced mandatory sterilisation, of which the members of the committee firmly disapprove. Consequently, LIBE II calls for the abolishment of such prerequisite and, additionally, the introduction of a third legal gender for transsexual and non-binary children. The committee also encourages the establishment of gender neutral sanitary facilities, because the categorisation of said facilities leaves no space for intersex people.

Ultimately, LIBE II proposes the implementation of the acronym LGBTIQ* by the EU, because it believes it to be more all-encompassing of the diversity of the focus group.

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Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs III Samuel Hönle

A contribution to transparency or a threat to security: Following the Snowden, WikiLeaks and Panama Papers cases, what approach should European states have towards whistleblowers’ disclosures of sensitive information?

Recent cases of public disclosures by whistleblowers and increased media coverage of their revelations have raised awareness on the importance of whistleblowing across the EU in recent years. However, they have also highlighted the differences in different Member States’ legislation regarding the protection of whistleblowers. At the moment, there is no pan-EU legislative framework for the protection of whistleblowers, nor a clear definition of whistleblowing.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs III tackles the problem by recognising the differences of

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perceptions of whistleblowing across the EU, which correlates with the lack of an universal definition of the term. The committee cites this range of perceptions as a reason for the vast differences in the level of protection for whistleblowers in different Member States.

Furthermore, LIBE III highlights that both the needs of the whistleblower and the accused person, organisation or entity need to be taken into consideration, keeping in mind previous cases of injustice in whistleblowing cases for both whistleblowers and the accused. The committee also recognises the potential of some whistleblowing frameworks which exist in

certain Member States, as well as the work of independent organisations, as basis for further development in the topic area.

The core of LIBE III’s resolution can be divided into three major parts. Firstly, they propose to introduce a common, pan-EU definition of both whistleblowing as an action, and the whistleblower as a person. Secondly, they aim to ensure equal treatment and protection of whistleblowers across the EU. To accomplish that, LIBE III proposes a legal framework for a pan-EU whistleblowing procedure with both internal and external disclosure channels. To prevent unnecessary public disclosure, whistleblowers are asked to choose their initial and subsequent disclosure channels according to their specific case. Within this framework, LIBE III proposes to make blowing the whistle mandatory as soon as one comes across relevant information. While protecting the whistleblower from harm directly related to the act during and after the disclosure,

this legal framework would not protect the whistleblower from prosecution, if the information was acquired illegally.

The committee agreed on placing the burden of proof on the whistleblower rather than the accused, to prevent misuse of the introduced system and to preserve the assumption of innocence for the accused. Both parties would be entitled to support services, such as legal and financial aid, psychological support, and security.

Finally, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs III thinks that whistleblowing – according to the proposed definition – should be encouraged and wishes to see the general perception of whistleblowing across the EU harmonised, so that whistleblowing itself is seen as a neutral or even a positive concept which plays a vital part in ensuring a safe, democratic, and transparent society.

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Committee on Fisheries Jasmin Mylläri

Awareness, resilience, and innovation at sea: How should fair access to economic activity on European waters be ensured , whilst also protecting and preserving marine ecosystems?

With their resolution, the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) has defined making fishing more sustainable by increasing the transparency of the industry, improving communication between stakeholders, and enhancing natural growth of marine biodiversity.

At the moment, there are many different institutions that work on decreasing overfishing and finding solutions to make fishing more sustainable. However, these institutions often introduce measures which contradict one another, leading to no concrete impact on the current fishing habits. Furthermore, even when made on a government level, these measures are often not mandatory. For these reasons, PECH has decided to pay particular attention to improving communications channels between fishermen, consumers, states, researchers and other stakeholders.

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To the committee, sustainable fishing means that environmentally conscious practices are implemented. To reach this aim, PECH calls for fisheries to refrain from using fishing methods that are harmful to the environment and invest into research and development of sustainable fishing practices. Additionally, the resolution urges Member States to ratify and implement the Food and Agricultural Organisations’ Code of Conduct for responsible fisheries to provide sustainable development with a long-term focus.

The resolution also calls for new measures to be introduced to nurture marine ecosystems, such as incentives to reduce harmful fishing techniques and introducing a system where catch allowance quotas may be traded between big and small fisheries . Furthermore, PECH encourages Member States to bring more structure to

the use of Marine Protected Areas by registering them to a common European database. With these measures and widening Marine Protected Areas, PECH aims to assist natural growth of biodiversity.

In order to reduce illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing practices, PECH wants to create a universal certification system of fisheries as well as improve fleet-tracking techniques..

Furthermore, in order to improve monitoring systems of fisheries, the committee calls for further research and implementation of more innovative monitoring technology. PECH also endorses open communication between different monitoring bodies to complement the new technology.

The committee believes that raising general awareness on the impacts of the fishing industry through education will help bring about consumer responsibility and promote more sustainable consumer habits. These are also taken into account by endors-

ing a labelling system on marine products and promoting the use of seafood guides. Inspired by the successful operation of the online communication forum for farmers ‘Agrimates’, PECH also seeks for the creation of a social network, where all stakeholders would be able to discuss fishing and its impacts in order to increase transparency and general knowledge of fishing practices and collaboration between stakeholders.

Overall, the operative clauses proposed in this resolution aim to reach the main goals the Committee on Fisheries has outlined by opening up communications, redirecting funds to research, improving monitoring and tracking techniques, implementing common certification guidelines and educating the public on the impacts of fishing. With this resolution, PECH hopes to see a sustainable, transparent and efficient fishing industry in Europe.

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Supported by:

Initiated by:

EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT SCHWEIZ SUISSE SVIZZERA SVIZRA SWITZERLAND The Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organisation of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). EYP Switzerland is a National Committee in the EYP network.

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